April 29, 2016
MADISON, S.D. – Valley City State (N.D.) tallied a total of 25 hits in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Softball doubleheader sweep over Dakota State (S.D.) Friday evening at Thue Softball Complex. The Vikings won the first game 11-1 in five innings and 9-2 in the second game.
Dakota State fell to 8-26 overall record and 4-18 in NSAA conference game. Valley City State, who won for the eighth time in the last nine games, raised their overall record to 34-11 and 15-5 NSAA conference record.
Both teams will complete their four-game series on Sunday afternoon at Thue Softball Complex, starting at 2 p.m. (note game time change instead of originally scheduled). Senior Day will be held on Sunday.
Game 1 – Valley City State (N.D.) 11, Dakota State (S.D.) 1 – FINAL/5 innings
The Vikings opened up the game with a run scored in the first inning. Katarina Boychuk led off with a walk and advanced to second base after Kelsey Hamade's ground out to third. Katie Cameron hit a single to advance Boychuk to third base. Cejay Hilhorst recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to score Boychuk for VCSU 1-0 lead.
Valley City State plated two more runs in the top second inning. Kelli Moore and Tatum Lundin started the inning with back-to-back singles. Taylor Schroeder bunted and reached on base caused by DSU's defensive error to set up bases loaded situation for VCSU. Boychuk produced a 2-RBI single to score Moore and Lundin to extend Vikings' lead to 3-0.
VCSU made it 4-0 in the top fourth after Boychuk added another RBI single. Hamade added an RBI fielder's choice, followed by Katie Cameron's RBI bunt single as the Vikings' lead grew to 6-0.
Valley City State scored five times in the top half of the fifth inning, highlighted by Boychuk who hit another 2-RBI single and Cameron's 2-RBI single.
The Trojans snapped their scoring drought in the bottom fifth frame. Kylee Pospisil led off with a walk. Tatum Ronke followed up with a single to advance Pospisil to second base. Harley Lindell reached on base by base-on-balls to set up a bases loaded situation and one out for DSU.
Pyeton Brokiewicz recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to score Pospisil as Dakota State scored its first run of the game (VCSU leads 11-1). The Vikings secured the game as the Trojans left two runners on base.
Ronke was 2-of-2 at the plate with two singles for DSU. Elizabeth Rubalcava added a single. Pospisl and Lindell each reached on base by a walk. Brokiewicz registered an RBI.
Boychuk went 3-of-3 with three singles and drove in a game-high five runs for VCSU. Cameron added three singles and three RBIs. Lundin was 3-of-3 at the plate with three singles. Hilhorst had a double and an RBI. Moore and Schroeder each recorded a hit.
Valley City State outhit Dakota State 12-3 in the game.
Audrey Kosman (L, 4-13) took the loss in the pitching circle for the Trojans. She tossed five innings and allowed 11 runs (3 unearned) on 12 hits.
Morgan Nalley (W, 19-5) earned a complete game victory for the Vikings. She pitched five innings and gave up one run on three hits. She recorded six strikeouts.
Game 2 – Valley City State (N.D.) 9, Dakota State (S.D.) 2 – FINAL
Both teams were unable to score in the first two innings of the second game.
VCSU strike first in the scoring column in the top third inning. Hamade hit an RBI single to score Kadie Anderson – pinch runner for Schroeder who led off the inning with a single – for 1-0 Vikings lead.
Valley City State made it 3-0 after Cameron hit a 2-RBI single. Nalley hit an RBI double to score Cameron as the Vikings completed the top third inning with four run scored for 4-0 lead.
Nalley added an RBI, followed by Moore's RBI single to put Vikings up 6-0 in the top fifth frame.
Dakota State produced two runs in the bottom fifth inning. Ronke started with a single for the Trojans, but was forced out at second base after April Pisk's fielder choice. Ariana Duran drilled an RBI double to score Pisk as DSU trimmed VCSU's lead to 6-1.
Erica Belter, pinch runner for Duran, advanced to third base after the Vikings committed a defensive error. Lindell hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Belter as the Trojans reduced their deficit to 6-2 in the bottom fifth inning.
Cameron hit an RBI single, followed by Hilhorst's 2-run home run as the Vikings extended their lead to 9-2 in the sixth inning.
The Trojans left bases full in the final inning as Valley City State secured the victory.
Ronke was 2-of-3 at the plate with two singles for DSU. Duran had a double and an RBI. Brokiewicz recorded a single and swiped one base. Lindell collected an RBI. Pospisil reached on base by a walk twice.
Cameron went 3-of-4 with three singles and tallied three RBIs for VCSU. She swiped one base. Nalley added a double, single and two RBIs. Lundin had two singles. Hilhorst recorded a home run and two RBIs. Boychuk, Hamade, Moore, Schroeder and Voni Culp each had a hit.
VCSU outhit DSU 13-4 in the game.
Claire Fischer (L, 2-5) recorded the loss after working a complete game for Dakota State. She gave up nine runs on 13 hits and recorded three strikeouts.
Kathleen Gallais (W, 10-3) took the win on the pitcher's mound for Valley City State. She worked for four innings and limited DSU to one hit and struck out five batters. Ashley Metcalf pitched the fifth inning, allowing two runs (one unearned) on two hits. Haley Butterfield closed the game, tossing two scoreless innings. She recorded four strikeouts and gave up two walks.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
