VCSU Viking softball drops pair at PC Dome

Viking softball drops pair at PC Dome Saturday

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Valley City State softball team dropped a pair of games Saturday at the Presentation College Dome.

VCSU fell to Morningside by run rule in six innings by final score of 9-0 in the first game of the day. VCSU’s second game of the day went to extra innings after an 1111 deadlock with Northern State. The Wolves defeated VCSU 12-11 after nine innings.

The Vikings went 1-3 this weekend in Aberdeen and is now 3-5 overall. The Vikings play at the Presentation College Dome again next weekend. VCSU will face Kansas Wesleyan and Doane University on Friday, and Jamestown and College of Saint Mary on Saturday.

Morningside 9, VCSU 0 (6 innings)

Morningside’s Grace Buffington and Jordan Skradski combined to shut out the Vikings in six innings Saturday, allowing a total of three hits in the game.

Maddy Zander doubled, but the Vikings left her stranded in the second inning. Ashlynne Copinga then got a basehit in the third, but was caught stealing.

Morningside balanced is scoring with one run in the second, three in the third and two in the fourth. The Mustangs added three more in the sixth, including a tworun double by Morgan Nixon to lead 9-0.

VCSU loaded the bases in the sixth inning after Sierra Crocker drew a walk followed by a basehit from Brooke Gaudry and a walk from Alyssa DePoorter. That’s all the Vikings would get, ending the game by run rule.

Maddy Zander got the loss for VCSU after 3 innings of work. She allowed five runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits. Gaudry and Marissa Hawkins each made an appearance in relief.

Morningside’s Buffington worked 5 innings and got the win in the circle. She allowed two hits, walked two and struck out three. Skradski pitched 1 inning and allowed one hit, walked two and struck out one.

Northern State 12, VCSU 11 (9 innings)

VCSU’s bats came alive in the second game of the day, totaling 11 runs on 11 hits. The Vikings were on the board in the first inning as Sierra Crocker drove in Ashlynne Copinga.

Northern answered with three runs in the second, bringing up VCSU’s biggest inning of the game. Riley Perryman hit a two-run single and DePoorter added a two-run homer to build a 5-2 lead in the middle of the third inning.

Northern found its biggest inning in the bottom of the fifth, scoring six runs highlighted by Avarie Eagle’s two-run double to lead 11-7. VCSU posted two runs in each of the next two innings to tie the game, helped by an RBI single from Marissa Hawkins in the top of the seventh inning.

The game would need two more innings before scoring the runner placed at second base on a ground-rule double by Northern’s Alexandria Arndt.

Makenzee Stone recorded two doubles and three RBIs to lead the Viking offense. DePoorter added a home run, drove in three runs and scored twice. Perryman totaled two hits, two runs and two RBIs.

Brooke Gaudry got the loss for VCSU after pitching 6 innings in relief for VCSU. She allowed seven runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out three. Joelle Lamontagne started in the circle and worked 2 and 1/3 innings. She allowed five runs on seven hits.

Meghan Anderson got the win for the Wolves, pitching 3 relief innings Saturday. She allowed just one run on two hits while walking one and striking out four. Abby Rux started for Northern and Reagan Elrod made a relief appearance as well.

Eagle was 3-for-5, scored three runs and drove in four. Arndt tallied two hits, scored two runs and drove in four.