VCSU softball drops pair to open Tucson Invitational

TUCSON, ARIZ. – The Valley City State softball team dropped two games Saturday at the Tucson Invitational Games to open its eight-game stint in Arizona.

VCSU went to extra innings in the first game, falling 4-3 to Northwestern (Iowa) in eight innings. The University of St. Francis then defeated the Vikings 11-0 in five innings. VCSU drops to 0-2 on its spring break trip and 5-9 on the season.

The Vikings play two more games in Tucson on Sunday. VCSU will take on Friends University at 3:30 p.m. CT and Embry-Riddle at 8 p.m. CT.

Northwestern 4, VCSU 3 (8 innings) VCSU went to extra innings with Northwestern, allowing the Raiders to come back from trailing 2-0 to win 4-3. The Vikings took a 2-0 lead on a home run from Alyssa DePoorter in the third inning, scoring Ashlynne Copinga.

Northwestern later tied the game in the sixth inning and forced an extra inning after a scoreless seventh. In the top of the seventh, DePoorter drove in MacKenzie Rist from second base to hold a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Northwestern scored the runner placed on second base with a line drive single from Gwen Mikkelson. Mikkelson advanced on a wild pitch, and Chloe Gallegos drove in Mikkelson with a single to left field to win the game in walk-off fashion.

Copinga went 2-for-3 at the plate and DePoorter drove in all three of VCSU's runs, including a home run. Joelle Lamontagne got the loss in the circle, working 7 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out four. Lamontagne did not walk a single batter in the game.

Kameryn Etherington pitched a complete game for Northwestern. She allowed six hits and three runs, striking out eight and walking zero. Northwestern tallied nine hits on the day, led by Mikkelsen who went 3-for-4 for the Raiders.

St. Francis 11, VCSU 0 (5 innings)

St. Francis' Hannah Vachon shut out the Vikings in a complete game as VCSU could only find two hits in an 11-0 loss decided by run rule. Vachon struck out five and did not walk a single VCSU batter in the game.

Ashlynne Copinga and Alyssa DePoorter each had a hit but the Vikings couldn't find a way to bring the baserunners home.

Maddy Zander got the loss for VCSU after allowing 10 runs on seven hits over 3 and 1/3 innings. She walked two and struck out two. Brooke Gaudry threw 1 and 2/3 innings in relief.

St. Francis was led by Danielle Callahan who went 2-for-3 with a double, scored two runs and drove in three. Brittany Osborne added a double and scored three runs for the Saints.