Vikings sweep Bruins to earn series win
Ninth-ranked Valley City State remained on top of the North Star Athletic Association standings after sweeping Bellevue University, 2-1 and 12-0, Sunday afternoon at the VCSU Football Field turf.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- Ninth-ranked Valley City State remained on top of the North Star Athletic Association standings after sweeping Bellevue University, 2-1 and 12-0, Sunday afternoon at the VCSU Football Field turf.
With the sweep, VCSU took the four-game series, 3-1, following Saturday's split.
The Bruins fell to 25-15 on the season and 8-4 in the NSAA with the two losses. The Vikings improved to 31-2 overall and 11-1 in league play.
Bellevue will host Dakota State University on Tuesday, April 9, in a 4 p.m. NSAA doubleheader at Roy Smith Field in Omaha.
Game 1: Valley City State 2, Bellevue 1 (8 innings)
In a pitcher's duel between the Bruins' Monique Ashley and the Vikings' Emilee Wilson, Marissa Hawkin's walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave VCSU the dramatic 2-1 victory in the opener.
Wilson improved to 10-0 on the season, scattering five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight complete innings of work.
Emily Smith drove in Voni Culp with an RBI single to left field to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. The Bruins responded in the top of the fourth with Emily Rochford's run-scoring single to right field that scored Ashley Young from second, tying the contest at 1-1.
After Ashley started the bottom of the eighth inning by inducing a ground out and a fly out, Emily Smith singled to center and Riley Perryman was hit by a pitch, setting up Hawkins' game-winning single to center field that drove in Smith for the victory.
Ashley fell to 7-7 on the season, giving up two runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout in 7 2/3 innings in the circle.
Game 2: Valley City State 12, Bellevue 0 (5 innings)
The Vikings pounded out 11 hits and took advantage of two BU fielding errors en route to the 12-0 victory in the nightcap. VCSU scored five runs in each of the first two innings.
Erin Sharpe went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the BU offense which produced just four hits in the loss.
The Vikings raced out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, on three hits and a pair of BU fielding errors. VCSU scored runs off throwing errors from Ellie Bliemeister and Erin Sharpe, as well as off a wild pitch from BU starter Ashlyn Teran. Hawkins and Tatum Lundin also drove in runs in the opening inning with RBI singles.
Highlighted by RBI singles from Smith, Autumn Perry, and Kadie Anderson, VCSU increased the advantage to 10-0 in the bottom of the second frame.
Consecutive triples by Perryman and Hawkins gave VCSU an 11-0 edge in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hawkins was driven in by Perry later in the inning to make it 12-0.
Ashlyn Teran (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing nine runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Smith (19-1) earned the win, scattering two hits with two walks and four strikeouts in four innings.