Tucson Invitational

TUCSON, ARIZ.  (VCSU)– The Valley City State softball team outscored its opponents 26-2 on Monday as the Vikings continued rolling with three more wins in Tucson, Ariz.

VCSU picked up identical 9-1 wins over Roosevelt University and Mount Marty College in five innings, and then finished the three-win day with an 8-0 shutout of Dordt College.

The No. 25-ranked Vikings are now 20-1 overall this season and are currently 8-1 on their spring trip to Tucson. VCSU was ranked No. 25 in the NAIA Preseason Poll released in January. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, and will likely see the Vikings jump much higher than No. 25.

Up next: VCSU will finish its trip to Tucson with two games on Tuesday and two more games on Wednesday.

VCSU 9, Roosevelt University 1
Renee Snyder hit a grand slam, and Jayme Menard added a three-run home run as the Vikings powered to a 9-1 win against Roosevelt University.

Marissa Hawkins‘ RBI double in the first inning gave VCSU an early 2-0 lead. Snyder followed with a grand slam in the second inning, and then Menard hit her three-run home run in the third inning to put the Vikings up 9-0. The game ended after five innings due to run-rule.

Emily Smith earned the win on the mound. The junior right-hander gave up just one hit and no runs over her four total innings of work, walking one and striking out six. Amber Stewart pitched a scoreless inning in relief, striking out two batters.

Six different Vikings each had one hit. Snyder finished with five RBIs while Menard totaled three RBIs. Tatum Lundin and Voni Culp each scored two runs.

VCSU 9, Mount Marty 1
The Vikings erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the second inning – including a Riley Perryman three-run home run – taking command early en route to a 9-1 victory over Mount Marty College.

Valley City State ended the game after five innings due to run rule. The Vikings totaled nine runs on six hits and committed just one error. Mount Marty managed just one run on three hits.

Perryman’s three-run blast highlighted VCSU’s seven-run inning. Jayme Menard added a two-run home run in the third inning. Menard finished the game batting 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs. Four other Vikings had one hit each, including a two-run single by Renee Snyder during the big second inning.

Emily Smith pitched three innings for the win, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Emilee Wilson went 1 1/3 innings in relief, giving up an unearned run. Nichole Reed pitched 2/3 of an inning to finish the game.

VCSU 8, Dordt College 0
Emily Smith and Emilee Wilson combined on a two-hit shutout as VCSU finished the day with an 8-0 win over Dordt College.

Smith pitched the first three innings and gave up just one hit while striking out six. Wilson finished off the shutout and picked up the win with three innings of one-hit ball.

The Vikings finished with 12 hits as five different Vikings had two hits each. Tatum Lundin had a team-high three RBIs as she went 2-for-3 and also scored two runs. Joelle Aiello was 2-for-4 with two RBIs out of the leadoff spot. Kadie Anderson and Jayme Menard each had two hits and scored two runs, and Autumn Perry was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

VCSU opened the scoring with four runs in the third inning. Anderson doubled and scored on Lundin’s RBI single for a 1-0 lead. A Voni Culp RBI single made it 2-0; Riley Perryman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly; and Culp later scored on a stolen base to cap the inning.

The Vikings put the game out of reach with three more runs in the fourth inning. Lundin picked up a two-run single to start the inning and Joelle Aiello finished it with an RBI double to score Lundin. Aiello singled home Jayme Menard in the sixth inning to finish off the scoring.