VCSU splits, Baseball Sat. vs. Morningside

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Phillip Almanza and Reed Butz both turned in strong starting pitching performances Saturday, and the Viking baseball team split a doubleheader at Morningside College.

Almanza struck out nine and allowed just two runs in six innings of game one, helping the Vikings to a 10-2 victory. Butz gave up just three hits and two runs in game two, but took the hard-luck loss as the Vikings were shutout 2-0.

Valley City State is now 4-4 overall this fall. Morningside is now 1-3. The teams will play one 7-inning game on Sunday at 12 p.m. That is VCSU’s final game of the fall season.

VCSU 10, Morningside 2
Almanza scattered eight hits over his six innings on the mound, striking out nine and walking just one. Marcus Niemann pitched a scoreless seventh inning to finish off the victory.

The Vikings scored two runs in the second inning, two runs in the third and one more in the fourth inning to build a 5-0 lead. After Morningside cut the lead to 5-2, VCSU put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth inning.

Drew Nixon went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and RBI to pace the Viking offense. David Demeter and Ryan Reynolds both finished 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Six different Vikings had hits and eight different Vikings scored. Chase Feller and Jayden Shipman both scored twice and each drove in a run. Gage Wherley and JT Reed each added an RBI.

Morningside 2, VCSU 0
VCSU’s offense was held to just two hits in the second game of the doubleheader as Morningside salvaged a split.

Butz started on the mound for VCSU and took the loss despite a strong performance. Butz gave up just three hits and two runs in six innings of work, walking three and striking out two.

Morningside took the lead with a triple and sacrifice fly in the second inning. The Mustangs added the second run with an RBI groundout in the third.

Drew Nixon had both of VCSU’s hits as he finished the doubleheader 5-for-7 at the plate.