Viking Baseball Splits Fri.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. (VCSU) – The Valley City State baseball team split a late-night doubleheader Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Viking offense put together eight hits and seven runs in game one, and Marcus Niemann pitched six strong innings in VCSU’s 7-1 victory. In game two, which actually started at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Midland University scored five runs in the sixth inning to rally for a 6-2 win over the Vikings.

Valley City State ended the four-game series with a 1-3 record against Midland. The Vikings are now 5-8 overall. Midland University is now 10-9.

Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to play a four-game series at Mount Marty University on March 13-14.

VCSU 7, Midland 1
Viking pitcher Marcus Niemann scattered six hits and allowed just one run in six strong innings on the mound Friday night. The right-hander struck out two and walked two en route to his first victory of the season.

The Viking offense collected eight hits and seven runs – their best output in the four-game series.

VCSU struck first with a single run in the bottom of the first inning. Gedeon Ellis led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a fly ball, and then scored on Jorun Hamre‘s grounder to third base. After Midland tied the game 1-1, the Vikings tacked on three more runs in the second inning, taking advantage of two Midland errors.

VCSU put the game out of reach with two more runs in the fourth inning – getting RBI’s from Gage Wherley and Adam Thompson – and a solo home run by Drew Nixon in the sixth inning.

Ellis went 2-for-4 and scored twice out of the leadoff position to pace the Viking lineup. Six other Vikings had one hit, including Nixon’s solo home run.

William Hlady pitched the seventh inning for VCSU, striking out two and allowing just one hit.

Midland 6, VCSU 2
Matthew Suda pitched five strong innings for VCSU in the finale, but a late rally by Midland University handed the Vikings a 6-2 loss.

Suda gave up just one hit and an unearned run in his five innings of work, walking three and striking out four. The Vikings held a 2-0 lead entering the top of the sixth inning before Midland rallied for five runs in the frame.

David Demeter‘s RBI single scored Ryan Reynolds for an early 1-0 lead in the third inning. The Vikings extended it to 2-0 when JT Reed singled and later scored on a throwing error in the fourth inning.

Midland took the lead with a five-run sixth inning, getting just two hits but taking advantage of an error, a walk and two hit batters.

Tyler Kliniske took the loss for VCSU. Kliniske, Demeter and Reynolds all pitched in relief after Suda’s start on the mound.