Vikings Softball over Presentation, Dak. St. NSAA

BELLEVUE, NEB.   (VCSU)  – Anne-Elise Gest hit a two-run home run to finish Valley City State’s softball game in just six innings Thursday. The Vikings defeated Presentation by a final score of 14-6 in the NSAA Opening Round.

The Vikings advance to the winner’s bracket of the NSAA Softball Tournament. No. 1 Valley City State will face No. 5 Dakota State at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Joelle Aiello hit four doubles in the victory, increasing her career total to 19 and tying the school record for career doubles. She went 4-for-5 at the plate, scored four runs and drove in two Thursday.

Riley Perryman went 3-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs. Makenzee Stone went 3-for-4 at the plate, scored three runs, and drove in two. Anne-Elise Gest and Marissa Hawkins each scored three runs for the Vikings.

Amber Stewart got the win in the circle, working 4 2/3 innings. She allowed six runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out three. Emily Smith got the save, pitching 1 1/3 innings in relief. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.

Aiello opened the game with a double down the right field line and scored on an RBI single from Hawkins. Stone scored Hawkins with an RBI triple and stole home to take a 3-0 Viking lead at the end of the first inning. Stone later scored on a sac fly RBI from Andrea Rodriguez to lead 4-0 after three innings.

Aiello doubled again in the fourth inning, followed by a Gest walk. A Presentation error allowed Hawkins to reach and load the bases. Stone, Perryman, Crocker all singled to drive in four more runs and hold an 8-0 Viking lead at the end of the fourth.

Presentation then scored all six runs in the top of the fifth. Camille Vestal opened scoring with a solo home run over the left field fence. Hannah Larson and Ashleigh Wong also homered in the inning to close the gap to 8-6.

Aiello led off the fifth inning with her third double of the day and scored on another Saints error. Riley Perryman hit a three-run home run to lead 12-6 at the end of the fifth, and Gest put it away in the sixth with a two-run homer to finish the game 14-6 by run rule.

The Vikings finished with 14 runs on 17 hits and just one error in the game. Presentation scored six runs on eight hits and committed four errors Thursday.

Game Two

BELLEVUE, NEB  (VCSU) . – Senior pitcher Emily Smith picked up her 20th win and eighth shutout of the season with a 5-0 victory over Dakota State Thursday evening.

Valley City State picked up its 17th straight victory and moves to 34-5 on the season. Smith worked all seven innings and allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out six in Thursday’s game.

The Vikings posted five runs in the first two innings to hold a comfortable lead throughout the game. Joelle Aiello led off with a single and Anne-Elise Gest walked. Marissa Hawkins advanced the runners with a groundout and Makenzee Stone bunted to score Aiello. Autumn Perry‘s two-run double scored Gest and Stone to lead 3-0 after the first inning. The Vikings added a pair of runs in the second inning with Joelle Aiello‘s two-run triple, scoring Andrea Rodriguez and Jessica Husband.

Joelle Aiello went 3-for-3 at the plate, scored one run and drove in two. Autumn Perry went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Andrea Rodriguez, Anne-Elise Gest, Makenzee Stone and Jessica Husband each scored a run for VCSU.

Xitlali Lopez got the loss in the circle for the Trojans, allowing two earned runs on six hits while walking four and striking out five. Xotchil Lopez, Sarah Torres and Julia Anderson each recorded a hit for Dakota State.

UP NEXT: No. 1 Valley City State advances in the winner’s bracket to face No. 3 Dickinson State on Friday at 3 p.m.

Box Score