BELLEVUE, NEB (VCSU<\/a>)\u2013 The Valley City State softball team defeated Waldorf on Saturday morning to make it to the NSAA Championship game, but fell in a 4-3 battle to Dickinson State.<\/p>\n Dickinson State (33-13) earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament as the 2021 NSAA Tournament Champions.<\/p>\n The Vikings (35-7) will now wait to see if they earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament by the selection committee. The NAIA will announce national qualifiers on Tuesday, May 11, at 4 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n A total of 40 teams will qualify for the NAIA Opening Round. There will be 32 automatic bids decided by individual conferences and eight spots remaining for at-large bids. Valley City State was ranked No. 26 in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.<\/p>\n With four hits Saturday, VCSU shortstop Joelle Aiello<\/a> set a new school record with 238 career hits. She surpasses Cyndi Figol and Kelli Moore who previously held the record with 237 career hits.<\/p>\n VCSU 4, Waldorf 0<\/u><\/strong> Marissa Hawkins<\/a> and Anne-Elise Gest<\/a> each hit an RBI double, and Andrea Rodriguez<\/a> added an RBI single. Joelle Aiello<\/a> also drove in a run with a sac fly to centerfield.<\/p>\n Andrea Rodriguez<\/a> went 3-for-3 at the plate, scored one run and added one RBI. Autumn Perry<\/a> and Marissa Hawkins<\/a> each went 2-for-3 at the plate.<\/p>\n Emily Smith<\/a> worked all seven innings and allowed just two hits. She did not walk a batter and struck out 13 in the game.<\/p>\n Dickinson State 4, VCSU 3<\/u><\/strong> Enriquez then added a sac fly in the third to tie, and hit a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth. She finished going 2-for-2 at the plate, scored once and drove in all four of Dickinson State’s runs.<\/p>\n In the final inning, Aiello opened with a single and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Autumn Perry<\/a>. Jaya Allen then retired Perryman and Makenzee Stone<\/a> to end the game and take the 4-3 victory.<\/p>\n Jaya Allen got the win for the Blue Hawks, working seven innings and allowing one earned run on nine hits. She walked just one batter and struck out eight.<\/p>\n
\nValley City State scored all of its runs in the second inning as the Vikings shut out Waldorf 4-0 to advance to the NSAA Championship game.<\/p>\n
\nDickinson State took an early lead in the first inning with a two-run triple from Hailey Enriquez. \u00a0Valley City State took a 3-2 lead in the third inning with RBI singles from Joelle Aiello<\/a>, Riley Perryman<\/a> and Sierra Crocker<\/a>.<\/p>\n