PORTLAND, N.D. – The Valley City State University traveled north to Portland, N.D., to kick off the final week of the North Star Athletic Association regular season and looked to sweep the season series against the Comets with a mid-week doubleheader. Valley City State scored early in both games, sweeping Mayville State 6-0 and 9-1 in the two-game series. The losses snapped a four-game winning streak for the Comets.
Game One: Valley City State 6, Mayville State 0
The Vikings got on the board in the top of the first inning when Riley Perryman singled to left field, scoring Joelle Aiello and Anne-Elise Gest. Aiello reached on the first at-bat of the game on a walk, followed by Gest on a hit-by-pitch. Perryman's single came with two outs in the top of the first inning.
The Vikings stretched the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning on an RBI single to center field by Aiello, scoring Sierra Crocker from third base.
The Vikings added two more in the top of the fourth, along with one more in the top of the sixth.
Dayna Gutierrez hit two singles and a double to lead the Comet hitters. Bailey Larkin had the lone other hit for Mayville State.
Shaye Kemball took the loss in the circle for the Comets. She pitched a complete game, giving up six runs on nine hits while walking two batters and striking out four.
Game Two: Valley City State 9, Mayville State 1 (5 innings)
The Vikings charged forward in the second inning of the rubber game of the two-game set, scoring six runs in the top of the inning, en route to a five-inning win over the Comets 9-1.
The six runs in the top of the second inning came on five hits, led by a double to deep right-center field by Jessica Husband, scoring Autumn Perry and Sierra Crocker, making it 3-0 at the time.
The lone Mayville State run came in the bottom of the second inning.
Alissa Foster and Jocelyn Ontiveros reached on the first two at-bats of the inning, followed by a strikeout by Brooke Roeges. Madison Milligan followed Roeges' strikeout with a single right field., moving Foster to third and Ontiveros to second to put two runners in scoring position with one out.
Kalley Partyka came to the plate with only one out, and singled to right field, scoring Foster.
Sidney Fairbanks took the loss in the contest for Mayville State. She pitched four-and-two-thirds innings, giving up nine runs on nine hits while walking one batter and striking out two.
Up Next
The Comets wrap up their 10-game, 5-day homestand with a four-game series against the Dickinson State University Blue Hawks this Friday and Saturday.
Friday's matchup will get underway at 2 p.m., with Saturday's first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
