The Dickinson State softball team was eager to get its season underway.
The Blue Hawks celebrated the start to the year with a sweep against Valley City State.
DSU defeated the Vikings 10-6 and 9-6 in a nonconference doubleheader on Saturday at North Softball Complex.
“It feels good to start off on a good note,” DSU senior catcher Claudia Torres said.
Scoring for either team didn’t get started until the bottom of the third inning when DSU put up seven runs. Rebecca Lopez struck first with a RBI double and scored on the next at-bat when Janell LaRont bunted to send her home.
DSU pitcher Regan Lawrence drove in two on a double, a wild pitch by Valley City pitcher Lindsey White sent Alex Vargas home and Torres closed out the scoring with two RBI.
“We haven’t played a game since August, September so it was a slow start but once we got going we picked it up,” Vargas said.
Every DSU player in game one scored at least one run. DSU center fielder Mackenzie Kenobbie had two runs while LaRont, Lawrence, Torres and left fielder Morgan Glowa each had two RBI.
Valley City responded in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run by Mackenzie Hamre and scored its other two runs on an inside the park homer by Katie Cameron.
Cameron finished the game 2 for 4 with a run and four RBI and right fielder Shayna Taffinder pitched in two runs.
By game two, both teams were warmed up and the early season rust was shaken off. DSU once again took a comfortable 4-0 lead in the third inning but the Vikings struck back with full intentions of splitting the series.
On a 0-1 count, Taylor Schroeder hit a three-run home run to left and Hamre followed with the go-ahead two-run home run. Despite being down, the Blue Hawks didn’t falter or panic.
“We’re kind of always up as a team, we’re not down on ourselves very much so it was easy this game to pick it back up,” Torres said.
After DSU responded with two runs on a Brianna Grayson sacrifice fly in the fifth, Hamre hit her third home run of the game to tie it 6-6. Torres hit the game-winning home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth, while Rebecca Lopez and Vargas each supplied a RBI for some breathing room.
“We just chipped away ourselves on that backside and Claudia came up with that big home run to put us up one in the bottom of the sixth,” DSU head coach Kristen Fleury said. “One run is huge but to get three in that inning sets the tone and puts the game away for us.”
Vargas finished 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI, Lopez went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBI, Glowa added two runs Grayson was 1 for 2 with two RBI.
DSU’s lone freshman Alexzandria Watson made her collegiate debut and was awarded with the win. She pitched a complete game with six runs - four earned - on six hits and 10 strikeouts.
DSU will trade in the cooler weather for sun and heat, as the team will begin its annual spring break trek to Arizona. The Blue Hawks play Robert Morris-Chicago and Bemidji State (Minn.) in Tucson, Ariz., on March 13 starting at 12:30 p.m.
“(Saturday) gives us a little confidence booster and every year Arizona is … the big looking forward to thing and we’re just anxious and ready to be there,” Vargas said.
VCSU 000 222 0 - 6 7 1
DSU 007 120 X - 10 9 5
VCSU Lindsey White, Kathleen Gallias (3) and Olivia Damge. DSU Regan Lawrence and Claudia Torres.
W–Lawrence. L–White. HR– VCSU, Mackenzie Hamre, Katie Cameron.
Highlights: VCSU Cameron 2 for 4, HR, 3B, SB, 4 RBI, run; Hamre 1 for 3, HR, 2 RBI, run; Cejay Hilhorst 2 for 4, run. DSu McKenzie Kenobbie 1 for 3, SB, 2 runs; Lawrence 1 for 4, 2 RBI, run; Janell LaRont 1 for 2, SB, 2 RBI, run, Morgan Glowa 2 for 3, 2B, 2 RBI, run.
VCSU 000 501 0 - 6 7 0
DSU 004 023 X - 9 10 1
VCSU Morgan Nalley, Ashley Metcalf (6) and Olivia Damge. DSU Alexzandria Watson and Brianna Grayson.
Watson. Metcalf. HR– VCSU, Mackenzie Hamre (2), Taylor Schroeder; DSU, Claudia Torres.
Highlights: VCSU Hamre 2 for 3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs; Schroder 1 for 3, 3 RBI run; Cameron run, Savannah McMillan run. DSU Alex Vargas 2 for 3, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Rebecca Lopez 3 for 4, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Grayson 1 for 2, 2 RBI; Morgan Glowa 1 for 2, 3B, 2 runs.
