Blue Hawks soar into winner's bracket final with thrilling win over VCSU

DICKINSON, N.D.  – The top two overall batting average teams battled in the second winner's bracket of the North Star Athletic Association Softball Postseason Tournament Saturday afternoon.

Both No. 3 seed Dickinson State (N.D.) and No. 2 seed Valley City State (N.D.) struggled to score through the first six innings before the scoring erupted in the seventh inning.

DiSU and VCSU scored three runs in the seventh and forced the game into extra innings.  The Blue Hawks were able to convert the scoring chance and took down the defending tournament's champion by the score of 4-3 in front of a full house at Sanford Sports Complex.

Dickinson State (22-22 overall record) moves on to the winner's bracket game against top-seed Bellevue (Neb.) Sunday at 11 a.m. (MT), batting for a spot to Monday's championship game.

Valley City State (26-21 overall record) faces No. 6 seed Waldorf (Iowa) in an elimination game Saturday evening at 6 p.m. (MT).

Both teams struggled to find their offense rhythm in the game until the fifth inning.  Dickinson State and Valley City State both left two runners on base in the fifth inning, remaining scoreless.  The Blue Hawks left a runner on third in the top sixth, while the Vikings left a runner on second in the bottom half of the inning.

Facing two outs and a runner on first base in the top seventh, DiSU's pinch hitter Ashlee Potter reached safely on first base after her line drive dropped by VCSU's Avery Kuklinski.  That led to HaiLeigh Davis' walk to set up a bases loaded situation.

Cassy Loa hit bases clearing 3-RBI double that hit on the left field foul line, giving the Blue Hawks a 3-0 lead.

Valley City State would answer back with three runs in the bottom seventh with two outs.  With bases loaded, Sierra Crocker hit a 2-RBI single as VCSU trimmed their deficit to 3-2.

Logan Gronberg followed up with an RBI single to knot the game at 3-3 for the Vikings. 

Dickinson State opened the extra inning with a lead-off double by Kiley Hubby.  After two outs were recorded, Cassidy Venner hit an RBI single up in the middle and scored pinch runner Hope Fath.

The Blue Hawks held off the Vikings as they left a runner on first base after Makenzee Stone's two-out single.

Venner finished the game with two hits and an RBI for Dickinson State.  Hubby added a double and single.  Loa had a double and drove in a game-high three runs.

Dallis Mitchell (W, 12-5) earned a complete game victory in the pitching circle for Dickinson State.  She gave up three unearned runs on 10 hits.

Crocker sparked the Vikings defense with two hits and two RBIs.  Gronberg added two singles and an RBI.  Stone had two hits.  Mandy Zander had a double.

Joelle Lamontagne pitched seven innings in the circle, allowing three unearned runs on four hits.  She registered four strikeouts.  Gronberg (L, 3-6) came in the eighth inning, giving up a run on two hits as she took the pitching defeat.