Softball Takes One from Dickinson on the Road

DICKINSON, ND – The Viterbo University Softball team went 1-3 over the weekend in a North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) series at Dickinson State University (ND). DSU claimed both games on Saturday, 2-3 and 0-8, while the teams split on Sunday, Viterbo taking game one 6-5, and Dickinson taking game two 0-3. The V-Hawks now hold a 5-17 record (1-7 NSAA), while the Blue Hawks improve to 9-17 (4-3 NSAA).

The V-Hawks would start the fist game strong, as Makayla Nortman reached home on a Morgan James single, but the Blue Hawks would respond with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Amanda Bogdonovich put the V-Hawks up again in the top of the third, with an RBI single that brought in Nortman for the second time. However, DSU would rally, scoring single runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to get the one-run edge, and VU would be unable to score in the top of the seventh.

Nortman led Viterbo's offense, going 2-for-3, gewtting walked once, and scoring twice. Bogdonovich and James each had an RBI on their only hits of the game. Hailey Enriquez went 2-3 with and RBI for DSU. Dallis Mitchell (W, 2-7) earned the win in 2.2 innings, while Maddie Wilkey (L, 2-7) had a pair of strikeouts.

The second game would be all Dickinson, as they would score two runs in the bottom of the second, and add at least one more in each inning after that. The V-Hawks offense would perform better than the scoreboard showed, getting runners on in all but one inning, including stranding two runners in the first and three in the second.

Bogdonovic would go 1-for-2 with a walk and a double, while Nortman went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases. Marissa Carter-Olson also added a hit on her only at-bat. All seven of the Blue Hawks hits came from different batters. Ella Driebel (0-5) recorded the loss while Dallis Mitchell (W, 2-7) recorded four strikeouts.

The third game saw a Megan Jardine RBI single in the top of the first to score Bogdonovich, but Dickinson would respond with two in the bottom of the inning. A two-run home run in the bottom of the third extended the DSU-lead to 4-1, but Viterbo evened the score in the top of the fourth on a Carter-Olson RBI double and a pair of wild pitches allowing two more. In the bottom of the fifth, Dickinson would take the lead again on a wild pitch, but Addie Schroeder, pinch running for Carter-Olson, tied the game in the top of the sixth on a Nortman RBI. Morgan James home run in the top of the seventh gave the V-Hawks the lead and the win.

Carter-Olson had the hot bat for the V-Hawks, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double, and Jardine went 2-for-4 with an RBI and double as well. Ari Martinez led DSU, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a homerun. Maddie Wilkey (W, 3-7) had three strikeouts, while Dallis Mitchell (L, 2-8) recorded the loss.

The final game would be a defensive battle, as neither team would score until the sixth inning. The V-Hawks would get baserunners in four of the innings, but never get anyone past second base. DSU would only record two hits, until the sioxth inning, when they would have an RBI-triple and two run homer on back-to-back batters to take the 0-3 lead. Viterbo would record two hits in the top of the seventh, but could not reach home and would fall 0-3.

Carter-Olson had another 2-for-3 showing with a pair of doubles, and Nortman would go 2-for-4. Cassidy Venner had a 1-for-3 showing with two RBIs for Dickinson. Ella Driebel (L, 0-6) had a pair of Ks, while Ari Martinez (W, 3-3) had five.

Viterbo returns to action on Wednesday, March 5 as they host a doubleheader against Waldorf University (Iowa.).