Hartmann tosses two-hitter, Warriors split with Vikings
By Aaron Schneider
VALLEY CITY, North Dakota – The Waldorf University softball team earned a split with Valley City State University during Saturday’s North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) doubleheader.
Andrea Hartmann (4-8) secured the win, tossing a two-hitter to guide the Warriors (15-25, 8-12) to a 2-1 victory during the opener. The senior from Red Bud, Illinois walked one batter and allowed one run in seven innings.
Valley City State (30-11, 11-5) claimed a 6-2 win in the series finale.
Sophomore Taylor Bell provided a double for the Warriors in Game 1 while Hartmann, senior Jessica Abrahamson, juniors Ashton May and Brittani Sanchez added singles.
Kathleen Gallais (8-3) was hit with the loss. She struck out a batter, walked one and gave up one unearned run on one hit in one and two-thirds innings of relief.
Ashley Metcalf started inside the pitcher’s circle for the Vikings, working the first five and one-third innings. She surrendered one unearned run on four hits.
Morgan Nalley put Valley City State on the board with an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Bell ripped a one-out double in the sixth. With two outs, senior Maggie Eden reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second base on a throwing error that allowed Bell to score the tying run.
Hartmann laced a leadoff single in the seventh. Junior Trista Bures laid down a bunt in an attempt to move Hartmann to second. An error resulted, which allowed Bures to reach first and Hartmann to advance to third. Hartmann scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Hartmann and the Warrior defense sealed the win, retiring the Vikings in order during the bottom of the seventh.
Sophomore Hattie Hupke went 3-for-4 with an RBI single during Game 2. Abrahamson turned in a 2-for-3 performance. Sophomores Kaylie Brindley and Briley Sullivan contributed doubles.
Valley City State’s Cassie Pautz crushed a three-run home run, going 1-for-1 at the plate. Hilhorst went 1-for-3 and smacked a solo homer. Kelsey Hamade added a double for the Vikings, who also collected seven hits.
Nalley (17-5) notched the win, pitching all seven innings. She fanned seven batters and surrendered two runs on seven hits.
Brindley (2-7) was tagged with loss. She relinquished five runs (one earned) on six hits in four innings.
Sullivan relieved the final two innings, giving up one run on one hit.
May drove in a run during the top of the second on a fielder’s choice.
Kadie Anderson tied the game during the third after scoring on an error. Katie Cameron connected for an RBI sacrifice fly later in the inning.
Pautz belted a three-run blast in the fourth to extend Valley City State’s lead to 5-1.
Hilhorst drilled a solo homer during the fifth to give the Vikings a five-run advantage.
Hupke cracked an RBI single during the seventh.
The Warriors return to action against Clarke University (24-20) on Wednesday, playing a 4 p.m. nonconference doubleheader at Peosta.