DICKINSON, N.D. – Logan Gronberg delivered a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Valley City State past Mayville State 8-5 in the opening round of the North Star Athletic Association Softball Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
The Vikings totaled 16 hits and erased multiple deficits to advance in the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Mayville State drops to the loser's bracket with the loss.
Gronberg went 5-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs and capped her dominant performance with a three-run home run to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth. Ashlyn Diemert led off the inning with a single, and Maddy Zander reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a defensive error. Gronberg followed with the game-winning blast to secure the victory.
Valley City State opened the scoring in the first inning when Avery Kuklinski singled and later scored on Gronberg’s RBI single to center. The same pair combined again in the third as Kuklinski singled, stole second, and was driven in by Gronberg to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.
Mayville State responded in the fourth with a four-run inning. Lacey Mathiowetz reached on a sacrifice error and scored on a stolen base by Madison Terres. Miquela Pino added a sacrifice fly, and Maizie Wolanski delivered a two-run single to give the Comets a 4-2 advantage.
Valley City State chipped away with a run in the fifth on Kennadi Stone’s RBI double to left, scoring pinch runner Madison Spacher. In the sixth, Kuklinski came through again with an RBI single to right-center, scoring Katelyn MacNeill and tying the game at 4-4.
The Comets took the lead back in the seventh when McGough singled and scored on an error in right field after a fielder’s choice by Terres, making it 5-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Alyssa DePoorter evened the score once again with a solo home run to left-center, forcing extra innings.
Zander started in the circle for VCSU and pitched 7.0 innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on four hits while striking out seven. Madison Hazelton entered in relief in the eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one to earn the win.
Mathiowetz went the distance for Mayville State, surrendering 16 hits and eight runs (six earned) over 7.1 innings. She struck out three and walked one.
Kuklinski went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Stone was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. DePoorter had two hits, including the game-tying home run in the seventh.
McGough led the Comets with two hits, two runs, and an RBI. Wolanski’s two-run single was Mayville State’s biggest hit in a five-hit offensive effort.
Valley City State stole three bases and took advantage of three Mayville State errors. The Vikings stranded 10 runners but came through in key moments, with Gronberg and Kuklinski combining for six of the team’s eight RBIs.