April 30, 2026

DICKINSON, N.D. - Third-seed Valley City State (N.D.) outlasted sixth-seed Bellevue (Neb.) 6-5 in a wild eight innings Thursday to close the first day of the Frontier Conference Softball Championship opening round. The Vikings survivied a late Bruins' surge before walking it off at Bravera Field.

The Vikings (26-24 overall record) appeared in control after Kylee Banerd broke a scoreless game with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, giving Valley City State a 3-0 lead. That advantage held into the seventh behind starter Maddy Hazelton, who worked seven innings and struck out eight.

Bellevue (21-28 overall record), though, erased the deficit in the top of the seventh. Daniela Ramirez delivered a two-run single to tie the game, and Marguerite Brown followed with an RBI single as the Bruins turned a quiet offensive day into a 3-3 deadlock.

Bellevue kept the pressure on in the eighth. Breanne McMurtry opened the extra frame with a solo home run for a 4-3 lead, and Leslie Egan added another homer later in the inning to push the margin to 5-3. Egan finished with two hits, two runs scored, one RBI and two walks for Bellevue, which collected eight hits, drew six walks and did not commit an error. Ramirez also contributed in the circle, starting the game and throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings after driving in two runs at the plate.

Valley City State answered immediately in the bottom half. Bailey Leroux came through with a pinch-hit RBI double to trim the deficit to 5-4, setting the stage for Madden Bogenreif. Bogenreif then drove a two-run home run to give the Vikings a 6-5 walk-off victory, completing Valley City State's three-run eighth inning. Bogenreif finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and the game-winning homer.

Hazelton's final line included six hits allowed and four earned runs across seven innings before Cooper Klaahsen (W, 9-6) picked up the decision in relief. Valley City State totaled 10 hits and left 11 runners on base, while Bellevue stranded nine. Banerd supplied three RBIs with her fifth-inning blast, a key swing in a game that stayed scoreless through four innings before turning sharply late.

Mariah Unverzagt (L, 6-9) took the setback in relief for the Bruins, tossing two-plus innings.

]The game quickly became one of the most dramatic finishes of the tournament's opening day. Bellevue rallied from three runs down and briefly seized control in the eighth, but Valley City State answered with Leroux's double and Bogenreif's two-run shot to advance with the 6-5 win.