VCSU holds off DiSU 2-0 in pitcher's duel to close FC Baseball Championship Day 1

April 30, 2026

DICKINSON, N.D. - No. 2 seed Valley City State (N.D.) closed the first day of the 2026 Frontier Baseball Championship with a 2-0 win over No. 3 seed Dickinson State (N.D.) on Thursday night. In a game defined by pitching, timely hitting and little margin for error, the Vikings used a solo home run from Evan Gonzalez in the second inning and an RBI single from Nick Senn in the fifth to supply all the offense it needed at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Ballpark.

The Vikings (25-22-1 overall record) broke through first when Gonzalez drove a ball to right field for a solo shot in the second for 1-0. They added an insurance run in the fifth after Connor Hoyt reached and later scored on Senn's single to left field. Hoyt finished with three hits and a run scored, helping Valley City State out-hit Dickinson State 9-3 even though the Vikings stranded 10 runners.

Valley City State starter Connor Martin delivered the game's most important performance. Martin worked 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out 10 while throwing 105 pitches for the pitching win.

Dickinson State (25-24 overall record) put five runners on via walks and had chances to pressure him, but Martin kept the Blue Hawks from finding a breakthrough and anchored a staff that piled up 13 strikeouts overall.

Takao Cookson handled the final 1 1/3 innings and closed out the shutout with three strikeouts for the save. Dickinson State managed just one more hit after Martin exited.

Wyatt Wilharm accounted for two of Dickinson State's three hits, but the Blue Hawks could not convert their limited opportunities, leaving five runners on base and going scoreless across all nine innings.

Dickinson State stayed within reach behind a strong outing from Mason Lunzman, who went eight innings and allowed two runs on nine hits while striking out six over 126 pitches. Lunzman repeatedly worked out of traffic and kept the deficit at two, giving Dickinson State a chance deep into the game. But the Blue Hawks offense never solved Valley City State's pitching, striking out 13 times in 26 at-bats.

Friday's schedule

Loser's Out Games: 10 a.m. (MT) - Bismarck State vs. Mayville State 1 p.m. (MT) - Dakota State at Dickinson State

Winner's Bracket game 4 p.m. (MT) - Valley City State vs. (2) Bellevue