Maddy Hazelton Drives in Two in Bismarck State Softball Action

Valley City State University (VCSU) softball continued its 2026 campaign on April 12, 2026, facing Bismarck State College in a series held in Bismarck, North Dakota.

During the contest, Maddy Hazelton contributed to the offense in the third inning. Hazelton hit a single to center field, recording an RBI that allowed Jenna Decker to score. The play also advanced Anna Kowalyk to third base.

Hazelton’s 2026 Season Performance

The April 12 appearance follows a period of significant individual success for Hazelton, a sophomore pitcher from Winona, Minnesota. On March 30, 2026, Hazelton was named the Frontier Conference Pitcher-of-the-Week.

This honor was her second Pitcher-of-the-Week award of the season. The recognition followed a home opening series against Dakota State, where Valley City State swept the four-game series. During that series, Hazelton appeared in three games, securing two shutout victories and one save.

According to reports from March 31, 2026, Hazelton’s performance during that stretch included 13 innings pitched with 15 strikeouts and only three walks. She allowed no runs and only five hits across those 13 innings, extending her scoreless streak to 13 innings and limiting opponents to one run over her previous 21 innings of work.

Team Context and Frontier Conference Standing

The matchup against the Bismarck State Mystics occurred as part of a four-game series scheduled for April 11 and April 12, 2026.

Heading into the Bismarck series, Valley City State had achieved a notable milestone by sweeping the Frontier Conference Softball Players-of-the-Week honors for the first time since joining the conference. In addition to Hazelton’s accolades, sophomore Kylee Banerd, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, earned Player-of-the-Week honors on March 31, 2026.

Banerd’s performance during the Dakota State series included a .636 batting average, going 7 for 11 at the plate. She recorded four home runs, eight RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.727, with three of her home runs and seven of her RBIs coming in the final game of that series.

As of March 31, 2026, the Vikings held an overall record of 16-13 and a conference record of 6-2.