The Viking baseball team opened the 2010 season with two victories over Morningside in the Metrodome in Minneapolis o Saturday. The Vikings won the first game 5-4 in eight innings and second game 10-3.

Grand View got on the board early in the first inning when Brady Wathen (Ankeny, Iowa) hit a triple and was brought in by Curtis Quijano (Des Moines, Iowa) on a groundout to the shortstop.

With the score tied 1-1 in the fourth inning Matt Dunn (Clive, Iowa) hit a single to get on base, pinch runner Kyle Strauss (West Des Moines, Iowa) stole second and was moved to third on a ground ball by Marc Mericle (West Des Moines, IA). Nick Billinger (Windsor, Co.) reached on a fielders choice and drove in Strauss to give a Vikings a 2-1 lead. Billinger would later score in the inning to give the Vikings a 3-1 lead after the fourth inning.

The Mustangs scored three runs in the top of the sixth and take a 4-3 lead, but the Vikings would tie the score up 4-4 when Cameron Olinger (Puyallup, Wash.) scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Brooks (Forest Lake, MN). In extra innings, Jason Davila (Plantation, Flo.) struck out the side in the top of the eighth, and the Vikings scored the game-winning run when Mericle was driven in by a Kyler Morgan (Carlisle, Iowa) single. Davila picked up the victory on the mound for the Vikings. Davila struck out five of the seven batters he faced in the last two frames of game.

The Vikings took the momentum from the first game and translated it in to a 10-3 victory in the second game. Down 2-0 in the second inning, the Vikings scored three runs thanks to a base-clearing double by Morgan that drove in Brooks, Mericle, and Billinger.

The Vikings scored three more runs in the third inning. Cutler led off with a single, and moved to second on a passed ball. Cutler scored when Brooks reached base on an error. Mericle reached base on a walk and both scored in the inning to give the Vikings a 6-3 lead.

Cory Burnes (Tama, Iowa), Mericle, Billinger, and Morgan scored in the fifth inning to give the Vikings a 10-3 advantage, and the combination of Michael Bennion (Taylorville, Utah) and Ricky Pankey (Spanaway, Wash.) limited the Mustangs to six hits and three runs, with Pankey picking up the victory for the Vikings.

Morgan led the Vikings and went 4-4 for the day with three walks and four RBIs. Mericle had four hits on the day and led the team with four runs scored. Burnes ended up with three hits on the day.

The Vikings next game will be back in the Metrodome against Oklahoma Wesleyan Feb. 19-20 starting at 11:00 a.m