Velva-Drake and Minot Bishop Ryan will meet today to decide the championship of the state Class B baseball tournament at Minot's Corbett Field.
Velva-Drake, Harvey-Wells County, Bishop Ryan and Shiloh Christian all advanced to the tourney's semifinals on Friday, after showers washed out almost the entire opening day on Thursday.
The Aggies were able to defeat Region 1 champion Enderlin-Maple Valley 2-0 in the quarterfinals, and followed with a 2-1 win over Harvey-Wells County in the semifinals on Friday to advance to the title tilt.
Ty Bruner pitched just two innings for the Aggies against the Hornets to earn the semifinal victory. Velva-Drake was able to push across the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning, breaking up a 1-1 tie.
The Aggies' Jon Mack and Garrett Wible each posted a pair of hits offensively, while teammate Zach Podoll notched an RBI.
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Minot Bishop Ryan's road to the title tilt went through May-port-CG 5-1 and Shiloh Christian 5-4.
Dan Himmerick pitched six solid innings for the Lions in their 5-4 semifinal win over the Skyhawks, allowing just a single earned run and striking out five to earn the win.
Harvey-Wells County advanced to the semifinals by defeating Bottineau 4-2 on Friday, while Shiloh Christian edged out Grafton 2-0 in the quarterfinals to meet up with Bishop Ryan.
Because of Mother Nature's curveball on Thursday, all of today's consolation and placing games, other than the championship game, will be five-inning contests.
Velva-Drake 2, Enderlin-Maple Valley 0
A solo home run by the Aggies' Wible and a two-hit, RBI day by Podoll after five-innings on Thursday was all Velva-Drake needed to get past the champions of Region 1.
The Eagles came back on Friday and were unable to plate a run in either the sixth or the seventh inning, after the game was suspended due to rain.
Velva-Drake pitcher Mack tossed the first four innings, striking out a pair, to notch the victory. The Aggies' Bruner recorded the save after shutting out the Eagles over the final three innings.
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Harvey-Wells County 4, Bottineau 2
The Bottineau Braves were able to battle back from a 2-0 deficit and tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning against the Harvey-Wells County Hornets on Friday.
But the Hornets answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to roll past the Region 5 champs by two runs.
The win was picked up by the Hornets' Austan Schmidt, after spelling starter Caleb Rogelstad in sixth inning. Rogelstad pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out two.
The bulk of Harvey-Wells County's offense was provided by Kevin Walsh and Jakob Zerr. Walsh went 1-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, while Zerr batted 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Bishop Ryan 5, May-Port-CG 1
The Lions took a 3-1 lead over the Patriots after three innings and never looked back in the third quarterfinal game of the day.
The Lions' Ben Magnuson went all seven innings to earn the win on the hill for the Region 7 champs, striking out six and walking two. Kyle Petz notched a double and 2 RBIs for the Lions.
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Shiloh Christian 2, Grafton 0
The Region 8 champion Skyhawks drove in a run in the top of the first and added a second in the third to earn a 2-0 shutout victory over the Region 4 champion Spoilers.
Shiloh Christian starter Zach Lardy pitched all seven innings, striking out eight and walking two. Grafton starter Sam Tweten shouldered a tough loss, after allowing just one earned run and striking out 15 batters over seven innings.
Lardy and Brad Slaubaugh accounted for the Skyhawks pair of RBIs.
State Class B Baseball Tournament
At Minot's Corbett Field on Friday
Quarterfinals
Velva-Drake 2, Enderlin-Maple Valley 0
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E-MV 000 000 0 -- 0 4 0
V-D 010 100 x -- 2 6 1
W -- Jon Mack; L -- Taran Langland; S -- Ty Bruner.
Highlights -- E-MV: Langland 3 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 1-2; Zach Lautt 2-3; Thomas Lindgren 1-2. V-D: Mack 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 Ks; Bruner 3 IP, 0 ER, K, 3-3, SB; Garrett Wible 1-2, HR, RBI; Zach Podoll 2-4, RBI; Bo Fiest 1-3.
Harvey-Wells County 4, Bottineau 2
Bottineau 000 002 0 -- 2 4 0
H-WC 100 102 x -- 4 6 0
W -- Austan Schmidt; L -- Mark LaCroix.
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Highlights -- Bottineau: LaCroix 6 IP, 4 ER, 5 Ks, 3 BB; Taylor Milbrath 1-4, run scored; Cody Brooks 1-3, RBI; Dana Hall 1-2, RBI. H-WC: Caleb Rogelstad 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 Ks, 1 BB, 1-2, run scored; Riley Hovland 1-2; Justin Roerich 1-3, run scored; Kevin Walsh 1-3, RBI, run scored; Jakob Zerr 2-3, RBI.
Bishop Ryan 5, May-Port-CG 1
Ryan 102 001 1 -- 5 7 3
M-P-CG 010 000 x -- 1 4 3
W -- Ben Magnuson; L -- Jace Ingebretson.
Highlights -- M-P-CG: Ingebretson 7 IP, 4 ER, 6Ks, 4 BB; Hunter Torgeson 2-3; Eric Fugelberg 1-3; Nick Rygg 1-3, RBI. Ryan: Magnuson 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 Ks, 2 BB, 1-3, run scored; Sam Ebert 1-3; Sheldon Marmon 2-4, run scored; Kyle Petz 1-4, 2 RBI, 2B; Adam Burckhard 1-4, 2B, RBI, run scored.
Shiloh Christian 2, Grafton 0
SC 101 000 0 -- 2 4 2
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Grafton 000 000 0 -- 0 5 2
W -- Zach Lardy; L -- Sam Tweten.
Highlights -- SC: Lardy 7 IP, 0 ER, 8 Ks, 2 BB, 1-4, RBI; Brad Slaubaugh 2-4, RBI; Aaron Hultstrand 1-3. Grafton: Tweten 7 IP, 1 ER, 15 Ks, 1-3; Cory Blanchard 2-3; Paul Dusek 1-3; Austin Campbell 1-1.
Semifinals
Bishop Ryan 5, Shiloh Christian 4
SC 000 301 0 -- 4 8 4
Ryan 010 121 x -- 5 6 3
W--Dan Himmerick; L--Steve Slaubaugh; S--Ben Magnuson.
Highlights SC: Slaubaugh 5 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 2 Ks, 5 BB, 1-3; Wyatt Knell 2-2; Austin Friesen 2-4; Jacob Adduci 1-2, 2 runs scored; Zach Lardy 1-4. Ryan: Himmerick 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 Ks, 4 BB; Sam Ebert 2-3, run scored; John Landsiedel 1-1, run scored, RBI; Sheldon Marmon 1-3, run scored; Ben Magnuson 1-3, RBI; Kyle Petz 1-3, RBI.
Velva-Drake 2, Harvey-Wells County 1
H-WC 010 000 0 -- 1 5 2
V-D 010 001 x -- 2 8 4
W--Ty Bruner; L--Justin Roerich.
Highlights V-D: Bruner 2 IP, 0 ER, K; Jon Mack 2-3, Garrett Wible 2-3, Zach Podoll 1-2, RBI. H-WC: Roerich 6 IP, 2 ER, K, 0 BB, 1-3, 2B; Kolten Knodel 1-4, Dylan Schell 1-3.
