Game 1 - Pioneers 6... Bismarck State 11
The Bismarck State Mystics forced a deciding winner take all game with the Miles Community Pioneers with an 11-6 win on Sunday afternoon. The game was a back and forth affair until the Mystics scored 7 runs over the final 2 innings to take the victory.
BSC got on the board first with a run in the top of the 3nd inning. MCC answered with 2 in the bottom of the inning when RF Hunter Lasko walked and 2B Cade Stuff hit a towering home run to left field and a 2-1 Pioneer lead. BSC scored 3 times in the top of the 5th for a 4-2 lead. LF Ian Krump reached base on an error and then scored on a double by Lasko to cut the lead to 4-3. The Pioneers tied it at 4 in the 7th on a SS Brayden Howard single, a Stuff single, and a 1B Dawson Parry RBI single.
Bismarck State tallied 3 runs in the top of the 8th for a 7-4 lead. In the bottom of the 8th Krump singled to leftfield. PH Clay Prell was walked and Howard singled in Lasko who had grounded in to a fielder's choice forcing Krump out. Parry reached 1st on an error on the next at bat and pinch runner Ryota Kusumoto scored. The Mystics then tallied 4 in the top of the 9th to put the game out of reach and force the winner take all deciding game.
Keith Manby got the start on the mound and went 4.2 innings. He gave up 4 runs on 3 hits, 5 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Dylan Rydalch came in to pitch 3.1 innings and gave up 3 runs on 7 hits, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout. Cy Miller went 0.1 innings and gave up 3 runs on 2 hits with a walk and a strikout. Cameron Murphy finished the game with 0.2 innings and 1 run on 2 hits. He struck out 1.
Game 2 - Pioneers 7... Bismarck State 1
The Pioneers scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning and that would be all they needed as pitcher Chase Linn threw a complete game 4-hitter as MCC advanced to the North Plains District Championship Friday and Saturday at Kirkwood College in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Linn struck out 6 and walked 4 in a clutch performance with the season on the line in Rosemount, MN. The Mystics scored 1 in the top of the 1st and that would be all they could muster up off of the Great Falls, MT native Linn. The Pioneers tied it in the bottom of the 1st when Howard was hit by a pitch, stole 2nd, and scored on a Cade Stuff single.
The pivotal 2nd inning got started with a CF Jake Lacey single, Krump walk, and Lasko walk to load the bases. C Jaden Webster lined a single to leftfield scoring Lacey and Krump. Howard then hit a bunt single to the pitcher to load the bases again. Stuff hit a sacrifice fly that scored Lasko and a 4-1 lead. 3B Tim Holyk then reached on an error by Bismarck State that allowed Webster and Howard to score and a 6-1 lead.
Ian Krump the homered to left field in the 3rd for a 7-1 lead and the Pioneers would hold on from there.
Dawson Parry was named the Region XIII MVP after the game.