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Tetons Upset Pioneers to Force Deciding Game for Region XIII Title

Tetons Upset Pioneers to Force Deciding Game for Region XIII Title
Posted: May 16, 2023

Pioneers 6... Williston State 9

Williston State jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the 1st and then scored 2 runs to break a 6-6 tie in the 7th inning and upset the MCC Pioneers 9-6 on Monday in Miles City, MT. The Teton victory forces a deciding game Tuesday night at 6:00 PM at Connors Stadium for the Region XIII Championship. 

Williston State knocked off Bismarck State at 12:00 to move to the championship game and promptly scored 5 runs to build a 5-0 lead after top of the 1st inning. The Pioneers plugged away and scored one run in six consecutive innings to tie the score at 6-6 after 6 innings. The Tetons then scored 2 in the 7th and one in the 8th to hold on for the victory. 

In the bottom of the 1st, SS Jaeden Jordahl was hit by a pitch and stole 2nd and 3rd. C Takumi Kimoto was hit by a pitch and DH Tommy O'Connell hit a sacrifice fly RBI to put the Pioneers on the board. In the 2nd inning, 1B Spencer Searcey walked and RF Wyatt Searcey singled. 3B Lane Neill hit a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd and 2B Jessen West reached on an error that scored Spencer Searcey. 

The 3rd inning saw O'Connell walk and CF Kruz Slevira double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Spencer Searcey hit a sacrifice fly RBI to score O'Connell and the Pioneers cut the lead to 5-3. Williston State got a run in the top of the 4th and the Pioneers responded with a run in the bottom of the 4th. Neill was hit by a pitch and West singled. Jordahl hit a sacrifice bunt to put runners on 2nd and 3rd again to set up a sacrifice fly by LF Grant Gabbert for a 6-4 Teton lead. 

In the 5th inning, Slevira led off with a single and Spencer Searcey put runners on the corners with a single. Neill hit a sacrifice bunt that scored Slevira and the Pioneers cut the lead to 6-5. MCC tied it up in the 6th inning after a Jordahl single and stolen base. Kimoto singled and Jordahl scored the tying run on a dropped 3rd strike by the Teton catcher. 

The Pioneers would not score again and Williston State came up with timely hits down the stretch to pull away for the win. 

Jacob Walker got the start on the mound for MCC and pitched 3 innings (5 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 SO) and was replaced by Bo Hays for 3.2 innings (3 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 SO). Josh Banderob finished the final 2.1 innings (R, 4 H, 3 BB, SO). 

Inside the Box Score

  • Williston outhit the Pioneers 13-10. 
  • Williston had 2 errors and the Pioneers had 1.
  • Each team struck out 7 times.
  • Pioneer pitchers walked 8 hitters and hit 2 batsmen. Williston pitchers walked 6 and hit 4 batsmen.
  • MCC had 5 stolen bases and Williston had one. 
  • The only extra base hit for MCC was by Kruz Slevira. 
  • Jordahl had 3 hits; Kimoto and Slevira had 2. 

The winner of Tuesday night's game will head to West Burlington, Iowa to face Southeastern CC for a trip to the NJCAA Division II world series. That best of 3 series would start Friday.