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Pioneer Season Ends in Heartbreaking Fashion

Pioneer Season Ends in Heartbreaking Fashion
Posted: May 17, 2023

Pioneers 7... Williston State 9

Williston State leftfielder Jalen Denton smacked a 2 RBI double with 2 outs in the top of the 9th inning to break a 7-7 tie and the Tetons held off the Pioneers in the bottom of the inning to win the Region XIII Championship on Tuesday night in Miles City. 

The Tetons jumped on the Pioneers early scoring 3 runs in the top of the 1st. The Pioneers answered with 2 of their own in the bottom of the 1st when LF Grant Gabbert walked with one out and C Takumi Kimoto singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd. DH Tommy O'Connell singled to drive in Gabbert and moved Kimoto to 3rd. CF Kruz Slevira followed with an RBI single and the Tetons led 3-2 after an inning. 

Neither team scored in the 2nd and then Williston put 2 runs on the board in the 3rd and the Pioneers answered in the bottom of the 3rd with 2 runs to cut the lead to 5-4. Gabbert led off the 3rd with a solo home run and then with one out, O'Connell smacked a double and was driven home by a single from Slevira. 

MCC drew even at 5-5 in the 4th when RF Wyatt Searcey walked to lead off the inning and was sacrificed to 2nd on a bunt from 2B Jessen West. Searcey went to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly ball by SS Jaeden Jordahl. 

The game stayed tied until the top of the 7th when Williston RF Chris Shopbell led the inning off with a home run and 2 batters later C Zach Stark went deep for a 7-5 lead. The Pioneers got a run back in the bottom of the 7th when Jordahl led the inning off with a double and advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch. Jordahl scored on a Gabbert ground out and the game was 7-6 after 7 innings. 

MCC loaded the bases in the bottom of the 8th with a series of walks and then Gabbert was hit by a pitch to score Spencer Searcey to tie the game but the Pioneers could not come up with the go ahead run. That set the stage for Denton's heroics in the 9th inning. 

Patrick Dietz got the start for the Pioneers and pitched 6.2 innings and throwing 104 pitches (7 R, 10 H, 2 BB, 5 SO) and Cameron Murphy finished the final 2.1 innings (2 R, 3 H, 3 SO). 

Inside the Box Score

  • Gabbert was 2-3 with 3 RBI and Slevira was 2-5 with 2 RBI. O'Connell had a 3-5 effort with 2 doubles.
  • Williston pitchers struck out 10 Pioneer batters. 
  • The Pioneers had 3 errors and WSC had 1. 
  • The Pioneers had 2 stolen bases and Williston had none.
  • Each team drew 6 walks. 
  • Williston outhit Miles 13-10. 

The Pioneer season comes to a close with a 37-14 record. Williston advances to play Southeastern CC in Iowa for a best of 3 series with the winner advancing to the NJCAA D2 World Series.