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Williston State Takes MonDak Conference Lead With 2 Wins Over Pioneers

Williston State Takes MonDak Conference Lead With 2 Wins Over Pioneers
Posted: Apr 11, 2025

Game 1 - Pioneers 2... Williston State 7

Williston State 3B Anthony Carvajal hit a grand slam home run in the bottom of the 6th inning after the MCC Pioneers had tied the Tetons 2-2 in the top of the 6th innings. The Tetons took game 1 of the 4 game weekend series between the top 2 teams in the MonDak Conference and this weekend series looks like it will most likely decide the regular season champion. 

Williston State scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning and held that same lead until the top of the 4th when the Pioneers got on the board with their first run of the game. Brady Bickett (CF - Rapid City, SD) started the inning with a double and moved to 3rd on a single from Cooper Morlang (2B - Rapid City, SD). Bickett scored on a sacrifice fly RBI from Chandler Smith (C - Miles City, MT). The Pioneers tied the game in the top of the 6th when Bickett walked, stole 2nd, and scored on a RBI single from pinch hitter Ethan Forrest (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). 

That led to the big 5-run 6th inning for the Tetons. Teton pitchers shut down the hot Pioneer bats that had just scored 31 runs in 2 games on Wednesday afternoon. 

Lance Bratlien (Helena, MT) got the start for the Pioneers and pitched 5.1 innings (7 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 SO) before handing the ball to Collin Fortier for 0.1 innings and Josiah Ruther for 0.1 innings as they both recorded an out to the only batters they faced. 

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 7 hits (2B) and the Tetons had 8 hits (HR, 2B).
  • Pioneer batters struck out 9 times, walked 4 times, and were hit by pitch once.
  • Teton batters struck out 5 times and walked twice.
  • MCC had the only error of the game. 
  • MCC had the only 2 stolen bases of the game. 
  • 7 different Pioneers recorded one hit. 

 

Game 2 - Pioneers 4... Williston State 6

The Williston State Tetons took the lead in the MonDak Conference standings with a 2-game sweep of the Pioneers on Friday in Williston, ND. The Tetons rallied from a 3-0 1st inning deficit by scoring 2 runs in each of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings and holding the Pioneer bats silent from the 2nd inning on. 

MCC started game 2 strong by scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning. Tanner Goertz (LF - Highlands Ranch, CO) reached on an error and Lance Bratlien was hit by a pitch. On a flyout by Coleman Parry (1B - American Fork, UT), Goertz scored on an error by a Teton infielder. Bratlien moved to 3rd and scored on a RBI triple by Luke Wilson (DH - Calgary, Alberta). Wilson scored on a groundout by Luke Thorne (SS - Missoula, MT). 

The Pioneers would not score again until the 7th inning after 3 consecutive singles by Bratlien, Parry, and Wilson but with the tying runners on base, the final 2 batters struck out sealing the win for Williston State. Parry and Wilson each had 2 hits for MCC and Wilson had a team high 2 RBI. 

Max Holden (Kalispell, MT) got the start for MCC and pitched 4 innings (6 R, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 SO) and was relieved by Evan Woods (Casper, WY) for the final 2 innings (2 H, SO).

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 7 hits (3B, 2B) and the Tetons had 6 hits (2 2B). 
  • Williston State committed 2 errors and the Pioneers had 1.
  • The Pioneers had the only stolen base of the game. 
  • Pioneer batters struck out 7 times, walked 4 times, and were hit by pitch twice.
  • Teton batters struck out 7 times and walked 3 times.

The Pioneers fell to 13-3 in MonDak Conference play and in to 2nd place as Williston sits at 12-2. The teams will go at it again on Saturday in Miles City with doubleheader starting at 12:00 PM MDT at Connor's Stadium.