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Pioneer Baseball Season Comes to End in Heartbreaking Fashion

Pioneer Baseball Season Comes to End in Heartbreaking Fashion
Posted: May 11, 2025

Pioneers 12... Bismarck State 13

The MCC Pioneer baseball season came to a close on a hot Saturday afternoon in Williston, ND as the Bismarck State Mystics rallied from an 8-3 deficit to take a 13-8 lead only to watch the Pioneers cut the lead to 13-12 and load the bases but fly out to end the game. 

In a back and forth contest that saw 25 combined runs and 28 hits for a chance to play for the Region XIII Championship, the Mystics held on to end the Pioneer season with a 38-16 record. 

The Pioneers scored first notching a run in the bottom of the 1st inning after loading the bases with 2 walks and a hit batsman, Cooper Morlang (2B - Rapid City, SD) hit a sacrifice fly RBI to score Lance Bratlien (LF - Helena, MT) to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. 

MCC extended the lead to 5-0 with 4 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. Brady Bickett (Rapid City, SD) walked and stole 2nd. Brandon Hegedus (C - Littleton, CO) smacked a RBI single and Luke Thorne (SS - Missoula, MT) singled to put runners on the corners. Bratlien drove in Hegedus with a sacrifice fly RBI. With 2 outs, Luke Wilson (RF - Calgary, Alberta) singled to put runners on the corners again. Morlang doubled to drive in 2 more for a 5-0 Pioneer lead. 

Bismarck State got back in to the game with 3 runs in the top of the 3rd. The Pioneers quickly answered with 3 of their own in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 8-3 lead. With 2 outs, Hegedus was hit by a pitch and Thorne walked setting the table for Bratlien's 19th home run of the season. 

The Mystics would score the next 10 runs of the game with 4 runs in the top of the 5th, 2 in the 6th, 3 runs in the 8th and another in the 9th to take a 13-8 lead going to the bottom of the 9th and the last chance for the Pioneers.

In the 9th, Wilson led the inning off with a solo home run. Morlang walked and moved to 2nd on a wild pitch. Ethan Forrest (PH - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) had a pinch hit double to drive in Morlang. Bickett followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Forrest scored after a Mystic error trying a pickoff Bickett at 1st. Hegedus would strike out to leave the Pioneers with 2 outs and trailing 13-11. Thorne came up with a RBI single to drive in Bickett. Bratlien singled and Coleman Parry (1B - American Fork, UT) walked for the 3rd time in the game to load the bases. Wilson then hit a deep fly ball to right field that was caught by the Mystics to end the game. 

Lee Neugebauer (Rapid City, SD) got the start and pitched 4.1 innings (7 R, 10 H, BB, 3 SO). Ostyn Brennen (Kalispell, MT) pitched the next 1.2 innings (2 R, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 SO) before Bratlien came in for the next 2.1 innings (3 R, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 SO). Bickett pitched the final 0.2 innings (R, 2 H).

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 11 hits (2 2B, HR) and the Mystics had 17 hits (HR, 4 2B).
  • MCC had 2 errors and BSC had one. 
  • Pioneer batters struck out 9 times, walked 10 times, and were hit by pitch twice. 
  • Mystic batters struck out 11 times, walked twice, and were hit by pitch twice.
  • MCC had 4 stolen bases. 
  • Thorne, Wilson, and Bratlien each had 2 hits. 
  • Bratlien had 4 RBI and Morlang had 3 RBI.

The Pioneer season ends with a 38-17 record.