Game 1 - Pioneers 8... Dakota College at Bottineau 7 (8 Innings)
The 1st game of the 2026 MonDak Conference baseball season needed extra innings. Dakota College at Bottineau score 5 runs in the top of the 7th inning to force a 7-7 tie and push the game to extra innings. The Pioneers then got some 8th inning heroics from Holden Christensen (C - Casper, WY). With the bases loaded, Christensen hit a deep fly ball to left field that hit off the wall and plated the game winning walk-off run.
MCC got on the board with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning by scoring on a passed ball. DCB plated 2 runs in the top of the 2nd but the Pioneers tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Chaise Tracy (3B - Billings, MT) hit a line drive to center field that made its way to the fence for an inside the park home run.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the 5th when Chase Carnahan (2B - Fallon, NV) connected on a solo home run to left field. Liam Sullivan (CF - Great Falls, MT) scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-2. MCC seemed to put the game on ice in the bottom of the 6th by scoring 3 runs to take a 7-2 lead to the 7th inning. A Christensen double was followed by 2 walks and a sacrifice fly RBI from Raymond Shawver (RF - Miles City, MT). Sullivan followed with a RBI single and the Pioneers scored the final run of the inning on a Lumberjack error.
Christensen was 3-5 on the day and Carnahan was 2-4 with 3 runs scored.
Lee Neugebauer (Rapid City, SD) got the start for the Pioneers and pitched 6 innings (H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO). Pierce Hollowell (Miles City, MT) pitched 0.2 innings of the 7th (4 H, 5 R, 1 ER, BB, 2 SO). Eli Kelley picked up the win pitching 1.1 innings (H, 2 SO).
Inside the Box Score
- The Pioneers had 10 hits (2 HR, 2B) and the Lumberjacks had 6 hits (2 2B).
- MCC committed 4 errors and DCB had 1.
- The Pioneers had 4 stolen bases and the Jacks had 2.
- Pioneer batters struck out 5 times, walked 10 times, and were hit by pitch 3 times.
- Lumberjack batters struck out 11 times, walked 4 times, and were hit by pitch 3 times.
Game 2 - Pioneers 14... Dakota College at Bottineau 4 (5 Innings)
DCB jumped on the scoreboard 1st by picking up a 3-run homer in the top of the 1st and took a 4-0 lead before the Pioneers ever came to the plate. That was all the Jacks would score and the Pioneers used a 5-run 2nd inning and a 6-run 4th inning to outdistance the Lumberjacks 14-4 in 5 innings.
The Pioneers got a run in the 1st on a sacrifice fly from Ethan Forrest (LF - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). MCC then plated 5 runs in the 2nd inning with 2 bases loaded walks, a balk, a sacrifice fly RBI from Anthony Williams (C - Billings, MT), and a wild pitch.
Liam Sullivan highlighted a 6-run 4th inning with MCC's 2nd inside the park home run of the day with 2 Pioneers on base.
Chase Carnahan, Sullivan, Chaise Tracy, and Raymond Shawver each had 2 hits in the game. Every Pioneer in the lineup had at least 1 hit.
Tanner Hagar (Casper, WY) picked up the win by pitching 5 innings (4 H, 4 R, BB, 6 SO).
Inside the Box Score
- The Pioneers had 13 hits (HR, 5 2B) and DCB had 4 hits (HR).
- Each team had 1 error.
- Pioneer batters struck out 3 times and walked 7 times.
- Lumberjack batters struck out 6 times and walked once.
The teams will play another doubleheader in Miles City on Sunday at 12:00 PM MDT.