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CITY, N.D (NewsDakota.com) On a blustery day at Charlie Brown Field, the Fargo Shanley Deacons would take two Eastern Dakota Conference games from the Valley City Hi-Liners baseball team 3-2 and 6-3.
In the opening game, the Hi-Liners appeared to have the defending state champions right where they wanted them. Valley City scored quickly in the game when Alex Milender hit an RBI single that scored Nate Rodriguez.
The Hi-Liners defense would keep Shanley’s bats quiet until the sixth inning when Jake Salentine drove a two out single to right-center field. Two hits later, Tom George would drive Salentine in tying the game. The Deacons run was quickly answered by the Hi-Liners in the bottom of the inning when Rodriguez drove in Jordan Magnuson.
Needing just three outs to claim the win, the Hi-Liners entered the bottom of the seventh. After a single by Chance Mistelski, the Hi-Liners would get two quick outs before Shanley’s Gabe Sandy was walked putting runners on first and second base. On the next at bat, Jacob Fritz skimmed a shot off of the glove of Jordan Magnuson in to no man lands in right field. By the time Brandon Pritchett could get the ball in, the winning run had come around third and scored.
Rodriguez pitched a complete game for Valley City going seven innings and scattering nine hits while striking out three batters and walking just three in the game.
Shanley’s Jake Erholtz earned the win for the Deacons pitching the sixth and seventh in relief for Bjorn Swanson.
In the second game of the night, the Deacons bats were anything but silent scoring four runs in the first four innings. Valley City would put up two runs in the fourth when a balk by Jacob Fritz scored Jacob Miller. Later in the inning, Rodriguez would steal home after a failed pickoff attempt on a Hi-Liner at second base.
Both teams would score one more run apiece before the day cap came to an end.
The two losses drop Valley City 1-9 on the season with an EDC record of 0-5. The Hi-Liners are scheduled to travel to Fargo Davies on Monday for a match up with the Eagles.