WEST FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Valley City knew they would not be the top seed in the East Region tournament before their game with the West Fargo Vets. The West Fargo Aces split with Devils Lake earlier in the day to clinch the top seed. So the Royals want to lock down the number two seed and took a big step toward that goal with a sweep of the Vets 8-4 and 13-6 Thursday night in West Fargo.

GAME 1: Valley City 8, West Fargo 4

The Vets scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, three coming in on  Kole Menz’s double. The first five batters reached for the Vets, after Menz’s two-bagger, Royals starter Jacob Johnson slammed the door allowing just three hits the rest of the way.

Offensively, the Royals only had five hits, but drew 12 walks. Johnson had two of the hits, Grady Karges had two and Alex Thornton added one. All three had and rbi. Braxton Jorissen had two rbi on a ground out and a bases loaded walk.

Johnson scattered seven hits and allowed three earned runs over seven innings. He walked two and struck out 11.

GAME 2: Valley City 13, West Fargo 6

The offense got it going from the beginning in game two. Valley City scored four runs in the first, but needed a four run fifth to pull away from the Vets to earn the sweep.

The Royals had 14 hits as six different players had at least two hits. Alex Thornton drove in four with a pair of two-run singles. Corey Nelson, Jacob Johnson, Grady Karges, Cayden Lloyd and Braxton Jorissen all scored twice. Jorissen drove in two runs with a towering home run over the ivy covered left field fence in the seventh to cap the scoring.

With the win, Valley City improved to 13-4 in the East Region and 18-9 overall. And in the process solidified the number two seed for the East Region Tournament at the end of the month