DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Devils Lake scored five runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back on the way to a 19-4, five inning win over Valley City in Eastern Dakota Conference baseball Saturday afternoon in Devil Lake.
In the top of the first, pitcher Max Elfman helped his cause with a bases loaded walk to score Parker Swanson who walked to start the inning. Beau Brodina brought in Caleb Schneider and Justin Blake with a two run single. Simon Beach scored courtesy runner Parker Brodina with a double to make it 4-0. The Beau Brodina scored on an error to make 5-0 Firebirds.
Devils Lake would add three more in the second inning on a two run double by Blake and an rbi double by Elfman to bring in Blake to make it 8-0 Firebirds.
In the third, Devils Lake brought in five more. Jackson Baeth started the scoring with an rbi single. Justin Blake brought in a run on a ground out to first baseman Devyn Thornton. Elfman added to the lead with a single. Then Beau Brodina capped the inning with a two-run double.
Valley City scored in the top of the fourth on Ethan Miller’s rbi single to make it 13-1 Firebirds.
Devils Lake would add six more in the bottom of the fourth. Caleb Schneider started the scoring with a run scoring double. Hayden Hofstad brought a run in with a bases loaded walk. Justin Blake was hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Barrett Connor walked with the bases loaded and two out to make it 17-1. Another came in on an error then Parker Swanson capped the scoring with a bases loaded walk.
The Hi-Liners would score three in the top of the fifth. Isaiah Schuldheisz reached on an error to start the inning. Then after a walk and a wild pitch, Alex Thorntin drove in Schuldheisz with a ground out to second. Joe Cummings walked then Braxton Jorissen drive in Kai Kringlie with a double. Devyn Thornton drove in courtesy runner Casey Krueger with a ground out for the final run of the game.
Jorissen had two doubles for the Hi-Liners. Alex Thornton and Ethan Miller had the other hits for Valley City.
Caleb Schneider had three hits and scored four runs for the Firebirds. Hayden Hofstad, Max Elfman, Beau Brodina and Kaden Brandvold all had two hits. Brodina drove in four runs. Justin Blake had three rbi, and Elfman helped his own cause with two rbi. Elfman went five innings on the mound. He allowed four hits, four runs, three earned with four walks and nine strikeouts.
Alex Thornton took the loss for Valley City. The Hi-Liners won the JV game 6-3 and are 1-3 on the year and 0-2 in the EDC. The are scheduled to host West Fargo Sheyenne on Tuesday at Charlie Brown Field.