FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Valley City scored three runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning then Hailey Schaefer struck out the side in the bottom half to preserve a 6-3 win over Fargo North in game one of a Eastern Dakota Conference doubleheader at Mickelson Field.
Game one was a pitchers duel between Schaefer and the Spartans Ava Kalbrener. Schaefer scattered seven hits over her eight innings. She walked three and struck out 13. She gave three runs but only one was earned.
Not to be outdone, North starter Kalbrener allowed four hits and only two earned runs in eight innings. She walked four and struck out 19.
The Spartans got on the board first when Aubrey King hit a two-out, two-run home run to left field in the third to give the Spartans the 2-0 lead. The Hi-Liners cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the fourth.
Valley City would take the lead on back-to-back rbi singles by Schaefer and Dylann Diegel in the top of the sixth.
North would tie it with Sami Sanford’s two out rbi double in the bottom of the sixth. The Spartans had their chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh when they loaded the bases on a walk and two singles with nobody out. But Schaefer got Jalana Steinmetz to fly out to shallow centerfield for the first out and Lydia Farnnam to fly out to shallow left field. The threat was ended when Kessa Thompson popped out t second.
The eighth started with Schaefer grounding out and Diegel striking out. The Emma Mielke walked and stole second. Hailey Thoreson’s grounder to third was played by King, but her throw got by first baseman Farnnam and that allowed Mielke to score the tiebreaking run. and Thoreson got to second. Emma Langemo singled in Thoreson to make it 5-3, then courtesy runner Abby Thornton scored on a wild pitch.
Schaefer then struck out the side to end the game on 10 pitches in the eighth.
Schaefer was 2 for 4 at the plate with an rbi. Dylann Diegel was 2 for 4 with an rbi. Emma Langemo and Erika Anderson were both 1 for 3. Langemo had an rbi.
North was led by Aubrey Kin who was 2 for 2 with a two-run homer. Ava Kalbrener was 3 for 4 and Kessa Thompson was 2 for 4 for the Spartans.
Game two was all Valley City as the Hi-Liners had 15 hits and used an eight run sixth to win 14-1 in six innings.
Valley City scored three right away in the first, highlighted by Scahefer’s two-run double and Hailey Thoreson had an rbi single.
The Leroux sisters combined to bring in the two runs in the second. Bailey had a one out triple and two batters later Lexi hit a line drive to center field that got by the center fielder and she circled the bases for the inside-the-park home run.
North got its only run in the bottom of the second when a run scored on an error.
Schaefer’s sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 6-1 Hi-Liners. They would break the game open in the sixth when they scored eight runs on eight hits.
Schaefer had an rbi ground out to start the scoring. Emma Mielke had an rbi double to make it 8-1. Autumn McGough helped herself out with an rbi single and Bailey Leroux drove in two with a single to make it 11-1. Lexi Leroux had a two-run triple for the 13-1 lead then came in with the final run on an error.
Hailey Thoreson was 4 for 4 with a run and an rbi. Lexi Leroux was 3 for 4 and just a single away from the cycle. She scored four runs and drove in four. Bailey Leroux was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two rbi. All nine starters had at least one hit and nine different players scored at least one run.
Autumn McGough allowed just one unearned run on three hits over six innings. She walked four and struck out seven.
Valley City is now 6-1 in the Eastern Dakota Conference and 7-5 overall. The Spartans fall to 3-5 in the EDC and 4-6 overall.
Valley City will host West Fargo Tuesday for a doubleheader. Game one counts towards the conference standings.