Backed by strong pitching from Evin Casey and Dustin Mertz along with a go-ahead solo homer by Jake Miller that broke a 2-2 tie in the 8th inning, the Valley City Saints won their 6th straight game last night with a 3-2 win over the Jamestown Elks at Charlie Brown Memorial Field. The victory by the Saints avenged an early season 4-1 loss to the Elks in Jamestown.
It appeared that things were not going to go well for the Saints early in the game as the Elks struck first in the top of the 1st inning. Blake Arritola led off the game with a double off the center field fence. Arritola would proceed to steal 3rd two batters later then would score on a Taylor Cullen sacrifice fly in which Saints shortstop Andrew Schaan made a nice play to prevent a hit. Alex Sablan then fouled out to end the threat.
After a 1-2-3 bottom half, Casey would settle into a groove forcing the Elks to make weak contact that kept the Elks at bay and most importantly, the Saints in the game. The Saints offense finally got going in the 4th inning. Miller led off the inning with his 5th double of the season that split the right center field gap. Mertz then took the first pitch from Elks pitcher Abe Rheinschmidt over the left field fence to give the Saints a 2-1 lead. The Elks would threaten by loading the bases with two outs in the 5th, but Casey would wiggle his way out without allowing a run.
Mertz relieved Casey in the 6th and proceeded to mow down Elks batters one-by-one striking out the side in his first two innings. The Saints offense would threaten in the 6th with a single by Miller and Mertz reaching on a two-base error but would come out with no runs.
Arritola would be a menace to the Saints again in the 8th inning as he lead off the inning with a walk. Then when Brian Rice struck out, Arritola stole 2nd base and advanced to 3rd when Cal Fougner’s throw went off the glove of Schaan and into center field. After Cullen struck out, Arritola would tie the game when Mertz’s 1-1 offering went to the backstop. Mertz would get Sablan to fly out to center to end the inning.
The 8th inning for the Saints didn’t start too well as Grady Karges struck out looking. Then the red hot Miller came up to bat and smashed the full count offering from Elks reliever Aaron Pugh over the center field fence to give the Saints the lead back. Mertz then set down the Elks 1-2-3 in the 9th for the victory.
Mertz would get the win on the mound for the Saints with four innings of relief only giving up one unearned run despite not allowing a hit and striking out nine Elks batters. Despite getting the no-decision, Casey had his best and longest outing of the season with five innings of one run ball on five hits while striking out two and not walking a batter. Offensively Miller led the way going 3-for-4 just falling a triple short of the cycle while Mertz helped his own cause going 2-for-4. Fougner, Gavin Wright, and Avery Bennefeld, who saw his first action of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in the fall each had a hit a piece for the Saints.
The Elks used four different pitchers in the game with Cam Multer getting the start with Rheinschmidt, Mitch Dennis, and Pugh all relieving. Arritola led the Elks offense with two hits and scored both runs. Brian Rice, Sam Greenhalgh, and Trey Evans each had a hit for the Elks.
The Saints improve to 9-3 overall and will be back in action next Wednesday, June 30th at Charlie Brown Memorial Field as they host the Enderlin Indies with first pitch being at 7:15 PM. It’ll be Eagles Night at the ballpark as the Saints will recognize and thank the Valley City Eagles Club for being one of the Saints main sponsors for the 2021 season.