VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – For most of Sunday’s Valley City Saints game against the Mayville Red Caps, it appeared that the Red Caps would snap the Saints winning streak at nine games as they appeared to be cruising to an easy win at Charlie Brown Memorial Field.

Then the winds of change came around the horizon as the Saints rallied from deficits of 8-1 and 11-5 and came from behind to defeat the Red Caps 12-11 in 7 innings on J&S Marketing Night to extend the Saints winning streak to ten games.

Prior to Sunday’s game, the Saints pitching staff had only given up 10 runs in their last 9 games, including three straight shutouts. But the Red Caps didn’t care as they got to Saints starting pitcher Jesse Johnson early and often. Singles by Marcus Wohl, Josh Rodriguez, and Mickey Berry in the 1st inning would produce the Red Caps first run and snap the Saints shutout streak at 28 innings. Connor Weber then reached on a fielder’s choice scoring Rodriguez to extend the Mayville lead to 2-0. The Saints would cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd as Chase Feller led the inning off with a single, advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, then to 3rd on a passed ball. Cal Fougner then drove Feller in on a groundout.

Mayville would counter in the top of the 3rd inning as Wohl collected his 2nd hit of the game, followed by a single by Alex Berry. Then Josh Rodriguez launched a three-run homer to left field off Johnson to give the Red Caps a 5-1 lead. Mayville kept pouring it on in the 4th when Danny Scholand hit a solo homer off Johnson with one out to extend the lead to 6-1. Johnson walked the next batter and would be pulled and replaced by Dustin Mertz. Mertz would get a flyout sandwiched between two walks then Weber would lace a 2-run 2-out single to extend Mayville’s lead to 8-1.

Mayville starter Alex DeCaro was cruising along as he struck out the first two batters of the 4th inning. But Seth Soderholm would reach base and advance to 2nd on a throwing error by the third baseman. Fougner and Johnson would walk to load the bases which ended DeCaro’s day with Aaron Willey coming in relief . The first batter Willey faced was Will Hough, who was pinch hitting for Ty Stearns. Willey had Hough ahead 0-2, then uncorked a pitch up-and-in that clipped Hough’s helmet allowing Soderholm to score. Grady Karges then cleared the bases as he lifted a double to the left center field gap cutting Mayville’s lead to 8-5 after 4 innings.

Mayville would add three more runs in the 5th inning off Mertz. DeCaro led the inning off with a walk, then Tucker Salander reached on a throwing error by Soderholm. After Mertz struck out Scholand, Wohl would get his 3rd hit of the game with a 2-run single scoring DeCaro and Salander with Wohl advancing to second on the throw to the plate. A wild pitch advanced Wohl to 3rd and scored when Alex Berry reached on an error by Hough expanding the Red Cap lead to 11-5 and it appeared that they would add on after Rodriguez tripled and Mickey Berry reached on an infield single. But when Berry came across first base, he began to grab the back his leg in pain. Berry would end up pulling a hamstring and would be unable to continue playing. This would be the break the Saints needed.

With Mayville now down to eight players due to Berry’s injury, the Saints would strike with 6 runs and tie the game at 11 in the 5th. Carlos Turpo began the inning by hitting a popup in foul territory by 1st base. Weber seemed to be camped under the ball, but the ball popped out of his glove for an error. A couple of pitches later, Turpo reached on an infield hit. After a Mertz walk sandwiched between two outs, Soderholm singled to drive in Turpo making it 11-6. Fougner then laced an RBI double driving in Mertz to cut the Mayville lead further. The Saints would cut the lead to 11-9 when Soderholm and Fougner both scored when Johnson reached on a throwing error. Hough would make it 11-10 as he doubled in Johnson. Karges then tied the game with an RBI triple scoring Hough but was thrown out as he rounded 3rd too far.

Turpo entered the game in relief for the Saints in the 6th and was able to hold the Red Caps at bay and keeping the score tied at 11. Turpo would help his own cause in the bottom of the 6th as he got the inning going on a one out triple off Willey. Jake Miller then gave the Saints their first lead of the game with a RBI blooper that just missed the 2nd baseman. Josh Rodriguez would come in relief one batter later and strike out the final two Saints batters.

Mayville wouldn’t go down quietly on their last call. With the game being shortened from 9 to 7 innings, the Red Caps made a game of it as they loaded the bases with two outs in the 7th on a walk, single, and an error. But Turpo would shut the door as he struck out DeCaro looking to end the game.

Turpo would get the win in relief for the Saints in two innings of work allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out two batters. Johnson, the Saints starter, who had only given up one earned run in 19 previous innings of work, gave up seven earned runs on seven hits walking one and striking out three in 3.1 innings of work. The Saints offense was led by Karges, as he went 2-for-2 with a walk, double, and triple along with 4 RBI. Turpo and Miller each had two hits for the Saints as well. Hough and Fougner each drove in two runs a piece.

Willey took the loss for the Red Caps as he gave up eight runs (one earned) on eight hits in 1.2 innings of work. Out of the 12 runs the Mayville pitching staff allowed, only one of them was earned. On offense, Wohl and Rodriguez each had three hits a piece with Rodriguez being a double short of the cycle. Mickey Berry and Weber each had two hits a piece for the Red Caps.

With their 10th straight win, the Saints improve to 13-3. The Saints will be back at Charlie Brown Field this Wednesday for Ladies Night in a highly anticipated matchup against Minnesota perennial power, the Moorhead Brewers. The Brewers are currently 19-4 and are the #3 in the latest Class B Minnesota baseball poll behind Chanhassen and Blaine. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 PM.