GRAND FORKS, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City Hi-Liners baseball team, coming off of their biggest win of the season on Tuesday were looking to punch their ticket to the state tournament on Friday if they could get the win over the Huskies. Valley City also had their sights set on going for the EDC championship Saturday evening. Unfortunately for the Hi-Liners Wahpeton came to play with their offense and came away with the 11-1 win in 6 innings.

Things started off great for the Hi-Liners. Ethan Miller would lead off the game with a single. He would be brought home thanks to an RBI single from Broden Muske. In the bottom of the first inning, Wahpeton would tie the game at 1-1 with an RBI single from Josiah Hoffman. After a blunder on the base paths would give the Huskies 2-outs, their pitcher Caden Hockert would help himself out at the plate and drive in a pair of runs with a single putting Wahpeton ahead 3-1.

The Hi-Liners would strand 2 runners on the bases in the top of the second inning. That would be costly as the Huskies would plate 2 of their own in the home half of the 2nd. Tori Ulich would bring in a run with a single, and Josiah Hoffman would also provide an RBI as well. Huskies would lead it 5-1 after 2 full innings. The Hi-Liners offense would be shut down all afternoon long thanks to the great pitching from right hander Caden Hockert, more on him later in the story. Huskies would end the game in the bottom of the 6th inning would they would push across 5 runs to end the shortened game 11-1 thanks to the mercy rule. Caden Hockert once again would drive in a pair for the second time in the ball game, and Jayden King would end it with a 2-RBI single to give Wahpeton the 11-1 victory.

On the mound, Huskies starter Caden Hockert would go the full 6 innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 run while striking out 8 Hi-Liners. For Valley City, Braxton Jorissen got the start and went 3 innings, giving up 6 runs and striking out 3 Huskies.

Next up for the Valley City Hi-Liners, they will play at 12pm on Saturday. They will take on the Shanley Deacons at Kraft Field in Grand Forks. With the win the hi-Liners will punch their ticket to the state tournament next weekend in Jamestown, a loss would end their season. The game can be heard on am1490/96.3FM KOVC, streamed online at NewsDakota.com, or on the KOVC app.