The Valley City Hi-Liners could not muster any offense against Horace ace Cason Borchardt, who pitched a complete game shutout, striking out ten batters while only walking one.

Despite its lack of overall offensive success, Valley City managed to get at least one base runner on base in the first five innings of the game as Hi-Liner starting pitcher Ethan Miller tried to keep his team in the game. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the third inning, Miller’s command and defense faltered as the first two runners came around to score after reaching off a pair of fielding errors.

The first runner scored after Miller uncorked back-to-back wild pitches, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead. The second runner came around to score after a sac bunt, doubling the Hawks’ advantage. Horace had runners at the corner with only one out, but Miller induced some soft contact to escape the inning with only two runs given up.

In the top of the fifth, the first two hitters would reach base for the Hi-Liners, setting up the top of the Valley City order with an opportunity to tie the game. But back-to-back strikeouts by Borchardt would extinguish the Valley City flame as the score remained 2-0 until the last stages of the bottom of the sixth.

With two outs at the bottom of the sixth, a single and a walk would chase Miller from the game, with Adam Shanenko coming in for relief. Shanenko would walk the first batter and hit the second to give Horace a 3-0 lead before finally sitting down the Hawks to end the frame. Any hopes of a late collapse by Borchardt were quickly snuffed as the star freshman struck out two more Hi-Liners. He finished the game with ten strikeouts, picking up the complete game shutout win as the Hawks took game one 3-0.

In game two of the doubleheader the Hi-Liners managed to get the offense going but couldn’t hold off the Hawks who out slugged Valley City 10-7 to clinch the sweep. The next game for Valley City will be Friday May 10th at West Fargo Sheyenne.