WEST FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com)- Needing to improve their position in the playoffs, Valley City Post 60 went into West Fargo and took a pair of games from The Aces. Despite just 2 hits in game one they won 4-2. They collected 12 hits in the second game to win 7-3.
They end their region schedule tied with Casselton with a 5-5 record. The Haymakers win the tiebreaker giving Valley City the 4th seed. They open play next Wednesday in West Fargo against Wahpeton.
Post 60 still has one more game left in the regular season, a 9 inning game Thursday in Jamestown. First pitch is at 5:30, coverage starts around 5:20 on ESPN Jamestown and NewsDakota.com
All Post 60 playoff games can be heard on KOVC 1490 AM-96.3 FM and NewsDakota.com
Game 1: Valley City 4 vs. West Fargo 2
Valley City made up for the lack of hitting by manufacturing runs early. They never trailed with Avery Bennefeld scoring on a double steal in the first. Devin Anderson added 2 more runs with a base hit in the 3rd and Bennefeld scored again on a wild pitch in the 5th.
In total Bennefeld reached base 4 times, he was hit by a pitch twice while drawing a walk and hitting a double. Anderson had 2 RBI. Nolan Dodds of West Fargo was 2 for 3.
Jacob Johnson started and went 4 innings, he registered 7 strikeout in a winning effort. Easton Hesch worked the 3 innings and didn’t allow a run. The Aces went with Addison Krank, he worked 5 1/3.
Game 2: Valley City 7 vs. West Fargo 3
Hesch broke a 1-1 tie in the 2nd inning driving in Riley Miller with a single. Post 60 went up 5-1 before West Fargo would score again. In the 5th Anthony Villanueva hit a double that scored 2 runs,cutting the game to 5-3.
Corey Nelson and Johnson plated insurance runs in the top of the 7th to help secure the victory.
Starter Mitchel Taylor pitched 6 2/3 innings for his first win of the season, he gave up 3 runs on 8 hits with 4 strikeouts. Rylee Bjork pitched the final 1/3 of an inning. Carter Evenson walked 5 and hit 2 batters in 3 1/3 innings for West Fargo.
Briar Harvey was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI for Valley City. Villanueva finished with 3 hits for West Fargo.