VALLEY CITY,N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Neither team could shake the other until Valley City got two runs in the fifth to take the first two run lead of the game for either team. Then they added insurance in the sixth for a 7-3 win over Kindred Friday afternoon at Charlie Brown Field.
Kindred got on the board first in the second inning when Lukas Klabunde doubled to start the inning. After a strike out, Caleb Klabunde reached on an error, The twin brothers would advance on a wild pitch. Then Lukas Klabunde came in on Carter Schmitz ground out to make it 1-0.
Valley City would tie the game at 1 in the third on Jacob Johnson’s rbi single that scored Corey Nelson who led off the inning with a single.
Kindred, the home team in this one, came back in the bottom of the third and scored on Lukas Klabunde’s fielder’s choice.
Valley City would get two in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Tate Sufficool, running for Riley Gerhardt who was hit by a pitch, came in when shortstop Schmitz tried to force him at second base and threw the ball into right field. Then Corey Nelson brought in Easton Hesch with a single to give the Royals a 3-2 lead.
But Ethan McKenney’s rbi triple with one out in the bottom of the fourth tied the game back up at 3.
The Royals would take the lead for good in the fifth when they strung together three straight singles to score Mitchel Taylor and Corey Nelson drove in Sufficiool with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.
Valley City would add some insurance with two more runs in the sixth. An rbi single by Mitchel Taylor and and an rbi single by Austyn Thornton.
As a team Valley City had 10 hits, lead by Mitchel Taylor, Austyn Thornton and Corey Nelson with two hits each. Nelson drove in two runs, Sufficool scored twice running for Gerhardt.
Connor May picked up his third win of the year when he tossed three shutout innings. He allowed three hits with three walks and five strike outs.
After a three day break, Valley City, now 16-6 overall and 11-2 in the Region, will travel to Jamestown to face the Eagles. That game can be heard on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC and newsdakota.com