STEELE, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The LaMoure A’s have won the last four District 6 Babe Ruth championships. Saturday they go for their fifth. Thanks to a 12 run top of the seventh inning, the A’s downed Valley City 14-2. Then Carrington used a 10 run fifth to eliminate the top seed Kings 11-9.
GAME #7 – LaMoure 14, Valley City 2
On paper this looked like a classic match up in the winner’s bracket. Top seed Valley City 21-1 versus number two seed LaMoure 32-8. For six innings it was just that. A pitchers duel between the A’s Landon Piehl and the Kings Max Mehus. But unfortunately for the Kings, the games are seven innings long.
In the top if the seventh, the A’s had four hits, five walks and three hit batters. When it was all said and done, 12 runs came in. In the inning, Landon Piehl and Anthony Hansen each had three rbi. Connor Johnson, Corban Potts, Carter Bowman, Max Musland each had one. All nine starters either scored in the inning or drove in a run.
Max Musland led the offense with two hits and two rbi. Piehl reached base five times, scored four times and drove in three. Hansen drove in three while Potts and Johnson scored twice.
Gavin Gerhardt and Max Mehus had the hits for the Kings. Mehus and Zach Sykora each drove in a run.
Mehus and Piehl dueled for six innings. Piehl allowed just two hits and two earned runs with two walks and five strikeouts. He would get the first two outs in the seventh but had to come out due to the pitch count rule.
Mehus matched Piehl with two hits, two earned runs in six innings. He walked three and struck out four. Mehus could not come out for the seventh because he was already at his pitch count.
With the loss, the Kings would have to drop down to the loser bracket and play Carrington later in the day.
GAME 8 – Carrington 10, Linton/Wishek 4
GAME 9: – Carrington 11, Valley City 9
Like they have so many times this season, the Valley City Kings jumped out to an early lead. Going to the bottom of the fifth inning the Kings were up 8-1. Behind Carver Pederson and Ethan Miller’s pitching and Gavin Gerhardt and Max Mehus’ hitting, things were looking good for Valley City.
But like the LaMoure game, it only took one inning, this time it was the fifth. For Carrington, they had three hits, seven walks and three hit batters. In the end, ten runs scored and the Redbirds led 11-8.
The Kings tried to make some noise in the seventh down three. Pederson was hit by a pitch and Miller singled to start the inning. With one out, Broden Muske drove in Pederson with a ground out and Zach Sykora grounded out to end the game.
Gerhardt led Valley City with three hits, two runs scored and two rbi. Sykora and Ethan Miller had two hits each. Pederson scored three times. Broden Muske and Mehus each drove in two.
For Carrington, Jack Erickson drove in three, all coming in the fifth. Six other Redbirds drove in one. Josh Bickett, Hudson Schmitz and Trent Ekren scored two runs each.
With the win, Carrington improved to 16-6 and will meet LaMoure Saturday for the championship. LaMoure beat Carrington 20-1 earlier in the winners bracket.
Valley City’s outstanding season ends with a 21-3 record.
Saturday’s Schedule
11:00am – Championship: #2 LaMoure 33-8 vs. #3 Carrington 16-6 (a second game will follow if necessary.)