Mustangs edge SNR in baseball opener

BY NATHAN PRICE

The Sheyenne-New Rockford Black Sox kicked off their baseball season on Monday, April 4, in New Rockford.

The Black Sox were originally scheduled to take on the Mustangs of Midkota/Dakota Prairie/Lakota/Griggs County Central in Tolna, but the game was rerouted to New Rockford because Tolna's baseball diamond wasn't ready.

But despite their unexpected home field advantage, S-NR committed a number of errors that proved too difficult to overcome.

After earning a strikeout against the first batter he faced, S-NR's starting pitcher, Nick Berglund, threw a pitch that got past his catcher, allowing the Mustangs' second batter to advance to first base.

That batter stole second soon after, and a line-drive single to the outfield drove him in for the Mustangs' first run.

Berglund closed out the inning strong with two more strikeouts, but the Mustangs had uncovered a weakness in the process: S-NR is susceptible to base stealing.

The Mustangs went on to attempt numerous stolen bases nearly every inning, and though S-NR managed to nab a couple here and there, most stole their base uncontested, and many went on to cross home plate.

In many cases, however, stealing a base wasn't necessary, as Black Sox errors at second base, home plate and elsewhere advanced just as many, if not more, Mustang runners than stealing bases did.

That being said, S-NR's offense kept them in contention throughout. The Black Sox scored their first run in the bottom of the first, when Berglund smacked an RBI triple to the right center gap to tie the game.

Their offense continued scoring in the second inning, as the Mustangs' starting pitcher began to struggle. Their runs came on a bases loaded walk and a hit batter, and once more on an RBI fielder's choice from Berglund.

However, a number of singles, two walks and a wild pitch in the top of the third quickly brought the Mustangs level with S-NR at 4-4. The lead stabilized there momentarily, but an outfield collision by two Mustangs in the bottom of the fourth allowed the Black Sox to retake a small advantage.

Like their last lead, however, it didn't last.

Two more Mustangs' runners found home plate before the dust settled, one in the fifth inning and another in the sixth.

After falling behind 8-6, S-NR was unable to muster the kind of offense needed to rebound, and left the field with their first loss of the young season.

Stats from the game were not available by press time.

The Black Sox attempted to get their season back on track at home versus Carrington and then at the Washburn Triangular on April 8 and 9. The results of those games will be covered in the April 18 edition of the Transcript.

Region 3 Baseball

Midkota/DP/Lakota/GCC 8,

SNR 6

at New Rockford

Midkota 103 031 0 - 8 11 5

SNR 130 200 0 - 6 5 3

Nick Berglund, Keaton Cudworth (4), Connor Knatterud (7) and Lucas Yri; James Vollmer, Preston Lee (2) and Kaleb Short. W - Lee. L - Cudworth.

Midkota: Lee 4-4, RBI; Cade Stein 3-5, 2 runs, RBI; Gage Flaagan 1-1, RBI; Ross Thompson 1-3, run, RBI; Trent Ekren 1-4, 2 SB, run, RBI; Kyle Johnson 1-4, 2 runs; Trae Lillehaugen 2 SB, run; Vollmer run.

SNR: Berglund 2-3, triple, run, 2 RBI; Brody Weisenburger 1-3; Haydon Meier 1-4, double, run; Yri 1-4, SB, RBI; Caden Price run, RBI; Cudworth SB, run; Alex Weisenburger run.

M/DP/L/GCC 1, SNR 1

(non-region)

SNR hitting: B. Weisenburger 2-2, RBI; Knatterud 1-2, run; Easton Simon and Bradyn Collier walks.

SNR pitching: Knatterud 3 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K; Simon 1 IP, ER, 3 BB, K.