The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Sometimes, you just have to go where the grass is greener, even if it is artificial.
And sunny to the tune of mid-to-high 50-degrees, and no snow on the field to speak of.
The Carrington baseball team finally got their spring underway, and did it with style after spending several weeks cooped up indoors in the wrestling room's batting cage.
And it looks as if the Cards could be a contender again in Region 3, if a 17-0 combined no-hitter against the South Prairie/Max Royals at Corbett Field in Minot is an omen of things to come.
CHS pounded out 14 hits in the win, six of those coming off the bats of Grady Shipman and Kael Kovar.
The aforementioned combo also teamed up to strike out 11 Royal hitters in four innings of work, walking just one. Of the Royals' 15 outs recorded, 12 came via strikeout.
Josh Bickett came on in the fifth inning to preserve the near-perfect game, as all three SP-M baserunners reached via walk.
Shipman, in particular, was a force in the two-hole spot, hitting a triple and two doubles while scoring four times and driving in two runs. The other extra-base hits for the Cards came from Hudson Schmitz, Corbin Clifton and Owen Hagel.
Kovar stole three bases for the Cards, and Jack Erickson plated three runs from the leadoff position. Schmitz added two hits, a run and an RBI.
Taking the loss for South Prairie/Max was Joshua Groninger, as he gave up six runs, but only two were earned in just under two innings on the mound. Groninger would record five strikeouts.
The Cards hope to make a return trip to Corbett Field at the end of the season, as the historic ballpark in east-central Minot is the site of the State Class 'B' Tournament. The culminating event will be held Thursday-Saturday, June 1-3.
First-things-first, comes the conference season. On Tuesday, Carrington returned to the field and the very-familiar road venue of Jim Johnson Field in New Rockford to take on the SNR Black Sox in both teams' first Region 3 outing of the season. An account of that game is on page 9.
Nonregion Baseball
Carrington 17,
South Prairie/Max 0
at Minot
Cgtn. 426 23 - 17 14 0
SP-M 000 00 - 0 0 6
Grady Shipman, Kael Kovar (3), Josh Bickett (5) and Hudson Schmitz; Joshua Groninger, Josiah Bagwell (2), Brytin Hauf (5) and Mitchell Bohl. W - Shipman. L - Groninger.
Carrington: Shipman 3-5, triple, 2 doubles, SB, 4 runs, 2 RBI; 2 IP, 5 K; Kovar 3-4, 3 SB, 2 runs, RBI; 2 IP, BB, 6 K; Schmitz 2-5, double, run, RBI; Corbin Clifton double, SB, RBI; Owen Hagel double, RBI; Jack Erickson hit, SB, 3 runs; Bickett hit, 2 runs, RBI; Jake Otto hit, 2 runs; Max Whitman hit, RBI; Tate Wolsky run.
South Prairie/Max: Groninger 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Hauf, Bradyn Mikkelsen and Dalen Ruhland walks.