The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Post 25's Hudson Schmitz is tagged out at the plate by New Rockford catcher Alex Weisenburger on a close play. Schmitz didn't let the momentary failure faze him, as he would later hit a two-run home run and pitch a no-hitter in a 4-1 win over the Black Sox.
Owen Hagel watches the ball's path off the bat against New Rockford. Hagel's hit would bounce over the fence for a ground-rule double.
The meat of Carrington Post 25's American Legion Baseball summer schedule from July 5 to July 11 delivered good, not-so-good, and mixed results over its duration.
It started out with a tremendous pitching performance courtesy of Hudson Schmitz's no-hitter over the New Rockford Post 30 Black Sox, 4-1, to keep the Redbirds' league record untarnished for the moment.
That was followed up with a showing of one win and two losses at the very-tough Jack Brown Classic in Jamestown, and a doubleheader split with District 4 opponent Linton-Ashley-Wishek (L-A-W).
Post 25 concluded their district schedule with a Wednesday game against Kidder County Post 231 at City Park, weather permitting. It was scheduled for Wednesday, then pushed back to Tuesday and reverted to Wednesday due to a rainout, and that plan also cancelled a planned nine-inning game with Renville County.
With those results, Post 25 now sits at 7-6 overall and 4-1 in district play pending their Kidder County result and a doubleheader with LaMoure and Mayville on Thursday to put a bow on things.
The Redbirds are hopeful that their loaded schedule steels them for their best baseball at the right time starting today (July 17), with the start of the District 4 Tournament in Steele. Post 25 is locked into the number one seed, and faces New Rockford at 3 p.m. in the first round.
Post 25 4, New Rockford 1
It wasn't a clean score-sheet, but Schmitz most likely didn't care.
His pitching masterpiece still went into the books as a no-hitter, and he even helped himself out with a two-run home run to provide all the offensive support he would need in Post 25's three-run victory.
And in the process, it represented 14 straight innings of the Black Sox offense unable to reach base via hit against the Redbirds. The July 5 game between the teams was the second no-hit outing Carrington has pitched against Post 30 this year, as Lucas Hendrickson turned the trick against the 'Sox in the season opener on June 8.
Schmitz, along with Grady Shipman, each went 1-for-2 at the plate. Owen Hagel also accounted for a double for Carrington.
Post 30 left-hander Keaton Cudworth provided a quality start on the mound in defeat. He would record eight strikeouts and just those three hits, though three walks and two hits by pitch would complicate his efforts.
The Black Sox got on the board in the sixth inning with a Post 25 defensive lapse and two errant deliveries by Schmitz allowing Brody Weisenburger to score.
The loss dropped Post 30 to 0-4 in District 4 play and 2-7 for the summer.
Jack Brown Classic
Jamestown 9, Post 25 0
From one side of a no-hitter to another, the Redbirds ran into an old friend taking the hill for the Eagles in the tournament featuring predominantly Class AA teams.
Former Carrington resident Payton Hochhalter showed once again why his old teammates miss him at times, combining with Thomas Newman for a near-perfecto by allowing merely a walk in 5 1/3 innings, and going 4-for-4 with a double and two runs.
Josh Bickett took the loss for Post 25.
Detroit Lakes, Minn. 9, Post 25 1
Post 25 faced a rare out-of-state opponent in the consolation bracket of the Jack Brown, Detroit Lakes Post 15. The Minnesota boys got out to an early start with a three-spot in the first, and cruised to an eight-run win.
Carrington couldn't solve Post 15 hurler Logan Adams, as he struck out six over five frames. Offensively, DL was led by Josh Goodspeed's three hits.
Kael Kovar drove in Post 25's only run with a double in the seventh.
Post 25 9, Mayville 7
Carrington got out to a big early lead of 6-0 with five runs in the fourth inning and added three more in the fifth in the seventh place game against the Post 8 Patriots, but Mayville roared back for all seven of their runs in the fifth and sixth.
Schmitz drew hill duties to start, and also had a pair of hits, including a double. Hagel had a double in the win, and Bickett also had two hits. Others to reach the hit column included Shipman, Kovar, and Kyle Johnson.
Marshall Kloster pitch-ed for the Pats, taking the loss. Leadoff batter Ethan Bergstrom had a double and run scored, and Andrew Aarsvold would score twice.
District 4 play
L-A-W 7, Post 25 1
Post 25 11, L-A-W 4
First things first, the Redbirds and Rattlers met up in Wishek to resume a suspended game played on June 9 in Carrington with L-A-W leading, 4-0, in the fifth. The game didn't swing back to the 'Birds, as the snakes scored three more runs to one for the 25's to finish up the win.
In the second game, Post 25 kept the engines running with seven runs in the second inning, and were never truly challenged from that point on.
The game results put L-A-W at a record of 10-7 and 4-2 in District 4 play.
No matter the result of the Kidder County game, Post 25 remains the top seed, as they have the tiebreaker with L-A-W and Kidder has three losses.
The winner of the District 4 Tournament at Pirate Field in Steele moves on to City Park for the State Class 'B' American Legion Baseball Tournament in Carrington July 26-30. Post 25 has an automatic bid to the tournament as the host.
