The highs and lows of the spring baseball slate continue for the Carrington Cardinals.
Carrington built up some momentum with a non-region doubleheader sweep in Tolna over the Nelson County/Midkota Chargers (4-0) and Hatton-Northwood (9-6) in Saturday, May 4 weekend action, but all the good diamond vibes came to a halt with a pair of sizable late-inning swoons in a 10-3 Region 3 loss to LaMoure/Litchville-Marion at Townsend Field in LaMoure last Monday, May 6.
The Cards fell behind to the Loboes by a 4-1 score after two innings in the scorebook, but climbed back into contention with single runs in the third and fifth frames to pull within 4-3. L-L-M (4-4 overall, 2-3 Region 3) then delivered the staggering blows with three-spots in both the fifth and sixth innings to secure the victory.
Grady Shipman got the scoring started for CHS (6-7, 3-3 Region 3) with an RBI single in the first inning, before Logan Potts cleared the bases with a double in the bottom half of the inning to plate three Lobo runners.
Shipman had hits in all three of his plate appearances, scored once and drove in two runs. From the leadoff spot, Josh Bickett went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Corbin Clifton accounted for the other RBI in the loss. Max Whitman and Tate Wolsky had the other two hits for Carrington.
Eighth batter Brady Hanson was a force for LaMoure with a 4-for-4 outing, a run and two RBIs. Potts had two hits, as did Jacob Nitschke and Blase Isaacson. Extra base hits also came off the bats of Damian Carlson (triple) and Colby Thielges (double).
Max Musland tossed all seven innings to get the win for the Loboes. He scattered eight hits while notching three strikeouts.
Up in Tolna two days earlier, the Cards shut out the host Chargers in a five-inning victory, behind a combined two-hitter from Shipman and Jacob Boeshans. Shipman threw the first four innings before giving way to Boeshans for the fifth.
Ethan Roller led the Cardinal offense with two hits. Shipman had an RBI, two runs and two stolen bases, and Jake Otto also had an RBI single. Clifton and Bickett had a hit apiece for the Cards as well.
Zach Gibson and Preston Lee had the only hits for NC-M, both singles. Dresyn Hanson took the loss for the Chargers.
It got interesting late in the second half of the doubleheader versus the Hatton-Northwood Thunder, as the eastern North Dakota nine scored three times in the top of the seventh to pull within three runs at 9-6. However, Wolsky would record the final out to get the save in relief of winning starter Roller and middle reliever Clifton.
Wolsky, along with Shipman, finished with two hits. The pair would work in tandem for three stolen bases, runs and RBIs each to pace the Cards' hitting. Bickett scored three times and also had a single, while Owen Hagel, Roller, Clifton, Whitman and Otto were responsible for the other hits.
The Thunder offense rumbled behind two-hole hitter Derek Carpenter, who had a home run and double and finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Ander Thorsgard, Keegan Schroeder and Brody Johnson all put together multi-hit games for H-N in defeat.
Carson Beaudin, Rylan Wamstad and Drew Iverson had the other hits to aid the Thunder's efforts.
Tyson Danzl took the loss, giving up four runs over three innings, and Aiden Johnson threw the remaining three frames.
This past Friday, the Cards were slated to play at Baseball Day in Park River, and will face off with non-region opponent Rugby in the regular season finale on Tuesday, May 14, weather permitting, at City Park.
The Region 3 Tournament will be held at Pirate Field in Steele May 20-22. The tournament winner will advance to the State Class B Tournament in Jamestown.
Region 3 Baseball
LaMoure/Litchville-Marion 10, Carrington 3
at LaMoure
Cgtn. 101 010 0 - 3 8 1
LLM 310 033 x - 10 14 2
Corbin Clifton, Tate Wolsky (3) and Max Whitman; Max Musland and Mason Warcken. W - Musland. L - Clifton.
Carrington: Grady Shipman 3-3, double, run, 2 RBI; Josh Bickett 2-4, 2 runs; Clifton 1-3, RBI; Whitman and Wolsky 1-3.
LaMoure/L-M: Musland CG, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 K; 1-3, SB, run; Brady Hanson 4-4, run, 2 RBI; Logan Potts 2-2, double, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Jacob Nitschke 2-4, 2 runs, RBI; Blase Isaacson 2-5, 2 RBI; Damian Carlson 1-3, triple, 2 runs; Warcken 1-3, run, Colby Thielges 1-5, double, RBI.
Non-region Baseball
Carrington 4, Nelson Co./Midkota 0
at Tolna
NC-M 000 00 - 0 2 1
Cgtn. 220 0x - 4 6 1
Shipman, Jacob Boeshans (5) and Clifton; Dresyn Hanson, Brody Rainsberry (2) and Brody Hoyt. W - Shipman. L - Hanson.
Carrington: Ethan Roller 2-2; Shipman 4 IP, 2 H, 4 K; 1-2, 2 SB, 2 runs, RBI; Clifton 1-2; Bickett 1-3, SB, run; Jake Otto 1-3, RBI; Wolsky SB, run.
Nelson Co./Midkota: Zach Gibson and Preston Lee 1-2; Hanson 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, K.
Carrington 9, Hatton- Northwood 6
at Tolna
H-N 200 010 3 - 6 12 1
Cgtn. 130 104 x - 9 10 1
Roller, Clifton (6), Wolsky (7) and Clifton, Whitman (6); Tyson Danzl, Aiden Johnson (4) and Keegan Schroeder. W - Roller. L - Danzl. SV - Wolsky.
Carrington: Wolsky 2-3, 2 SB, 2 runs, RBI; Shipman 2-4, double, SB, run, 2 RBI; Bickett 1-2, SB, 3 runs; Owen Hagel 1-2, 2 RBI; Roller 1-2, run; Clifton 1-3, run, RBI; Whitman 1-3, run; Otto 1-4.
Hatton-Northwood: Derek Carpenter 3-4, HR, double, run, 4 RBI; Brody Johnson 2-2, run; Ander Thorsgard 2-5, 2 runs; Schroeder 2-5, SB, run; Rylan Wamstad 1-1, RBI; Carson Beaudin 1-4, SB; Drew Iverson 1-5; A. Johnson RBI; Westin Enger run.