Win 5-3 over N.R. Post 30 in opener; fall in 5-inning nightcap, 5-4 -
Another classic in the latest installment of the Carrington/New Rockford hardball rivalry came to pass at Jim Johnson Park on the southern edge of New Rockford.
This time, the Post 25 Redbirds went two innings beyond regulation length to finish off the Post 30 Black Sox, 5-3, in a Thursday, June 13 affair originally slated as a home game, but which switched to the Sox's home field due to ongoing renovation work at the City Park diamond.
The visitors on this day scratched across single runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings, with one of those a Ryder Bickett solo home run. He would also account for a double in the first game, which counted in the District 4 league standings.
Post 25 starting pitcher Grady Shipman mowed through the Black Sox batting order for the first five innings, until Post 30 halved the Redbirds' lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
An insurance run in the top of the seventh looked like it would hold, but Post 30 tied the game in their final chance at-bat.
Shipman had a two-run double in the top of the ninth to break the deadlock, and Kael Kovar got three outs for the save to preserve the victory.
Kovar would add two hits and stole three bases. Kyle Johnson also had an RBI single, and Owen Hagel, Tate Wolsky and Jack Erickson had the other hits in Post 25's column.
The loss spoiled a gritty outing by the Black Sox's Easton Simon, who went all nine innings and scattered nine hits, all while striking out three 'Birds. Four of his five runs surrendered were earned.
Keaton Cudworth hit a double for Post 30 and finished 2-for-5 with a run scored, and Skye Kramlich also had two hits. Additional Sox singles came off the bats of Brody Weisenburger, Luke Yri and Bradyn Collier.
The 'Birds were three outs away from making it a clean sweep in the non-league night game, but the Black Sox came all the way back from a 4-1 deficit in the fifth to score a 5-4 stunner and salvage the series.
Wolsky led the Post 25 hitters with a 2-for-3 outing, scoring once and driving in a run. Cody Otto, Josh Bickett and Ethan Roller also finished with RBI singles.
On the hill, Jacob Boeshans threw four innings before Hagel came on in the fifth, and Hagel took the blown save and the loss.
Like the first game, Cudworth had a two-hit evening. Thomas Allmaras scored twice, plated a run with a single and stole a base, and Weisenburger and Yri had the other two hits for Post 30.
Connor Knatterud pitched five innings, gave up seven hits and fanned four for the win.
This Wednesday, Post 25 (2-3 overall) goes up Highway 52 for a game with Post 39 of Velva, and hopes are that the new-look field will be ready for play Friday, June 28, when Kidder Co. Post 231 comes calling for a District 4 7/5 inning twinbill.
District 4 American Legion Baseball
Carrington 5, New Rockford 3
(9 innings)
at New Rockford
Cgtn. 001 001 102 - 5 9 2
NR 000 001 200 - 3 8 3
Grady Shipman, Kael Kovar (9) and Max Whitman; Easton Simon and Bradyn Collier. W - Shipman. L - Simon. SV - Kovar.
Carrington: Shipman 8 IP, 7 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K; 1-5, double, 2 RBI; Ryder Bickett 2-4, HR, double, 2 runs, RBI; Kovar 2-4, 3 SB; Owen Hagel and Tate Wolsky 1-4, run; Jack Erickson 1-3, run; Kyle Johnson 1-4, RBI.
New Rockford: Simon CG, 9 H, 4 ER, BB, 3 K; 1-4; Skye Kramlich 2-4, RBI; Keaton Cudworth 2-5, double, run; Luke Yri 1-3, run; Brody Weisenburger and Collier 1-4; Connor Knatterud SB, run.
New Rockford 5, Carrington 4
Cgtn. 003 10 - 4 7 0
NR 000 14 - 5 5 2
Jacob Boeshans, Hagel (5) and Wolsky; Knatterud and Collier. W - Knatterud. L - Hagel.
Carrington: Boeshans 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K; Wolsky 2-3, run, RBI; Paxton Harrington 1-2, SB, run; Hagel 1-2, run; Cody Otto 1-2, RBI; Josh Bickett 1-3, SB, run, RBI; Ethan Roller 1-3, SB, RBI.
New Rockford: Knatterud CG, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K; run; Cudworth 2-3, run; Thomas Allmaras 1-2, SB, 2 runs, RBI; Weisenburger and Yri 1-2, RBI; K____ Nass run.