Four-for-four into the 4th

The Carrington Post 25 Redbirds scored 25 runs in a two-game triangular sweep on the banks of the Mouse River over the Burlington Bulldogs and Velva 39ers Wednesday, June 26, at Buen Field in Velva.

In the final two varsity contests of the week heading into the Fourth of July holiday, the 'Birds kept their string of success rolling with a 9-8 win over Kidder County Friday, June 28, and defeated the Devils Lake Storm 'B' team last Monday, 9-2. Both games were at City Park.

With the wins, Post 25 now sits at 7-2 overall, headed into the meat of their schedule.

Post 25 13, Burlington 5

Post 25 12, Velva 0

Game one went the way of Post 25, 13-5, by virtue of scoring 12 unanswered runs to rout the 'Dogs. At one point, the Redbirds were down 5-1, before cutting the score to 5-3 after four innings, and delivering twin five-run knockout blows in the next two frames.

A pair of Carrington hitters had three-hit contests, led by Josh Bickett and Max Whitman. Bickett had three RBIs and scored twice, while Whitman had the reverse of those stats with three runs and two driven home, with two doubles.

Grady Shipman homered, and also had a double for Post 25, finishing with three RBIs in the victory.

Getting the win with 4 2/3 innings of work was Kyle Johnson. He allowed six hits, three earned runs, walked two and struck out four.

The Bulldogs' Cale Roedocker went 3-for-5 in the loss with a triple, Burlington's only extra-base hit. Easton Andersen had two hits, and Brayden Nelson and Braylon Fisher (2 RBI) also had singles.

The nightcap was a big one for the Redbirds, taking a 12-0 rout over Post 39. Again, Shipman found the other side of the fence for his third homer of the summer, and carried the Post 25 bats with six RBIs.

In his return from college, Jack Erickson, one of Post 25's five 19-year-olds, also had a three-hit game against Velva, and had two runs and RBIs apiece.

Getting the win from the mound was Bickett, as he surrendered just four Velva hits. He also was busy on the bases with three runs.

Owen Hagel had two hits in four at-bats, driving in four more runs for the Redbirds' efforts.

Velva's hits, all singles, came from Mason McPeak, Cooper Kittelson, Reggie Bruner and Bradyn Bossert. Luke Selzler was the loser on the mound, taking the brunt of Post 25's offense over a full seven innings.

Carrington 9, Kidder County 8

With half of the season schedule gone, the first game at the refurbished City Park diamond was held on Friday, June 28.

Kidder County Post 231 came to town to inaugurate the new-look ballpark, which now features brand-new dugouts with the previous full screens replaced by a padded half-screen for increased visibility.

Also new to the park are a reconstructed backstop pad with "Cardinals" and "Redbirds" painted on to match the other two current city fields, new steel beams replacing their wooden predecessors to support the home plate bleacher roof, concrete work, and new paint in the concession stand area.

The fancy amenities still took second fiddle to the action on the field, as Post 25 took their fourth straight win in seven-inning contests by a count of 9-8 and improving to 2-0 in District 4 play.

Johnson delivered the heroics with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh, and had two other hits as well. Hagel had the big stick along with Johnson, going 3-for-4, including a big 3-run double in the second inning.

The Post 25 bats also benefited from hits by Erickson, Kael Kovar and Shipman.

From the leadoff slot, Collin Zimmerman had hits in all three of his at-bats for Post 231, and scored on each of those trips. Two other Kidder players with multiple hits were Preston Fischer and Connor Wolfer, and Jacob Kartes finished with a double.

Fischer struggled early on the mound for the 231s, and was replaced by Blake Binder in the second. Binder would end up taking the loss on Johnson's single.

With a complete game, Hudson Schmitz got the victory. Just four of his eight runs were earned, due entirely to Post 25's five errors in the field. Schmitz struck out five.

Carrington 9, Devils Lake Storm 2

The developmental team for the Class A Devils Lake Storm visited City Park last Monday, and played the hosts to a near-standstill before a six-run sixth inning for the Redbirds shut the door.

Kovar had an "MVP"-like performance in the game, throwing a seven-inning four-hitter and going 3-for-3 with a triple and two doubles, scoring and driving in two runs. Ryder Bickett also doubled twice, and Whitman had a two-bagger in addition to the other big hits.

Erickson had two hits with a run and two RBIs.

Beau Brodina drove in the Storm's only two runs in the sixth with a single. Additionally, Devils Lake got hits by Tayven Wiberg, Easton Kraft and Finley Wirth.

The losing pitcher was Jaxon Strong, with six earned runs over five innings. Alex Hammond finished up with one inning of work, surrendering two hits and two runs.

Post 25 will host the New Rockford Post 30 Black Sox on Tuesday, July 9, completing the home-and-home series that flipped venues when City Park renovations were still on-going. They will host Class A opponent Kindred Post 117 on Wednesday beginning at 1 p.m., and play the Storm in Devils Lake on Friday. The July 9 and July 12 7/5-inning doubleheaders start at 5 p.m.

Non-district American Legion Baseball

Post 25 13, Burlington 5

at Velva

Cgtn. 001 250 5 - 13 13 1

Burl. 104 000 0 - 5 7 3

Kyle Johnson, Grady Shipman (5), Jacob Boeshans (7) and Hudson Schmitz; Ryan Ralph, Drew Erickson (5) and Cale Roedocker. W - Johnson. L - Ralph.

Carrington: Josh Bickett 3-3, 2 SB, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Max Whitman 3-4, 2 doubles, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Shipman 2-5, HR, double, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Jack Erickson 1-3, 2 RBI; Ryder Bickett 1-3, SB, 2 runs, RBI; Kael Kovar 1-4, 2 runs, RBI; Johnson 1-5, run, RBI; Owen Hagel 1-5; Schmitz run; Boeshans SB.

Burlington: Roedocker 3-5, triple, run; Easton Andersen 2-4, run, RBI; Brayden Nelson 1-2, run; Braylon Fisher 1-3, 2 RBI; Ralph RBI; Paxton Ystaas and Erickson one run each.

Post 25 12, Velva 0

at Velva

Cgtn. 003 022 5 - 12 12 1

Velva 000 000 0 - 0 4 2

J. Bickett and Whitman; Luke Selzler and Mason McPeak. W - J. Bickett. L - Selzler.

Carrington: J. Bickett CG, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB; 1-2, 2 SB, 3 runs; Erickson 3-5, SB, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Schmitz 2-3, SB, run; Hagel 2-4, double, 4 RBI; Shipman 2-5, HR, double, 2 runs, 6 RBI; Johnson 1-3, double; R. Bickett 1-4, run; Kovar SB, 3 runs.

Velva: McPeak, Cooper Kittelson, Reggie Bruner and Bradyn Bossert 1-3.

District 4 American Legion Baseball

Post 25 9, Kidder Co. 8

at Carrington

KC 300 221 0 - 8 11 0

Cgtn. 240 200 1 - 9 9 5

Schmitz and Whitman; Preston Fischer, Blake Binder (2) and Collin Zimmerman. W - Schmitz. L - Binder.

Carrington: Schmitz CG, 11 H, 4 ER, 5 K; 2 runs; Hagel 3-4, double, run, 4 RBI; Johnson 3-4, GW RBI single, run, RBI; Erickson 1-1, SB, 3 runs, RBI; Kovar 1-3, run, 2 RBI; Shipman 1-3, run; Whitman RBI.

Kidder Co.: Zimmerman 3-3, double, SB, 3 runs; Fischer 2-4, 2 runs; Connor Wolfer 2-4, run, RBI; Jacob Kartes 1-4, double, run; Donaven Martin 1-4, RBI; Grady Larson 1-4, run; Isaiah Oster 1-4.

Non-district American Legion Baseball

Post 25 9, Devils Lake Storm 'B' 2

at Carrington

D.L. 000 002 0 - 2 4 2

Cgtn. 001 206 x - 9 9 4

Kovar and Whitman; Jaxon Strong, Alex Hammond (6) and Riley Brenno-Quale. W - Kovar. L - Strong.

Carrington: Kovar CG, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; 3-3, triple, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Erickson 2-2, run, 2 RBI; R. Bickett 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Whitman 1-1, double, 2 runs, RBI; Schmitz 1-4, SB; Hagel RBI; Tate Wolsky SB, run; Johnson run.

Devils Lake: Finley Wirth 1-1, run; Beau Brodina 1-4, 2 RBI; Tayven Wiberg and Easton Kraft 1-4; Strong SB, run.