Redbirds take two defeats at RRV Babe Ruth tourney

Playing without pressure of advancement, the Carrington Redbirds Babe Ruth team ran into some strong pitching at the Red River Valley (District 4) League Tournament in Mayville.

In games played on July 17 and 18, the eighth-seeded Redbirds were pitted against top overall seed Thompson #1, and were defeated by 10-run rule, 10-0, on the first day of action.

Carrington dropped into the loser-out bracket, where they faced Nelson County. They played the younger Owls somewhat tougher than they did late in the regular season, but still fell short by a count of 6-0.

The Redbirds gained the automatic opportunity to represent the Central City at the 2024 State 'B' Babe Ruth Tournament as the host team, and their first action came last Friday night, July 26, opposite defending Class 'B' champion and District 3 winner Park River in the nightcap fourth game of the evening. The Pirates defeated LaMoure, 4-0, to win the 2023 title on their home field for the second time in program history.

2024's tournament field will also feature District 4 champion Hatton-Northwood, who advanced ahead of four-time champion Thompson and Mayville in the RRV title game to reach the 'B'. The Thunder will be going for their first state crown since 1995, when they played as Hatton before the Northwood co-op.

Other state qualifiers were the Burlington Bulldogs (District 1), Rugby (District 2), Beulah Twisters (District 5), four-time state champion LaMoure A's (District 6) and two-time winner Kindred Vikings (District 7).