The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Fall to Park River in opener; beat Cando, Burlington, lose out to Thompson —
Grady Shipman celebrates scoring a run against Cando. Shipman had six hits in the tournament, pitched a win against the Bearcats (his sixth of the summer) and was the most potent bat for Post 25 all season.
Hudson Schmitz cheers upon getting a big out.
First baseman Jack Erickson secures a pop-up, as second baseman Kael Kovar watches in the background.
Josh Bickett had a good tournament for Post 25, getting three hits (including a double), five runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
Courtesy runner Peyton Harrington makes a break from first base.
John Raymond O'Hara Post 25 of Carrington was back in familiar territory, the State American Legion Class 'B' Baseball Tournament, for the 10th time in 11 summers.
The new-look Townsend Field in LaMoure, with an expanded, more accessible and safe bleacher section, turf inserts on the mound and home plate area, and a fresh coat of paint, welcomed visitors to southeast North Dakota for the 2024 tournament.
In what was generally regarded as a wide-open tourney with no clear favorite, Post 25 won and lost two games apiece to finish in fourth place.
The results concluded Carrington's summer season with an overall record of 19-6.
Park River 2, Carrington 1
Try as Hudson Schmitz could, his mound efforts to keep Post 25 in contention were only slightly eclipsed by Park River's Tucker Omdahl.
The Post 147 Pirates' righty kept the Carrington bats silent for six innings, striking out 10 and giving up only three hits.
With their last out staring them squarely in their collective face, Carrington got the run they needed in the top of the seventh to knot up the game at 1-1.
After a golden opportunity in the sixth went by the wayside by stranding the bases loaded, the 25's got their rally started with a 3-and-2 walk to Ryder Bickett to keep the game going. Kael Kovar and Josh Bickett then hit back-to-back singles to bring in the former Bickett with the equalizer. Jack Erickson's hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, but Omdahl escaped further damage by getting Grady Shipman to pop out to third and end the inning.
In the seventh, Park River's James Larson got on with a one-out single, and a Schmitz wild pitch and passed ball advanced him to third as the winning run.
Coach Jayden Shipman then elected to intentionally walk Omdahl and Jacob Solseng to put a force play at any base and hope for an inning-ending double play, but the Pirates' Everett Fedje rendered those plans with the winning single over a drawn-in outfield.
The loss ruined a spectacular outing by Schmitz, with four hits allowed over 6 1/3 innings and two runs, both earned, along with two walks and six strikeouts.
Josh Bickett had two hits for Post 25, which included a double in the sixth inning.
Park River got on the board in the second following a triple by Calvin Otto, and Jameson Erovick's sacrifice fly to right brought Otto home for a 1-0 lead that held for much of the contest.
Solseng had the other hit for the Pirates, who advanced to play Lisbon Post 7.
Carrington 8, Cando 4
Loser-out play pitted Post 25 against the Post 79 Bearcats of Cando, a 4-1 loser to Lisbon in round one.
Carrington ace Grady Shipman took the hill in a bid to keep his team alive, and he did his part both from the rubber and with the bat.
Shipman went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs, and pitched five innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts. He started the scoring with a two-bagger in the first inning to bring home Jack Erickson, advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Owen Hagel, and scored just out of reach of the tag of Cando catcher Garrett Westlind on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
Once again, Shipman did the job in the third inning with a two-run double, and had a bases-loaded single during a four-run fourth.
Post 25's lead sat at 8-0 headed into the fifth, but a leadoff walk to Westlind came back to haunt Shipman for his only earned run. The Bearcats' Alec Peyerl singled him to third, and Westlind would come home on Dane Hagler's sacrifice fly.
Carrington went to reliever Josh Bickett in the sixth to conserve Shipman for possible later tournament appearances, and that inning would end up being the best chance Post 79 had to get back in contention. Back-to-back doubles by Parker Simon and Hunter Hagler (RBI), and a walk to Karsen Simon all came around to make it 8-4, as Westlind hit a run-scoring single and pinch-hitter Sean Freund got another RBI with a fielders' choice.
Bickett faced another monster jam in the bottom of the seventh after getting the first two outs, as a Brody Svir walk and singles by Zach Jorde and Parker Simon loaded the bases.
This created a save situation, and Kovar was brought in to get the final out. He did so, striking out Hunter Hagler swinging to end the game.
Schmitz went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Kyle Johnson also hit a double. Erickson scored three runs without an official at-bat.
Hunter Hagler and Parker Simon both had two hits each for Cando. On the hill, Karsen Simon took the loss.
Carrington 2, Burlington 0
Johnson got the nod to pitch against the Bulldogs for the second time this season, and the Grace City product picked the perfect time to throw the game of his Legion career.
He got the win earlier in the summer in Velva, 13-5, and this time around, used his defense and threw strikes while scattering seven hits.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth, when Schmitz's sacrifice fly scored Josh Bickett to make it 1-0. The next inning, Johnson reached base on a dropped third strike, went to second on an error, and scored the second run on a Ryder Bickett RBI single and an error to give himself a valuable insurance run as well.
During the contest, only two Burlington baserunners advanced as far as third base.
Brayden Nelson was the lone Bulldog with more than one hit, finishing 2-for-3 with a double. Drew Erickson also doubled for Burlington.
Jacob Schaefer pitched five innings and took the loss. He and reliever Paxton Ystaas also gave up singles to Shipman and Max Whitman in defeat.
Thompson 6, Carrington 4
Invariably, when Post 25 is seeking tournament glory, Thompson Post 181 always seems to be in the way.
Once again, the 2023 champions and Class B powerhouse in both high school and Legion baseball got the best of Carrington, but got Post 25's top effort.
With Kovar tasked with keeping the 25's alive, Thompson jumped ahead with a three-run first inning which featured three hits and two Carrington errors.
Post 25 drew to within 3-2 in the second on a two-run single by Shipman, but Erickson was out at home plate trying to tie the score.
Thompson added to their lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by Jonathan Muhs to score Brody Gibson following the latter's triple, but Carrington answered one half inning later with a two-spot on Erickson's two-run single.
The score held until the bottom of the sixth, when Thomas Schumacher's drive through a drawn-in infield broke the tie, and Drew Overby added another run with a fielder's choice.
Kovar gave up four earned runs in a complete game loss, while Thompson's Brayden Wolfgram got the victory in relief.
The loss was the final game in Post 25 black for Schmitz, Erickson and Kovar.
This year's state championship went to Lisbon, who bested Thompson by a score of 5-0 Monday, August 5, after Post 181 eliminated LaMoure by a 9-0 tally. The title triumph ended a 66-year drought for Post 7 which had lasted since 1958.
State 'B' American Legion
Baseball Tournament,
LaMoure
First Round
Park River 2, Post 25 1
Cgtn. 000 000 1 - 1 3 7
PR 010 000 1 - 2 4 1
Hudson Schmitz and Max Whitman; Tucker Omdahl and Carter Troftgruben. W - Omdahl. L - Schmitz.
Carrington: Schmitz 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; Josh Bickett 2-3, double, RBI; Kael Kovar 1-2; Ryder Bickett run.
Park River: Omdahl CG, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K; Calvin Otto 1-3, triple, run; James Larson 1-3, run; Jacob Solseng 1-3; Everett Fedje 1-4, RBI; Jameson Erovick RBI.
Loser-Out
Post 25 8, Cando 4
Cando 000 013 0 - 4 7 0
Cgtn. 202 400 x - 8 5 0
Grady Shipman, J. Bickett (6), Kovar (7) and Schmitz; Karsen Simon, Parker Simon (3), Zach Jorde (5) and Garrett Westlind. W - Shipman. L - K. Simon. SV - Kovar.
Carrington: Shipman 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K; 3-4, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 4 RBI; Schmitz 1-3, 2 RBI; Kyle Johnson 1-3, double; Jack Erickson 3 runs; J. Bickett 2 runs; Kovar run.
Cando: Hunter Hagler 2-4, 2 doubles, run, RBI; P. Simon 2-4, SB, double, run; Westlind 1-2, run, RBI; Alec Peyerl 1-2, SB; Jorde 1-3, SB; Dane Hagler SB, RBI; Sean Freund RBI; K. Simon run.
Post 25 2, Burlington 0
Burl. 000 000 0 - 0 7 2
Cgtn. 000 011 x - 2 4 2
Johnson and Whitman; Jacob Schaefer, Paxton Ystaas (6) and Drew Roedocker. W - Johnson. L - Schaefer.
Carrington: Johnson CG, 7 H, 0 R, 2 BB, K; run; Schmitz 1-2, RBI; Ryder Bickett 1-3, RBI; Shipman 1-3; Whitman 1-3; J. Bickett run.
Burlington: Schaefer 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; 1-4; Brayden Nelson 2-3, double; Drew Erickson 1-2, double; Braylon Fisher 1-3; Ystaas and Roedocker 1-4.
Thompson 6, Post 25 4
Cgtn. 020 200 0 - 4 7 1
Thom. 301 002 x - 6 8 1
Kovar and Whitman; Drew Overby, Drew Odenbach (4), Brayden Wolfgram (6) and William Welke. W - Wolfgram. L - Kovar.
Carrington: Kovar CG, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, K; Shipman 2-3, 2 RBI; Erickson 1-2, 2 RBI; R. Bickett 1-2, double, 2 runs; J. Bickett 1-2, SB, 2 runs; Schmitz 1-3; Owen Hagel 1-4.
Thompson: Thomas Schumacher 2-4, run, RBI; Braden Tyce 1-1, run; Jonathan Muhs 1-2, RBI; Odenbach 1-2, run; Brody Gibson 1-3, triple, run; Welke 1-3; Wolfgram 1-4, run, RBI; Jacob Stumpf run.
