(Photo Courtesy: Lyle Ripplinger)
Written By: Cody Shook, Larks Broadcaster
WATERLOO, IA– Matt Warkentin stepped up big when the Bismarck Larks needed him most as he lead off the 9th inning with a solo home run to give the Larks a 4-3 lead and they were able to beat the Waterloo Bucks when Parker Harm came on to close the game out and get the save. The win was the Larks third win in a row and improved their overall record to 18-10 on the year. They are just one game back of first place in the Northwoods League standings with eight games remaining in the first half.
It was a tie ball game going into the 9th inning when Warkentin came to the plate and after watching the first three pitches he hit the one ball two strike pitch deep over the left field fence to give the Larks the lead. Hitting Coach Brett Lindsey said “Matt has really relaxed at the plate as of late and he has gotten comfortable playing summer baseball and we are starting to see him heat up in the batter’s box.”
Danny Kuhn started on the mound tonight for the Larks and gave Bismarck a quality outing, only allowing three runs over the course of 5.2 innings.
The scoring got started in the third inning when Cristian Montes hit a two out double down the left field line and later scored on a Ripken Reyes single. Head Coach, Sean Repay said “These guys are our table setters, they aren’t going to strike out on three pitches and they are going to fight through every at bat.” He then said “That gives extra confidence to the rest of our lineup throughout the game.”
The Bucks bounced back immediately scoring a run of their own in the third inning when Greg Anderberg hit a solo homerun over the left field fence.
In the 5th inning, Montes scored his second run of the game when Reyes hit a triple and then Reyes scored when Kyle Stevens hit a sacrifice fly into the outfield and that gave the Larks a 3-1 lead.
Waterloo wasn’t done fighting back as they were able to tie it up in the bottom half of the 5th inning scoring two runs of their own.
Evan Miller came on in relief and didn’t allow a run and then Tristan Hudson pitched a lights out 8th inning before exiting the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the tying run on third base. Parker Harm finished the game, earning a save and Hudson was credited with the win on the mound. Coach Repay said “After Hudson pitched a 1-2-3 inning 8th inning, we had momentum and the feel in the dugout was extra pumped up and ready for the top of the 9th.”
The Larks won by a score of 4-3 and are now 18-10 on the season. The Larks will be back in action tomorrow morning and night when they take on the Waterloo Bucks in a double header. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 p.m., and 6:35 p.m. Catch all the action on http://mixlr.com/larksbaseball/.
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The Bismarck Larks are a proud affiliate of the Northwoods League, the proven leader in development of elite college baseball players. The Larks mission is to use FUN to make a difference in the lives of our families, businesses, players, and communities we serve. This is accomplished with a commitment to putting fans first and providing high quality family entertainment at affordable prices. In 2017, the Larks sold out 27 of their 36 home games in Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, and were named the Northwoods League’s Organization of the Year.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 190 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
