The Bismarck Larks finished off their first-half schedule by playing eight straight contests away from Bismarck Municipal Ballpark. The yellow-birds took five victories in the stretch, ending the first half 16-18 and beginning the second half on the right foot.

Bismarck started its trip up north in Minot to close the second home-and-home Dakota Dust-up series of the summer. Entering the contest 3-0 already against the Hot Tots, the Larks left no doubt that they were in control of this new rivalry. In a game where the Larks were playing as the Dakota Rattlers and the Hot Tots were playing as the Minot Mallards to honor their Prairie League roots, the Larks came out on top by a final of 10-4.

The Larks struck first in the opening frame. After Benjamin Rosegard (Rice) and Nick Oakley (UC Santa Barbara) got on to start the ballgame, Jake Simons (Cal State Northridge) hit his first home run as a Lark, making the score 3-0 early. Both teams would trade blows in the third, with Bismarck scoring once and Minot scoring twice. However, the Larks would break it open in the following inning.

In the fourth, Connor Misch (Xavier), Nick Oakley, and Jake Simmons all had RBI base knocks, and then Simons would come around to score on a wild pitch to make it 8-2. Despite the Larks allowing two in the eighth from a Tristan Moore (New Orleans) homer, Bismarck would shut the Tots down and secure the sweep

Larks starter Carter Rost (Cumberland) would get the win, going six complete innings of only two-hit ball with seven punch outs, as he would move to 2-1. Minot’s Trevyn Badger (Minot State) picked up his fourth loss.

After a victory in Minot, The Larks would travel west to Willmar for the first of three straight series in Minnesota. Bismarck would split the series against the Stingers.

The Stingers needed just one win to clinch a first-half Great Plains West Division championship and go to the playoffs, and it looked like they would do so after the yellow-birds blew a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth. Willamr’s Scott Anderson’s (Point Loma Nazarene) two-RBI single gave the bees a 6-5 lead and three outs away from a playoff birth.

However, Bismarck’s Benjamin Rosengard had other plans. After catcher Nick Johnstone (South Suburban College) singled, Rosengard rocked a 1-0 pitch deep into the Willmar night to give the Larks the lead right back, and that’s all the Larks would need, as Ryan Taylor (Dallas College Richland) secured the win out of relief and gave Bismarck a series-opening win.

Game two was a much different story, with Willmar defeating Bismarck 13-1 and winning the Great Plains West first-half crown. The Stingers scored three in the first, two in the fourth and sixth, and six in the eighth to hand Bismarck starter Brooks Byers (New Orleans) his second loss of the season. The Larks moved to 2-1 on the road trip after the loss.

For the next two-game set, the yellow-birds traveled to La Crosse, Wisconsin, to take on the Great Plains East’s last-place team, the La Crosse Loggers. The Larks would split the series like the one prior, dropping a heartbreaker in game one after giving up a six-run lead late to the Loggers.

The Larks hit a season-high three homers in the first game, getting first-career bombs from Brock Kleszcz (UC San Diego), Connor Misch, and Nick Oakley. Bismarck used a four-run fourth to take early control of the game and lead 6-1 throughout the frame.

However, the Larks would give up two in the fifth and sixth, one in the eighth, and then two in the ninth. The Loggers walked off the Larks to steal game one of the series 8-7. Ryan Bourassa (South Dakota State) would pick up the loss out of the bullpen.

In game two, the Larks came out for revenge. Alec Danan (U Mary) dominated on the bump, as the Larks starter moved to 4-1 after going six complete innings of three-run ball.

At the dish, after being held scoreless through three innings, the Larks exploded for nine runs, highlighted by a Brock Kleszcz grand slam for his second home run in two games. Bismarck would add another three runs in the seventh from Nick Johnstone’s first home run as a yellow bird. The Larks would get back into the win column after winning 12-6. They would move to 3-2 on the trip.

For the final two-game series of the road trip, the Larks would travel back to Wisconsin to take on the Duluth Huskies. Like the last series against the Huskies on the road, the Larks would split the set with Duluth, losing the first game and winning the second.

After a quick turnaround from La Crosse, the Larks got caught napping very early in game one. Nine runs came around to score for the Huskies in the first inning, as Duluth would collect nine hits, with Brandon Compton (Arizona State), Mike Hallquist (Minnesota Crookston), and Brylan West (South Flordia State) all collecting RBI doubles. Carson Applegate (Kentucky) also had an RBI triple in the inning.

After the disastrous first inning, Ryan Rumsey (Xavier) would pick up the loss for Bismarck, while Evan Borst (Nebraska) got the win, going seven incredible innings and only giving up two runs. The Huskies would win game one 13-2.

In game two, the Larks would use another phenomenal Carter Rost performance on the bump to roll past the Huskies, 9-5. Rost struck out six in six innings, giving up three earned runs and collecting his third win of the season in his final start of the summer. 

Brock Kleszcz hit his third homer on the season in the fourth, while Jackson Beaman (Mizzou) and Jake Simons had doubles in the contest. Luke Hammond (Xavier), Jack Herring (Rollins), and Dillon Goetz (Skyline) all had multi-hit performances to push the Larks to 4-3 and end the first half in the win column. 

It all came full circle in the eighth and final game of the road trip, as the Larks returned to the Magic City to open up a new two-game series against the Minot Hot Tots. This game would also be the first of the second half. 

Although the Tots came out swinging in the first and second to go up 2-0, the Larks went for six in the top of the third, highlighted by five hits, with Jack Herring, Nick Oakley, and Jackson Beaman all collecting RBI hits. 

Then, in the fourth, Jake Simons hit his second round-tripper of the year to push the lead to 8-2. In the sixth, pinch hitter Bradlee Preap (UC San Diego) hit an RBI double to extend the lead to 10-2.

However, the Hot Tots fought back to score seven combined in the seventh and eighth, as Drew Woodcox (Texas Tech) hit a 3-run homer and Thomas Rollauer (The Citadel) hit a grand slam to make it 10-9.

But Brad Helton (Metro State Denver) would shut down the late threat, as the Larks would move to 5-0 against Minot on the summer and finish the road trip 5-3. Newcomer Andrew Hansen (Fort Hays State) picked up his first win in his Larks debut.

The Bismarck Larks will be back at home to take on the Minot Hot Tots on Wednesday for the series finale of the two-game set. The Larks look to stay perfect against the Tots in 2023, with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. CT. It will also be USA Day, presented by Dakota Community Bank and Trust. For one game only, place your bid on our specialty American-themed jerseys!