Written by Kyle Tatelbaum

@kyletatelbaum.tv

BISMARCK, ND –  The Larks fall three games under .500 on the season (23-26) and 2.5 games out of a second-half playoff spot.

After dropping the first three games of the road trip against the Rox, the Larks battled to take game four 6-2 at St. Cloud powered by a strong start from Kai Mayfield (Augustana University) and big days at the plate from Erick Dessenes (Paradise Valley CC), and Cesar Franco (Western Illinois). 

Dessens initiated the scoring with a solo blast to dead center on an elevated 1-0 fastball for his second home run of the season.

St. Cloud quickly evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth on behalf of Jack Beaman (University of Iowa), who walked to start the inning and circled the bases on three wild pitches from starter Kai Taylor (Augustana University). 

The Larks clapped back in the top of the sixth, claiming the lead with four runs. Joey Baran (Western Kentucky) singled to start the frame, followed by a Ryan Rivera (Palomar College) double. Baran scored the go-ahead run on an Erick Dessens ground-out, as Kyle Hvidsten (Western Kentucky) was hit by a pitch for the 14th time this season, moving Hvidsten into the top three in HBP in the Northwoods League. With a loud swing from Cesar Franco (Western Illinois) over the right-field wall, Bismarck quickly found themselves up  5-1 and never looked back.  

Each team would score a run in the eighth inning, Erick Dessens scoring on a sacrifice fly from Cesar Franco, and Jaylen Ziegler (Des Moines Area CC) scoring on a double from Sawyer Smith (University of Kansas). 

Following a 9-1 loss to the Mankato MoonDogs in the opener of a two-game series, the Larks delivered an all-around complete game, scoring 15 runs on 15 hits while holding Mankato to two runs.  

Jason Hughes (Immaculata University) provided his best start of the season, working through six scoreless innings with five strikeouts while only allowing two hits. Larson Scholtz (Spartanburg Methodist College) worked around a hit and a walk in a clean seventh inning, as the Larks bats scored 10 unanswered runs between the fourth and the seventh inning, headlined by a two-run fourth inning and a five-run fifth.  

Noah Leib (Denison University) walked with one out in the fourth as Michael Davinni (University of Utah) singled and advanced 90 feet on an error by the Mankato shortstop. Down in the hole with no balls and two strikes, Joey Baran hit a chopper to the Mankato shortstop who threw the ball wide right again, allowing Leib and Davinni to score the first runs of the game. The Larks utilized momentum after a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth from Jason Hughes to knock three consecutive singles to start the fifth. Delshaun Lanier (University of California San Diego) scored the inning’s first run on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Hvidsten, as Erick Dessens scored the second on a single from Noah Lieb. With two men on base, Michael Davinni jumped on a first-pitch breaking ball and did not miss it, sending his third home run of the season over the left-center field wall to put Bismarck ahead 7-0.

Bismarck is at home for three games starting Monday, July 15 against the Badlands Big Sticks, and on Tuesday & Wednesday against the first-place Willmar Stingers. Tickets can be secured at https://bismarck-larks.nwltickets.com/