The Bismarck Larks answered in a huge way against the La Crosse Loggers Saturday night to improve to 9-3 on the season which is a franchise best start. The Larks won by a score of 13-7 and the offense was ready from the get-go as they recorded 20 hits in the game which is the most in a game in franchise history. The Larks have now scored 13 or more runs in six of their first twelve games. To put that in perspective, in the first two seasons of Larks history, they scored 13 or more runs in a game a total of three times. The Larks continue to shatter records to start this season, Jack Chernow had himself a day, picking up a franchise record six hits in one game as he went 6-for-6 with four runs scored and two doubles.

What’s Next: The 9-3 Larks travel to Mankato to take on the 6-6 Moondogs in what will be a two-game series starting Sunday afternoon at 3:05pm.

How It Happened: In the top of the first inning, Alex Peterson singled with one out before he stole second and third. The two-out rally then started with Wyatt Ulrich’s league leading 16th RBI that singled in Peterson for the first run. Jack Chernow singled to make it first and second before Luke Stephenson singled in the second run of the inning.

In the second inning, Jacob Rogers lead off with a single before Zack Gregory was hit by a pitch. With first and second and one out, Alex Peterson singled to right center which scored Rogers from second to make it 3-0.

Starting pitcher for the Larks, Dominic Arias escaped a bases loaded one-out jam in the bottom of the second before the Larks put another run on in the top of the third. Chernow singled for the second time in the game before Cole Taylor doubled down the first baseline which scored Chernow to make it 4-0.

The Loggers got one back courtesy of a two-out RBI single that was an unearned run charged to Arias.

In the fifth inning, the Larks continued their impressive offensive start with another single for Jack Chernow to lead off the inning. Chernow got to third on a pair of wild pitches while Luke Stephenson walked before Cole Taylor singled in Chernow on a perfectly executed hit-and-run that got Stephenson to third and Taylor advanced to second on the throw. Stephenson scored on a wild pitch before Brian Leonhardt drove in Taylor from third on a sacrifice fly to left field for the third run in the inning to make it 7-1.

The Larks didn’t stop there picking up a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Gavin Rogers reached first on a hit-by-pitch to start the inning before Ulrich reached on a fielder’s choice that got Rogers out at second. Chernow and Stephenson then had back-to-back doubles in which Stephenson drove in the two runs in the inning to make it 9-1 Larks.

Arias ended his outing strong as he induced a ground ball double play for the first two outs before getting a lineout to get through six innings without an earned run while striking out six for his first victory of the season.

The Larks then poured it on in a four-run eighth inning that saw the first four Larks batters reach in the inning. Ulrich lead off with a walk, Chernow singled for his fifth hit of the day before Luke Stephenson picked up his fourth RBI of the day with a single that scored Ulrich from second. Cole Taylor reached on error that scored Chernow to make it 11-1. Leonhardt then singled in the final two runs in the game for the Larks that scored Stephenson and Taylor to make it 13-1.

The Loggers scored the final six runs of the game, but it was too little too late. Jack Chernow doubled in the ninth for his sixth hit of the night and the Larks improved to 9-3 on the season which is their best start through 12 games ever.

Inside the Boxscore: Gregory was hit by a pitch twice in the game to up his tally to eight on the season which is the most in the Northwoods League. Leonhardt had three RBI in the game to increase his total on the season to 13 which is the third most in the league.