The Mandan Flickertails outlasted the Bismarck Larks 9-8 on Wednesday night.
The bats were alive on both sides as the high-scoring match up featured a total of 23 hits. The Flickertails hit through the order early on with Jackson Loftin launching a leadoff home run in the bottom half of the first. This home run was one of two of the Flickertails, the other being a North Dakota Pod-tying home run by Ben Rushing in the fifth inning.
Jared Wegner enjoyed success at the plate going 3-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Wegner now has a hit in his last four games.
The Flickertails received another stellar start from Clark Candiotti. Candiotti went seven strong innings striking out two Larks batters while only allowing one earned run. He was able to keep hitters off balance. Clark Candiotti was feeling his fastball, at one point hitting 91 mph on the gun for the Metro Area Ambulance Fastest Pitch.
The Larks capitalized on the Flickertail fielding mistakes, as the tails committed six errors. But nothing was stopping Flickertails second baseman Cam Sibley from making the Fetzer Electric Play of The Game. With bases loaded in the eighth inning, Sibley made a miraculous barehanded play, grabbing a sharp ground ball that deflected off of first baseman Ben Rushing’s glove.
The Larks have the night off on Thursday while the Flickertails take on the Bull Moose for a 7:05 first pitch sponsored by the University of Mary.