June 4, 2025

The Minot Hot Tots swept the Bismarck Larks with an 8-6 win on Wednesday night.

For the second straight night, the Larks got on the board in the first inning. Ryan Christiansen’s base hit drove in Ricardo Aponte, as the Larks took a 1-0 lead.

The Hot Tots responded right away. In the top of the second, Bryson Webb drove in two runs and Henry Allen followed it up with a base hit to right field, as the Hot Tots rallied for four runs.

Mark Gialluisi came through for the Larks in the third inning with a clutch two-run single. The game would continue to go back and forth into the late innings. With the Larks trailing 7-5 in the 8th, the bases loaded and one man out, Jaydan Israel hit a ground ball to short. A run scored. Bryson Webb made the play at second base. Christian Bernardini tried to score from second, but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

The Hot Tots would tack on an insurance run in the top of the 9th. Nolan Girard sandwiched a strikeout between two walks to begin the bottom of the 9th inning to put runners on first and second with one man out. He would come back to strikeout Ryan Christiansen, and got Mark Gialluisi to fly out to right field to end the game.

The Hot Tots improve to 2-7 on the season, and the Larks fall to 3-7 with the loss. The Larks travel to Dickinson, North Dakota, to take on the Badlands Big Sticks on June 5th. First pitch is at 7:35 p.m. CST. You can watch the game at the Larks watch party at the Tap-In Tavern.