Bismarck, North Dakota- The Bismarck Larks (10-11, 26-29) outlasted the Minot Hot Tots (8-11, 21-33) 13-7 in a slugfest at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field on Friday night.

Minot came out swinging in the 1st against Alex Jennigngs, with Joe DuSell and Austyn Peak slapping leadoff singles. Isaac Huettl brought them home with a 2-run, 2-out single, giving the Hot Tots an early lead. Minot forced Jennings to hurl 39 pitches, preventing him from reentering the game.

The Larks offense came back in the bottom of the inning, with Noah Caceres and Luke Stulga drawing walks and executing a double steal of second and third base. Drew Kleinheider came through in the clutch, slapping a 2-run single to tie things up. Kleinheider then stole second, allowing Jackson Crider to drive him in with an RBI single. Bismarck also chased Minot’s starter, Alex Moran, from the game with 40 pitches.

Bismarck piled on in the bottom of the third against Eduardo Fernandez, with Ezra Farmer, Logan Murphy, and Carmelo Rivera all reaching base. Keegan Landis kept a bouncing ball fair down the third base line for a bases-clearing double. Landis reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a Caceres groundout, setting the score at 7-2 in favor of the Larks.

The Hot Tots found some momentum in the top of the fifth against Avery Shelton, with Keoni Painter and Kole Dudding reaching on a hit by pitch and walk. Ryan Farias drove in Painter with an RBI single to center, and DuSell followed with a walk, chasing Shelton from the game. Bismarck’s Jack Scrofano entered, walking in a run and sending another runner home on a wild pitch. He then struck out Alex Altmann to end the threat, but the new score was 7-5.

The Larks struck back in the bottom of the inning, with Caceres and Stulga lacing singles off Evan Cichanofsky. They executed another double steal, setting up Kleinheider for another 2-run single. The Larks then loaded the bases again, with Kleinheider scoring on a wild pitch.

The Hot Tots got one back in the top of the sixth, with back-to-back-to-back singles from Micah McCoy, Huettl, and Tyler Arnold.

They added another in the top of the seventh, with Peak singling and swiping second. McCoy drove him in with an infield single, bringing the score to 10-7 Larks.

In the bottom of the seventh, Rivera reached base on a forceout and stole second, moving to third on a throwing error. Landis smashed a single to right off Caden Orr, driving in Rivera.

The Larks sent two more across in the bottom of the eighth, starting with Stulga, Goodwin, and Kleinheider loading the bases. Crider grounded out to third, scoring Stulga, and Farmer flew out to deep center, scoring Goodwin, and making the score 13-7.

Gabriel Jacobs closed out the game for the Larks, tossing 2 scoreless innings.

Avery Shelton (1-0) earned his first victory of the season, hurling 3.2 innings of relief, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and 5 walks while striking out 3. Alex Moran (0-1) picked up his first loss, throwing 1 inning while surrendering 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks.

The Larks travel to Minot on Saturday to continue the 2-game series, with first pitch scheduled for 2:05 at Corbett Field in Minot.