After two straight shootouts offensively between the Bismarck Larks and the Minnesota Mud Puppies, tonight we were treated to a pitcher’s duel between both teams’ starters. However, after a late explosion at the plate for Minnesota, the Larks were defeated for the second time in the four-game series. The final score was 8-5.

Bismarck starter Garrett Yawn (Long Island – Brooklyn), and Minnesota starter, Joshua Dykoff (Minnesota Crookston) were locked in on the mound early. Yawn was perfect through the first three innings and faced the minimum through four. Dykoff struck out nine in his first five innings of work.

In the fifth, Bismarck would blink first. Yawn gave up a mammoth solo home run with one out to Tiege Lethert (Iowa Central CC) to make it 1-0. Later in the same frame, AJ Carter (San Mateo) collected his first hit and RBI as a Mud Puppy, with a two-out RBI double to extend the lead to 2-0. 

After picking himself up from the inning prior, Yawn went one-two-three in the sixth, ending his night on a high note. 

However, in the top of the seventh, Minnesota sent 13 to the plate, collected four hits, and scored six. The inning was highlighted by a two-RBI single from Joe Roder (St. Thomas)

In the eighth inning, outfielder Dylan Perry (Monmouth) got the call to the mound, and he surprised everyone, facing the minimum and forcing an unassisted double play. Luc Stuka (Califonia State Northridge) made a beautiful pick at first, stepped on the bag, and got Perry around a one-out walk. Stuka’s unassisted double play was the Fetzer Electric Play of the Game.

The Larks attempted to comeback in the bottom of the eighth, putting up five runs thanks to a sacrifice fly from Benjamin Rosengard (Rice) and a Jackson Beaman (Mizzou) two-RBI single. However, Minnesota brought in Ryan Lambert (Missouri State) to shut the door as he did two nights ago, and he did just that, picking up his second save of the series in a 1.2-inning effort with three strikeouts. The Larks threatened in the ninth but came up short, leaving the tying run at the plate.

Joshua Dykhoff got his first win of the season and moved with 1-0, finishing with a dominant 11 strikeouts and no runs allowed in 5.2 innings. Garrett Yawn picked up the loss in his first start of the year, moving to 0-1, He went six complete, struck out five, and allowed two runs on three hits. In relief, Jaiden Brasseaux went just one inning and gave up six earned, but he threw the Metro Area Fastest Pitch of the Game at 91 mph.

The Larks will close out the final six-game homestand of the summer and look to split the four-game set with the Mud Puppies. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. CT. Tomorrow is also  Meadowlark Initiative Night, presented by Meadowlark Initiative and North Dakota Game and Fish. Healthy, diverse native grasslands make up vital habitat for North Dakota’s state bird, the Western meadowlark. Join us to celebrate those taking part in North Dakota Game and Fish’s conservation efforts.