Written by Kyle Tatelbaum

(BISMARCK, ND) – The Larks return to Bismarck Municipal Ballpark after an exciting three-game road trip, defeating the Big Sticks in Dickinson while splitting the series with the Mankato MoonDogs.

Bismarck benefitted from a power surge and timely in game one of the road trip against the Big Sticks. Roommates Michael Davinni (University of Utah) and Mathis Meurant (University of Arizona) hit back-to-back home runs to start the top of the third inning, giving the Larks a 2-0 lead. Theo Bryant IV (Tennesee Tech) extended the lead to three on his fourth home run of the season, crushing a 1-1 curveball over the left field wall. Joey Baran (Western Kentucky) walked on four pitches and Kyle Hvidsten (Western Kentucky) was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Davinni and Meurant. Davinni extended the Larks’ lead to four, scoring Baran on a first-pitch double snuck inside the right field line. Meurant stretched the lead to 6-0 on a single through the right side of the infield, driving in Hvidsten and Davinni. 

The Big Sticks responded in the fifth inning, finally reaching Larks starter Corey Braun (Ole Miss) with four runs. Adam Haber (Wofford College) recorded the Badlands’ third hit of the game on a single to right field to start the fifth. After an infield popup for out #1, Troy Berg (Iowa Central Community College) put Big Sticks runners in scoring position for the first time on a double down the right field line out of reach from Theo Bryant IV. Badlands’ first run of the game came from Mason Strong (University of Oklahoma) on a sacrifice fly, scoring Haber. A walk, two passed balls, and a single from Jake Paczkowski (San Joaquin Delta College) scored three more runs, cutting the Larks’ lead to just two runs. 

The Badlands found the difference in the sixth, tying the game with two outs. Tyler Tobey (Metro State University of Denver) singled and scored on a deep fly ball off the bat of Troy Berg that cararmed off the top of the left-center field fence away from the Larks centerfielder for a triple. Kaden Carpenter tied the game on an infield single mishandled by the Larks’ first basemen.

Mason Lunzman (Bismarck State College) tied the Larks wings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and only four batters to reach base through four excellent innings. Riley Roskopf (Paradise Valley Community College) and Haldon Craig (Doane College) were exceptional in relief, keeping Bismarck in the game when the bats went cold. Roskopf scattered four hits through two scoreless innings while Craig earned the win, throwing one and a third innings and allowing one baserunner. 

Due to the pitching excellence in the latter stages, the game was knotted at 6-6 entering the tenth inning. Alex Alva (University of Jamestown) provided timely hitting again, legging out an infield single to advance the extra inning runner Jaron Cotton (University of Nebraska) to third. CJ Richmond (Western Michigan) walked to load the bases for Theo Bryant IV who snuck a 3-2 fastball down the third-base line to give Bismarck an 8-6 lead. With two outs in the inning, Kyle Hvidsten added insurance, scoring Richmond on a single up the middle. 

Larson Sholtz (Spartanburg Methodist College) minimized damage in the tenth, stranding the tying run on base to record his fourth save of the season.

Late-game heroics provided the difference again in game two of the road trip in Mankato. The MoonDogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first after Cooper Neville (Grand Canyon University) was hit by a pitch and scored on a double from Brody Delamielleure (Florida State University). 

Bismarck claimed the lead with three runs in the fourth inning, starting with Theo Bryant IV who singled to lead off the inning. Brady Krzciok (Central Michigan) followed with his third double of the season, advancing Bryant IV to third in position to tie the score on a fielder’s choice from Michael Davinni. Isaac Huettl (North Iowa Area Community College) gave the Larks the lead on his fifth double of the season and exchanged places with Mathis Meurant after his sixth double of the year.

Mankato knotted the game at 3-3 after three consecutive hits from the top of the order. Cooper Neville singled up the middle and Matthew Fleischhacker (Minnesota State University Mankato) followed with a single to right field and Brody Delamielleure laced an opposite-field double to right-center to score both runners. Larks starter Kobe Andrade (Baylor University) stayed in the game and fanned consecutive batters, stranding Delamielleure at second. 

Jacob Roberts (Palm Beach State), Kai Taylor (Agustana University), and Enas Hayden were sensational, allowing just one hit through four innings of relief. The decisive pitching enabled CJ Richmond to provide the difference in the ninth inning on a moonshot, blasting a first-pitch fastball to dead-center to put Bismarck up 4-3. Hayden slammed the door, retiring the MoonDogs in order. 

Mankato narrowly fell short of history in front of 2, 336 fans in the final game of the Larks road trip. Just out away from the first perfect game in Northwoods League history, Jaron Cotton reached base on a 1-0 fastball lined over the leaping MoonDogs shortstop for a double. Mankato starter Jake Swartz (University of Illinois) retired all 18 batters he faced while striking out six through six perfect frames – Swartz has yet to allow a run this season. Rylen Bayne (University of Hawaii) followed Swartz, retiring eight straight batters, three of which by strikeout until Cotton’s double. 

The Larks play two at home vs the Wilmar Stingers on June 15th and 16th  ahead of a single-game trip to the Badlands on the 17th. Bismarck hosts St. Cloud for a four-game series June 18-20 before traveling to face the Rochester Honkers. Tickets can be secured at https://bismarck-larks.nwltickets.com/