(Photo Courtesy: Lyle Ripplinger)
Written By: Cody Shook, Larks Broadcaster
ST. CLOUD, MN– The fifth longest nine inning game in Northwoods League history came to an end with the Bismarck Larks winning 12-10 over the St. Cloud Rox. The game lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes and with this win the Larks improve to 21-10 on the season and are now in sole possession of second place in the Northwoods League standings, one game back of the Duluth Huskies for first place in the North division. The Larks are now 9-1 in their last ten games and on a six game winning streak.
Ripken Reyes got the offense going early with a single into centerfield and then he would score when Kyle Stevens hit a double off the left field wall to give the Larks a 1-0 lead.
Matt Butler started on the mound for Bismarck and gave up three runs in the bottom half of the first inning which put the Larks behind 3-1. The Bats were alive in this one scoring two runs in the top of the 2nd, one run in the top of the 3rd, and four runs in the top of the 4th inning.
After the 4th inning, the Larks were leading 8-5 and Tristen Hudson was pitching lights out on the mound. He came on in relief for Butler and threw four innings while not allowing a single earned run.
In the 6th inning, both teams scored one run to make it a 9-6 game. The Larks had the momentum and scored an insurance run to make it a four run lead heading into the bottom of the 8th inning. The big inning that the Larks had avoided all night, came in the bottom half of the 8th inning when three, one out singles got a rally started and the Rox were able to push across four runs and tie the game 10-10.
The Larks didn’t back down, as Cristian Montes and Reyes started the top of the 9th off by both getting on base and scoring on a single up the middle by Stevens to go up 12-10. Evan Miller pitched the final 1.2 innings of the game and earned the win on the mound.
Reyes scored three runs while recording two hits and two stolen bases. Stevens was huge tonight in the designated hitter role, getting on base five times and driving in three runs. Chase Coker hit two triples, one being a bases loaded triple in the top of the 4th inning. He also scored three runs and got on base five times.
The Larks won 12-10 and are now 21-10 on the season. The Larks will be back in action tomorrow night when they take on the St. Cloud Rox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Catch all the action on http://mixlr.com/larksbaseball/.
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The Bismarck Larks are a proud affiliate of the Northwoods League, the proven leader in development of elite college baseball players. The Larks mission is to use FUN to make a difference in the lives of our families, businesses, players, and communities we serve. This is accomplished with a commitment to putting fans first and providing high quality family entertainment at affordable prices. In 2017, the Larks sold out 27 of their 36 home games in Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, and were named the Northwoods League’s Organization of the Year.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 190 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
