After two straight nights of rain, the skies cleared for the Larks as they opened up a four-game series against the Minnesota Mud Puppies. Bismarck would drop the contest to Minnesota in a game that saw 30 combined runs, with 19-11 being the final score.
The Mud Puppies came out to hit, as they went out to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings, scoring five in the first thanks to a Luke Luskey (South Dakota State) three-run shot in the first, and RBI knocks from shortstop Tanner Recchio (St. Thomas) and catcher Adam Berghult (North Iowa Area CC).
The Larks would charge back for four of their own in the bottom of the second from an RBI single from Dylan Perry (Monmouth) and RBI groundouts from Benjamin Rosengard (Rice) and Nick Johnstone (South Suburban). After two, it was 8-4
The scoring would go on hold in the third, but three unearned runs would score for the Mud Puppies in the fourth, making it 11-4. But the Larks answered again in the bottom half, putting up another four, highlighted by a Kai Hori (New Orleans) RBI single. The score was 11-8, heading to the fifth.
Flash-forwarding to the sixth now, and after being down by eight earlier, the Larks would tie it at 11 all, with the birthday boy, Evan Ames (Georgia State), hitting a 2-RBI double and then scoring thanks to Trenton Rowan (Seward County).
Minnesota, however, would grab the lead back in the eighth from a run-scoring single from second basemen Isaac Nett (Southwest Minnesota State). The Mud Puppies would threaten even more in the eighth, and with the bases loaded and Joshua Dykhoff up (Minnesota Crookston), Kai Hori saved the day, making a leaping grab at second to keep the deficit to one. Kai’s play would go down as the Fetzer Electric Play of the Game.
Even with Hori’s defensive heroics, though, the Larks wouldn’t score in the eighth or ninth, and a seven-run top of the ninth sealed Bismarck’s fate, with the yellow birds losing by eight.
Caden Camden (Minnesota State Mankato) got the win for Minnesota. He moved to 2-0 after going just one inning, not allowing a run. Despite a great performance from Brad Helton (Metro State Denver) out of the pen, going four innings of one-run ball with 5 punch outs, he picked up the loss. Falling to 0-1. In the ninth, Justin Goldstein (Middle Tennessee State), despite not recording an out, threw the Metro Area Fastest Pitch of the Game at 91 mph.
The Mud Puppies lead the season series now 1-0 and are 4-1 in the last five matchups against the Larks. The second game of the series between Minnesota and Bismarck is at 5:35 p.m. CT tomorrow night. It’s also ‘Family Fun Day Sunday’ presented by BNC National Bank. It’s all about family on Sundays at the ballpark. Get your face painted for free before the game, thanks to Theo Art School. Plus, get your favorite players’ signatures after the game during post-game autographs.
