After Friday’s contest was postponed due to rain, the Bismarck Larks returned to the diamond to host the St. Cloud Rox for the series opener of a two-game set, as well as the third game of a six-game homestand. In a game that saw a couple of lead changes, St. Cloud would end up on top and get back into the win column.

St. Cloud got to Bismarck early, with two runs coming home in the first. Michael McNamara (Kent State) doubled home the first run of the ballgame, and then his collegiate teammate, Kyle Jackson (Kent State), followed suit with a run-scoring knock to make it 2-0 after a half frame.

Bismarck was able to cut the lead in half with a run of its own in the bottom half. Benjamin Rosengard (Undecided) scored on a wild pitch to get the Larks on the board and send the Larks to the second down 2-1. 

In the bottom of the third, the Larks took their first lead of the night. Jack Herring (Rollins) chopped a ball to the right side, and a throwing error allowed two runs to come home unearned. Brock Kleszcz (UC San Diego) then put a ball in play to score another, and it was all of a sudden 4-2 Larks after three.

However, the Rox took their lead right back in the next half inning, with Chipper Beck (Salt Lake CC) sending a ball into right that was misplayed, allowing 2 unearned runs to score. Beck would then score on a wild pitch two batters later to put the Rox back out on top 5-4.

From there, the Rox held fort and added three more in the eighth to extend their lead to four. Jake Burcham (Tarleton State) shut the door on the mound for St. Cloud in the eighth and ninth, as Bismarck dropped its seventh straight to the Rox. The final was 8-4.

On the mound, St. Cloud’s Ryan Chmielewski (Southwest Minnesota State) picked up the win out of relief, going four complete and punching out five while not allowing a run. Jaxon Meyer (Northwest Missouri State) picked up his first loss as a Lark out of the pen, but he did throw the Metro Area Fastest Pitch of the Game in the fifth inning, topping out at 91 mph.

The Fetzer Electric Play of the Game came on the first pitch of the sixth. Benjamin Rosengard robbed St. Cloud’s Noah Blythe (Antelope Valley) of a base hit by making a fabulous diving play in the hole at short.

The Larks will return for the series finale against the Rox tomorrow. Due to fireworks tomorrow, first pitch has been moved back to 6:05 p.m. CT from Bismarck Municipal Ballpark. 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.