By Brooke Killgore

(Bismarck, ND) – The Larks proved to be the most dominant bird in North Dakota tonight, defeating the Rochester Honkers 7-5.

With right-handed pitcher Luke Zimmer (University of Jamestown) starting on the mound, hopes were high kicking off the game. In his last appearance, the redshirt sophomore pitched seven innings against the Badlands Big Sticks with four strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA.

After his first inning, Zimmer kept Rochester at bay and stranded two runners on base. His efforts remained unchallenged until the third inning when center fielder Paul Schoenfeld and right fielder Dom Rodriguez scored earned runs. The Jamestown Jimmie survived four innings and was relieved by Nick Julian (North Central University) after three runs by Rochester.

Julian entered the game at a 5-3 deficit. Yet, the rising freshman said “good morning, good afternoon, good night” to the Rochester lineup in a quick half-inning. His efforts were the start of five innings without an Honkers run.

In the batter’s box, the Larks struck first in the game after Sydney Ward (University of New Mexico) ran home on Ethan Thomas’s (University of Utah) double to center field. After a quiet second inning, the Larks came to life again after Kyle Hvidsten (Western Kentucky University) scored on a passed ball and Sam Gates (George Washington) off a Thomas putout.

The Larks would go on to score four runs in the sixth alone. Comeback catcher Will Millard (Hillsdale College) — who recently rejoined the Larks after two months — ran in off a Jaron Cotton (University of Nebraska) sacrifice fly. Jett Buck (Washburn University) walked home soon after.

Rochester pulled pitcher Josiah Granados, who had thrown well over 110 pitches at that point, and sent in Joe Sperry. However, the newcomer couldn’t stop the runs of Delshaun Lanier (UCSD) and Hvidsten. Ward added some fun to the game after accidentally “tackling” Honkers’ first baseman Petey Craska on his way to the base after a third base error.

With dominant play, strong pitching, and momentum on their side, the Larks pulled away with a series win over the Honkers.

It was also a bittersweet ending for some of the team tonight. A handful of Larks players, including Hvidsten, shared one last victory of the summer before needing to return to their respective colleges.

After being selected as an All-Star earlier this month, the infielder shared some words of praise for his team and the organization.

“This summer for the Larks has included some great memories and moments the entire time I have been here,” the WKU commit said. “Learning from players across the country and finding connections to each player has been a blast.”

He also mentioned how the Northwoods League was a chance to learn if he could truly survive the speed of the MLB and MiLB. His numbers show that he could, finishing as a Lark with a line of 52 GP, .296 AVG, 34 R, 50 H, four HR, and 41 RBI. His efforts earned him the “Lark of the Homestand.”

Bismarck is on the road for about a week but will return to the ballpark on Thursday, August 7th against the Mankato Moondogs. Tickets can be secured at https://bismarck-larks.nwltickets.com/