The Bismarck Larks have now won four games in a row after slipping past the Mandan Flickertails 2-1 Sunday afternoon. The win helped them extend their lead in the North Dakota pod standings, leaving them nine games ahead of the Flickertails entering the final stretch of the 2020 season.
North Dakota Pod
Bismarck Larks 2 Mandan Flickertails 1
The Larks picked up their fourth win in a row Sunday as they nipped the Mandan Flickertails. They picked up their first run in the third, when Dak Finley (Garden City CC) grounded out to first base, allowing Riley Schlimm (University of Mary) to score after he reached base on an error by the right fielder. They tacked on a second run in the seventh when Cal James (University of Mary) hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Alec Battest (University of Mary) to score what would end up being the game-winning run. The Flickertails rallied in the ninth, scoring a run on a single from Kyler Stenberg (Bismarck State College), though that was all they could get, as James recorded a strikeout to pick up his first save of the season. Andrew Brooks (University of Mary) picked up the win, throwing two scoreless innings, with three strikeouts.
Michigan Pod
Kalamazoo Mac Daddies 7 Kalamazoo Growlers 2
The Mac Daddies scored three runs in the top of the third to beat the Growlers on Sunday in the first game of their doubleheader. The big play came in the third, when Vince Bianchina (Northwestern) hit a double into right field, allowing Ethan O’Donnell (Northwestern) and Anthony Calarco (Northwestern) to score runs. Shawn Goosenberg (Northwestern) finished the game 2-3 for the Mac Daddies, with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Nate Myers (Aquinas College) got the start and threw three innings, allowing two runs on four hits to pick up the win, his first of the season. Easton Sisovsky (Kalamazoo College) threw two shutout innings to end the game.
Kalamazoo Growlers 1 Kalamazoo Mac Daddies 0
Brett Barrera (Stanford) hit an RBI double in the bottom of the first, allowing Blake Dunn (Western Michigan) to score the only run in the nightcap, giving the Growlers a 1-0 win, salvaging a doubleheader split. Dunn had started the inning by drawing a five-pitch walk, before stealing second base, setting up Barrera for the double. John Torroella (Brown University) threw four shutout innings for the Growlers, allowing a hit and recording five strikeouts to earn his third win of the season. Trey Nordmann (Howard College) threw one scoreless inning, striking out all three batters he faced to pick up the save, his eighth of the season.
Monday, August 31 schedule
Battle Creek Bombers at Kalamazoo Mac Daddies 5:15 p.m. ET/8 p.m. ET
Traverse City Pit Spitters at Great Lakes Resorters 7:05 p.m. ET
Mandan Flickertails at Bismarck Bull Moose 7:05 p.m. CT