On Thursday night, the Minot Hot Tots started strong but fell victim to a late-inning surge by the Bismarck Larks. Game one of the weekend went 2-1 in favor of Bismarck.

Braden Booth strutted onto the mound for his sixth start of the summer. Six innings later it would go down as easily his best. Booth flawlessly pitched six scoreless innings allowing just two hits and two walks. Much of the success was due to sparkling clean defensive performance. In Booth’s outing, the Hot Tots turned two double plays to help out their pitcher.

With the Larks struggling at the plate, Minot was able to keep a 1-0 lead throughout the early innings. The Hot Tots scored the run in the first inning by piecing together a walk, error and RBI groundout to get on the board.

Booth was taken out of the game as the seventh inning began. Austin Puett was the first reliever and immediately got into a jam. After walking the leadoff hitter, he would issue another base on balls two batters later. Grant Ross picked up the Larks first hit of the inning and it would tie the game, scoring Dean Ormonde from second base.

In response, the Hot Tots put two on the bases, but left them there. Minot finished the night with 10 runners left on base.

In the eighth inning, the Larks got the go-ahead. With one out, Jayder Raifstanger took new Hot Tot reliever Josh Livengood deep to right field. Raifstanger’s first home run of the summer made it 2-1 Larks.

Bismarck’s bullpen was a one-man band of Noah Phan. Phan pitched three innings to shut the door, leaving the tying run at second base in the ninth inning.

Bismarck was able to find a way out of Minot with a win in hand, only to come back tomorrow in hopes of evening the season series. The first pitch of Fourth of July baseball is scheduled for 4:05 pm CT.

Braden Booth was chosen as SportClips MVP for his efforts on the hill. Jonah Shields’ unreal leaping catch at second base was the First Command Play of the Game. Austin Puett offered up the SRT Fastest Pitch of 93 mph as the Hot Tots drew two Buffalo Wild Wings Walks.