By Owen Patterson

MINOT, ND – On Sunday afternoon, the Minot Hot Tots had each component of their game shine, but it still wasn’t enough to take down rival Bismarck. The visiting Bismarck Larks scored three late runs and held off a Hot Tot rally to win 5-4.

The Larks power-hitting middle of the lineup got started immediately. With two outs in the first, Larks right fielder, Theo Bryant doubled and was driven in by the next batter, Brady Krzciok, who smoked a two-run home run to right-center field.

Putting the early contact behind him, Minot starting pitcher, Luke Krouse, pitched well into the fifth inning before being replaced on the mound by Kaden Arn. In the meantime, Minot got runs at the plate for the first time in the fourth inning thanks to a two-run triple by Nick Alonso, the First Command Play of the Game).

With the Larks held scoreless from the second inning through the seventh, the Hot Tots gained the lead and added to it on two separate RBI singles by Jonah Shields. Pitching with a 4-2 lead, Kaden Arn would get into a jam in the eighth inning, resulting in two Bismarck runs. The Hot Tots were held in check in the bottom of the eighth by Larks relievers Riley Roskopf and David Chase. As the game went to the ninth, the score was even at four.

Following a leadoff hit-by-pitch, Larks manager Mark Weidemaier went to his bench and brought in pinch-hitter Isaac Pegors. After a long battle with Hot Tots relief pitcher Griffin Shearon, Pegors won the war with a single to left field. Not long after, Alex Alva would bring home the go-ahead run for Bismarck. With a 5-4 lead, the Larks would put their trust in closer Larson Scholtz for the save.

Scholtz would not mess around, retiring the middle of the Tots lineup in order to finalize the game. The Larks extended their win streak to three while sending the Hot Tots sliding to three losses in a row. The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at Corbett Field.