Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Stout pitching performances carried the Post 30 Black Sox of New Rockford during the meat of the District 4 Legion tournament in Carrington held July 24-27.
Following a 14-0 win over Wishek/Linton in the first round, the 'Sox needed the bare minimum of offense to get past Cando, 1-0, but ran into traditional foe Carrington's buzzsaw in a 4-0 shutout loss.
Post 30 rebounded with a 6-3 win to eliminate Kidder County Post 231, and advance to the championship series with Carrington (see related article.)
Post 30 1, Cando 0
In the process of facing and edging out third-seeded Cando, who beat the 'Sox earlier in the regular season, New Rockford might have just found their new ace.
Fifteen-year-old Alex Harrison, who plays baseball in Arizona during the school year and Babe Ruth and Legion baseball in New Rockford during the summers, showed that he could be a big part of the Post 30 mound plans for years to come.
The tall fastballing right-hander gave up just one hit to Cando's Keaton Nelsen, and set down seven Post 79 batters on strikes to out-duel Bearcat mainstay Thomas Nikolaisen.
New Rockford's one run came in the bottom of the fourth, when Hunter Thompson scored on a wild pitch after singling and advancing to second on an error. Thompson, along with Bo Belquist, had the two hits for Post 30 in the contest.
Cando would be eliminated by Kidder County, 10-2, and ended their season with a 13-8 record.
Carrington 4, Post 30 0
The chance to advance to the District 4 championship and gain two chances for advancement to Hazen was the prize, and Post 30 sent Tucker Longnecker to the hill to face their nemeses in Carrington Post 25.
The tourney hosts countered with their ace, Class B All-Stater and Valley City State commit Kyle Leapaldt, and the Black Sox couldn't make any headway against the 25 standout's mid-80's fastball.
Leapaldt would proceed to cut through the 'Sox bats like a hot knife through butter, racking up 14 strikeouts while surrendering only three hits and walking one.
In spite of all that, the game was within reach for the Black Sox into the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing 1-0. In the top of the frame, Longnecker would advance to third on an error and two wild pitches, but Leapaldt struck out the next three batters to end the threat.
Post 25 put an exclamation point on the game in that inning. Ethan Buskness hit an RBI single to put Carrington up two runs, then Payton Smith delivered the fatal blow with a two-run double.
One of Post 30's best opportunities came in the third when Belquist hit a triple and Teddy Allmaras would later advance to second, but Belquist was thrown out at home on a steal attempt.
Offensive highlights for New Rockford also included a double in the fifth inning by Koven Walford, and Thompson had the other hit in the Black Sox's ledger.
Post 30 6, Kidder Co. 3
Now in need of a pick-me-up, things looked bleak early on against Post 231 when three early errors led to two gift Kidder runs in the top of the first.
That score held firm until the bottom of the third inning, when New Rockford put up the first of their two three-spots to take control for good.
Allmaras' bases-loaded walk put the 'Sox on the board following singles from eighth and ninth batters Walford and Colt Soderholm and a Belquist hit-by-pitch. Two batters later, Thompson followed with an RBI single, and Nathan Holzwarth's walk gave Post 30 the lead, 3-2.
Belquist was also in the middle of the following inning's rally, hitting a run-scoring double to plate Soderholm, and he would later score on Allmaras' single and Allmaras came across for the sixth run.
In relief, Holzwarth would earn the victory with five good innings of work, allowing two hits, a walk and three strikeouts. Allmaras threw the first two innings for New Rockford.
Parker Hager had the lone extra-base hit for Kidder County (9-10), an RBI double in the first, with additional hits coming from Jacob Nolan and Jayden Rath.
District 4 American Legion Baseball Tournament, Carrington
Thursday, July 25
Winner's Bracket
Post 30 1, Cando 0
Cando 000 000 0 - 0 1 1
NR 000 100 x - 1 2 1
Alex Harrison and Luke Ystaas; Thomas Nikolaisen and Austin Wagner. W - Harrison. L - Nikolaisen.
Post 30: Harrison CG, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K; Hunter Thompson 1-3, run; Bo Belquist 1-3, SB; Nathan Holzwarth SB.
Cando: Nikolaisen CG, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K; Keaton Nelsen 1-3; Gavin Miller SB.
Friday, July 26
Winner's Bracket Semifinal
Carrington 4, Post 30 0
NR 000 000 0 - 0 3 3
Cgtn. 100 003 x - 4 3 4
Tucker Longnecker and Ystaas; Kyle Leapaldt and Ethan Buskness. W - Leapaldt. L - Longnecker.
Post 30: Walford 1-3, double; Thompson 1-3; Belquist 1-4, triple; Longnecker CG, 3 H, 4 R, 6 BB, 5 K.
Carrington: Leapaldt CG, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K; Buskness 1-2, run; Drew Page 1-3; Payton Smith 1-4, double, 2 RBI; Lucas Geiszler, Trey Rosenau and Tyson Lee one run each.
Saturday, July 27
Loser-Out
Post 30 6, Kidder Co. 3
KC 200 001 0 - 3 3 0
NR 003 300 x - 6 8 5
Allmaras, Holzwarth (3) and Ystaas; Ross Schneider, Blake Braun (7) and Parker Hager. W - Holzwarth. L - Schneider.
Post 30: Holzwarth 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; 1-3; Belquist 2-3, double, 2 runs; Allmaras 2-3, run; Soderholm 1-2, 2 runs; Walford 1-3, run; Thompson 1-4.
Kidder Co.: Jacob Nolan 1-3; Hager 1-4, double, run; Jayden Rath 1-4, run; Tommy Thompson run.
