Black Sox stumble at the finish line

From May 13-17, the Sheyenne-New Rockford Black Sox played their final four games of the regular season, and were unable to end their losing streak.

Up first was a rematch with the Loboes of LaMoure-Litchville/Marion on Friday, May 13.

In their previous matchup, the Loboes shutout SNR and sent them home early via the 10-run mercy rule. Unfortunately for the Black Sox, they were unable to avoid the same fate last Friday.

In the first three innings alone, the Loboes scored eight runs, while their starting pitcher, Jace Nitschke was efficiently keeping the Black Sox from responding.

A seven-run fourth inning effectively sealed the deal for the Loboes, and after a scoreless fifth inning, the mercy rule took effect and ended the game at 15-0.

Next was a double header in Tolna on May 16, which yielded far more competitive ball games.

The Carrington Cardinals were up first, and Black Sox pitcher Keaton Cudworth didn't make it easy for his opponents. However, as has been the case multiple times this season, the Black Sox defense proved to be just problematic as the opposing batters.

Once Carrington emerged with a slim 2-1 lead after three innings, the game stayed relatively close until the sixth inning, when the Cardinals added three more runs in quick succession. The Black Sox were unable to mount a comeback and the game ended at 5-2 in the Cardinals' favor.

Cudworth struck out 10 Carrington batters, and of the five runs given up by SNR, three were the result of defensive errors.

The Black Sox couldn't dwell on it for long, however. Up next were the Mustangs of Midkota/Dakota Prairie/Lakota/Griggs County Central (Midkota).

Thanks to more exceptional Black Sox pitching, this time from a combined effort between Nick Berglund and Connor Knatterud, SNR kept Midkota from scoring a single earned run in the first seven innings.

Thanks to another Black Sox defensive error, however, the Mustangs managed to get one batter across home plate in the fourth, tying the game at 1-1 after SNR opened the scoring in the second inning.

The game remained tied after seven innings, sending the Black Sox into extra innings for the first time this season.

It was their best chance of winning since April 9, but a single run in the bottom of the eighth ended it at 2-1 for the Mustangs, putting an end to any hopes SNR had of ending their losing streak.

On Tuesday, May 17, the Black Sox faced off with the South Border Mustangs for one last attempt to get their third win of the regular season, but instead fell victim to the 10-run mercy rule yet again.

In six innings, South Border racked up 15 hits and 14 runs, while the Black Sox managed just two, ending the game at 14-2 in favor of the South Border Mustangs and bringing an end to the Black Sox' regular season with an overall record of 2-12.

SNR traveled to Steele, N.D., on Wednesday, May 18, for a first round match against the Kidder Co./Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter Wolves in the Region 3 tournament. Both teams will move on in the regional tournament, which continues on Monday, May 23 at Carrington. The loser, meanwhile, will be forced into the lower bracket, putting them in a 'lose and you're out' situation.

The regional tournament will be covered in the May 30 edition of the Transcript.

Region 3 Baseball

L-L/M 15, SNR 0

Friday, May 13

at Steele

L-L/M: 134 70 - 15 12 0

SNR: 000 00 - 0 2 3

SNR Individual Stats

Hitting: Keaton Cudworth 1-3; Bradyn Collier 1-1.

Pitching: Luke Yri 2.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO; Brody Weisenburger 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 SO; Connor Knatterud 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.

L-L/M Individual Stats

Hitting: Tate Mart 3-4 1 RBI, 3 runs; Connor Johnson 1-2, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 3 BB; Corban Potts 1-4, 3 RBI, 1 run; Landon Piehl 2-4, 3 RBI, 1 run, 1 BB; Anthony Hanson 2-2, 1 run, 2 BB; Garrett Hebl 1-3, 2 RBI, 1 run; Dalton Madcke 2-3, 3 run, 1 BB.

Pitching: Jacob Nitschke 5.0 IP, 2 H 0 ER, 5 BB, 8 SO.

Region 3 Baseball

Carrington 5, SNR 2

Monday, May 16

at Tolna

Carrington: 110 003 X - 5 8 1

SNR: 001 000 1 - 2 8 3

SNR Individual Stats

Hitting: Nick Berglund 2-4, 2 RBI; Collier 1-3; Knatterud 4-4, 2 runs; Koby Duda 1-3.

Pitching: Cudworth 6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO.

Carrington Individual Stats

Hitting: Grady Shipman 1-3, 1 run; Hudson Schmitz 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 run; Kael Kovar 1-2, 1 RBI; Noah Paulson 2-4, 1 RBI; Ethan Roller 2-4; Corbin Clifton 3-3, 1 RBI, 2 runs; Jake Otto 1-2, 1 BB; Jack Erickson 1 run.

Pitching: Grady Shipman 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 SO.

Region 3 Baseball

Midkota 2, SNR 1

Monday, May 16

at Tolna

Midkota: 000 100 01 - 2 9 0

SNR: 010 000 00 - 1 7 2

SNR Individual Stats

Hitting: Caden Price 2-3; Yri 2-3, 1 RBI; B. Weisenburger 1-4; Duda 2-3, 1 BB.

Pitching: Berglund 4.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO; Knatterud 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO.

Midkota Individual Stats

Hitting: James Vollmer 1-1, 1 RBI, 3 BB; Kyle Johnson 1-3; Cade Stein 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run; Preston Lee 1-3; Zach Gibson 3-3, 1 run; Garrett Haakenson 1-4.

Pitching: Vollmer 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO; Stein 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO.

Region 3 Baseball

South Border 14, SNR 2

Tuesday, May 17

at New Rockford

So. Border: 031 145 - 14 15 1

SNR: 100 010 - 2 9 5

SNR Individual Stats

Hitting: Price 1-2, 1 BB; Berglund 2-2, 2 runs, 1 BB; Duda 1-4; Collier 2-3; Yri 1-1, 2 BB; B. Weisenburger 2-3.

Pitching: Price 4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO; Alex Weisenburger 2.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

South Border Individual Stats

Hitting: Connor Kosiak 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 run, 1 BB; J Schumacher 1-3, 2 RBI, 1 BB; Daniel Schumacher 1-3, 1 run; Rykan Salwei 3-3, 3 runs; Jace Nitschke 3-4, 3 runs, 1 RBI; Berkley Frantz 1-3, 1 run; Colin Goettle 1-3, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 BB; Parker Salwei 3-3, 1 RBI, 2 runs.

Pitching: Frantz 6.0 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO.