Another day, another split.
After a delayed start to the season, Devils Lake managed to get through two road slates in the West Fargo area with a pair of wins this week.
As they did on Tuesday, the Firebirds took a tough loss in the first game on Thursday before bouncing back for an offensive explosion in the nightcap. Devils Lake (2-2, 2-2) split a doubleheader with defending state champion West Fargo Sheyenne (5-3, 3-1) at Sheyenne High School.
The Firebirds lost 10-1 and then won 14-0.
The first game was closer than the score would suggest — at least for the first three and a half innings. Devils Lake was ultimately outmatched by North Dakota State commit Hudson Dinger. But the bats got going in the second game, and Ben Brodina backed it up with five scoreless innings in his varsity pitching debut.
Game 1: West Fargo Sheyenne 10, Devils Lake 1
Junior right-hander Cayden McCarthy made his 2026 pitching debut and matched Dinger for the first three innings.
McCarthy collected four strikeouts through the first two innings, including one of Dinger. He worked around a one-out double in the second and third. He threw 20 of his first 27 pitches for strikes.
Dinger set down the first nine Firebirds. The perfect game ended on an error by the third baseman to lead off the fourth inning. A batter later, Taydon Triepke ended the no-hit bid with a single to center.
Devils Lake made a costly out on the base paths, but with two away, Will Heilman hit a double to drive in Triepke. It was the Firebirds’ first extra-base hit of the season, and it gave them a 1-0 lead.
Sheyenne wound up rallying for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The first three runs came before an out was recorded. The last four all came with two outs.
Dinger had two RBI singles amidst the rally.
McCarthy stuck it out for the whole inning, but his evening on the mound ended there. He allowed seven runs on nine hits, striking out five and walking one. He threw 71 pitches (48 strikes).
Sheyenne added three more runs against Jaxon Strong in the fifth and sixth.
The Firebirds’ last scoring threat was in the top of the fifth, with back-to-back singles from Alex Hammond and Henley Driessen.
Hammond, a first-year starter in center field, also had a diving catch in shallow right-center.
Dinger threw a complete game, limiting Devils Lake to one run on five hits. He struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk. He threw 93 pitches (61 strikes).
Game 2: Devils Lake 14, West Fargo Sheyenne 0 (5 innings)
The Firebirds pretty much put this one away before Brodina even took the mound.
They scored nine in the top of the first. Two Sheyenne pitchers combined to throw 64 pitches — just 25 strikes — and issue eight walks.
Starter Calan Kliniske allowed six of those walks. He threw 46 pitches (18 strikes) and recorded only one out. He was charged with eight runs.
Heilman had two RBI hits in the inning. Triepke had the only other hit in the frame.
So Brodina got quite a cushion to work with in his first time pitching at the varsity level.
He mostly cruised through the Sheyenne lineup. He was perfect in the first and third inning; he stranded a pair of baserunners in the second and fourth. Brodina didn’t allow a hit until the fourth.
Devils Lake added three in the fourth, getting a two-run double from Driessen and an RBI single from Max Palmer. Driessen was the designated hitter.
Heilman went 3-for-4, including a hit that led off the fifth. He eventually came around to score on a passed ball. McCarthy drew two walks and scored the Firebirds’ final run, making it 14-0.
Brodina limited the Mustangs to three hits, striking out two and walking one.
The Devils Lake offense totaled 10 hits and 10 walks. Each starter reached base at least once.
On deck
Devils Lake is set to play its home opener Tuesday against last-place Shanley (0-8, 0-4). The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at DLYA Field.
Leave a Reply