DEVILS LAKE — It’s been trying times lately for the Lake Region State College baseball team.
The Royals entered Wednesday with a 12-game losing streak, tied for the third-longest in program history.
Before this week, their schedule had been entirely on the road. Numerous home games have been canceled, postponed or moved to Montana due to weather and field conditions.
“Five years down the road, these guys may not remember the wins and losses, but they’ll certainly remember the bus rides,” LRSC head coach Steve Anderson said. “And so we just try to have as much fun and really enjoy the camaraderie when we’re on the road, because either way we’ve got to be on the road.”
On Wednesday, at last, the Royals played their home opener.
There were two crucial positive developments: They ended their 12-game losing streak, and they got their No. 1 pitcher, Dane Hagler, back on the mound.
“It was amazing to get out here,” Anderson said. “A lot of positive things. … We’re finally starting to put it all together.”
LRSC (8-35, 2-14) split with North Dakota State College of Science (13-17, 6-10) at DLYA Field.
Game 1: LRSC 5, NDSCS 4
The losing streak ended with a comeback victory. Trason Beck and Hagler had big hits in the late innings — including Beck’s first home run at the college level.
It didn’t start well: Royals starter Logan Enns got tagged for four runs in the top of the first. He surrendered three straight singles to open the game and a two-run homer by Max Heen to cap it off.
But the Royals had a response in the bottom half. They loaded the bases on an error, a bunt single by Beau Brodina and a hit by pitch. Logan Dearborn drew a bases-loaded walk, and Carson Beaudin hit a sacrifice fly. LRSC cut its deficit to 4-2.
Enns settled in over the middle innings. He wasn’t overpowering, only collecting one strikeout, but he retired 11 Wildcats in a row.
“I really like the moxie that he has on the mound,” Anderson said. “He’s a sophomore — been there, done that. Sometimes the team comes out and they’re eager. … You make an adjustment after that first inning with your catcher.”
LRSC got one back on Beck’s solo homer in the bottom of the fourth. He golfed a pitch below the strike zone out to left field, and it kept carrying.
It was the first collegiate homer for Beck, who was bumped up to the leadoff spot after his productive series in Montana over the weekend. Beck’s bomb cut the deficit to 4-3.
“Trason’s awesome. He’s a gritty competitor, and he just puts balls in play,” Anderson said. “He’s been electric at the plate lately.”
The Devils Lake alum has a five-game hitting streak. He’s earned his way into the starting lineup, filling in for injured first baseman Jamison Nelson.
“Trason was a clear-cut choice because of the way he’s swinging the bat,” Anderson said. “And I thought he did a good job holding his own defensively today.”
Brodina also had three hits on the day, hitting out of the two-hole. He’s been LRSC’s everyday center fielder and one of the best on-base threats.
“He’s a leader as a sophomore,” Anderson said. “He patrols center field well. And his on-base is definitely a solid number. He’s had some real hot stretches and a couple cold ones, but he’s also an elite baserunner. And he’s coming back around and getting on base, and runs well. He’s a huge piece for us.”
NDSCS put two on with a single and catcher’s interference in the fifth. Enns induced a popup to the shortstop Hagler, stranding two in scoring position and keeping the Royals within a run.
And then it was Hagler, after a pair of two-out free passes, who tied it up in the bottom of the fifth. He had struck out in his first two at-bats. He swung at the first pitch and lined it up the middle for an RBI single.
“We’ve been preaching to the whole team…to be more aggressive and jump on it right away,” Anderson said. “That was a huge knock there. It really lit the fire for us to take that game and see Dane kind of come out of a slump.”
LRSC took a 5-4 lead on a wild pitch.
Enns’ afternoon came to an end after surrendering a one-out double in the sixth.
Lefty Kade Maryniuk came out of the bullpen and bailed him out. He got out of the inning with a groundout to Beck and a fly out to left.
When the book closed on Enns, he allowed just the four runs — all in the first inning — in 5 1/3 innings. He threw 75 pitches (52 strikes) with one strikeout and no walks.
“He really settled in and gave us a beautiful start,” Anderson said.
Maryniuk retired the first batter of the seventh, then came out for matchup reasons. Ashton Rinas allowed a two-out single, but catcher Dayton Christensen threw out a runner stealing to end the game.
Game 2: NDSCS 6, LRSC 2
Though the Royals lost, the big story here was getting Hagler back on the mound after a shoulder injury.
Hagler missed the end of basketball season and beginning of baseball season. He made his season debut at the plate on March 25, then eventually worked his way back to playing shortstop.
Wednesday was the first game action on the mound for the Cando native. He’s been doing physical therapy and attending various appointments.
“Just a lot of honest, upfront conversation between him and I of working back and what the target date was and how he feels,” Anderson said, “and just a lot of open and honest communication about how he’s feeling.”
Hagler was fully built up, throwing 86 pitches over 5 2/3 innings.
“We may have slow-played it maybe a little bit, but it was most important to have him now and next weekend for the playoffs, as opposed to rushing him back too quick,” Anderson said.
Hagler worked around two baserunners in the first inning, then threw a 1-2-3 second with three groundouts. He gave up an infield hit in the third but induced a 1-4-6-3 double play to end it, as the ball ricocheted off his glove to the second baseman.
LRSC took a 1-0 lead on a muffed ground ball in the bottom of the third. But the Wildcats rallied for four runs on four hits in the top of the fourth.
Hagler bounced back with an eight-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth.
He nearly escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, but NDSCS added two runs on Hagler’s own throwing error.
Altogether, Hagler allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out only one and walked three.
It was still a massive step in the right direction to get him out there.
“Absolutely huge,” Anderson said. “Anytime you get your No. 1 pitcher back at this time of the year for the most important games of the year, that’s all you can ask for. So the whole team’s excited and rallies around him. And that gives us an extra burst of energy, for sure.”
Gabe Mckinney homered for the LRSC in the bottom of the seventh for the Royals’ other run.
On deck
Now back in the win column, the Royals have four important games coming up against last-place Dakota College at Bottineau (10-29, 1-15). They’ll travel to Bottineau on Thursday and host Bottineau on Saturday.
The regular season ends with Sophomore Night against the University of North Dakota club team on Wednesday, April 29.
“Our overall record may not be what we want it to be, but the discussion has been all year that we need to get hot at the end of the year and make it to a regional, which has never happened before here,” Anderson said. “And that goal is still in front of us. And so that’s what we’re playing for.”
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