While the Devils Lake Storm A team played its first home games Thursday, the B team opened its season in Cando.
The season opener originally scheduled for Monday against Carrington Post 25 was postponed.
The Storm (2-0, 1-0) beat Cando Post 79 (0-2, 0-1) in a 10-1 seven-inning game. The teams followed with a five-inning game that Devils Lake won 7-6.
In the 10-1 victory, Jaxon Strong handled the Bearcats with a complete-game effort. He allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out six. He needed only 78 pitches (48 strikes) to get the job done.
Cando scored its lone run in the third inning on an attempted double-steal. With runners on the corners, Sutton Larson was thrown out at second but Sean Freund came home to cut Devils Lake’s lead to 2-1 at the time.
Devils Lake scored two runs in the first inning on RBI singles from John Molina and Talan Gregory. The Storm rallied for three in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth to run away with it.
Gregory, who didn’t play spring ball, seemed to have very little rust as he went 4-for-4 with a walk out of the sixth spot in the order.
Devils Lake totaled 16 hits, with at least one hit from all nine players. Strong, Henley Driessen and Mack Elsperger each had two hits.
Larson had two of Cando’s three hits. JD DuPreez and Kole Thomson each gave up five runs for the Bearcats.
The five-inning non-counter was a matchup between two pitchers who were wild at times but were able to limit hits, with Devils Lake’s Jasper Leiphon against North Star’s Ian Westlind.
Cando struck first against Leiphon. The Bearcats scored two in the first inning without recording any hits. There were two walks and an error in the frame, with the runs scoring on a passed ball and a wild pitch.
Devils Lake drew three walks of its own in the second inning, scoring on an RBI free pass by Dwayne Greywater. The Storm rallied for five runs in the third, aided by three errors, two walks, three wild pitches and a steal of home. They led 7-2 after an RBI single by Greywater in the fourth.
Westlind ultimately pitched 2 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs, but only one earned, while tallying five strikeouts and five walks. He held Devils Lake to two base hits.
Leiphon settled in between the second and third inning. Through three innings, he hadn’t allowed a hit.
Cando recorded its first two base knocks in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a sacrifice fly and an error. Leiphon’s day ended after completing four innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on two hits and three walks while collecting one strikeout.
Cando added two more in the fifth on an RBI single by Alec Peyerl and a wild pitch. Despite scoring four runs over the last two innings, the Bearcats ran out of innings as Devils Lake won 7-6.
Devils Lake’s next game is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 at home against Williston at 5 p.m.
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