Class B Legion district tournaments had their second day of action on Tuesday.
Here’s a rundown of what occurred in Districts 3, 4 and 5.
District 3
Game 5: Velva 11, Rolla 8 (winners’ bracket)
Game 6: Cando 7, Harvey 5 (losers’ bracket)
Game 7: Rugby 10, Rolla 0 (losers’ bracket)
Game 8: Cando 11, Bottineau 9 (losers’ bracket)
No. 2 seed Velva advanced to an 11 a.m. Wednesday matchup with No. 1 seed Devils Lake.
Cando plays Rugby at approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
District 4
Game 5: Wishek Ashley Linton 6, New Rockford 5 (losers’ bracket)
Game 6: Edgeley 9, Carrington 5 (winners’ bracket)
Game 7: Wishek Ashley Linton 10, Carrington 0 (losers’ bracket)
The No. 4-seeded New Rockford Post 30 Black Sox experienced a thrilling triumph and ultimate heartbreak in the span of one inning.
They scored three in the seventh to tie it, but were walked off on a single by Koltyn Vetter to end their summer with a 6-5 loss to No. 2 seed Wishek Ashley Linton Posts 87, 53, 54.
New Rockford led 1-0 through three innings. Alex Weisenburger was the early star, hitting an RBI double in the first inning and throwing 2 2/3 scoreless frames.
Weisenburger was removed after 43 pitches, with the bases loaded and one out.
Jax Demester did a bit of a magic act, catching a comebacker and throwing to second base for a double play. It was New Rockford’s second double play of the game.
But the Rattlers broke through in the fourth. It was another bases-loaded, one-out situation. Shortstop Thomas Allmaras caught a line drive but made an error trying to turn two. The Rattlers went ahead 2-1.
Demester tagged a curveball for a solo homer in the top of the fifth, briefly tying it at 2-2 before he surrendered three runs in the bottom of the inning.
New Rockford brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth but couldn’t get anything across.
Just when it looked like the Black Sox’ season would be ending in six and a half innings, they got something going in the seventh. Skye Kramlich singled, followed by Allmaras and Demester walks, to load the bases with nobody out. Rattlers starter Colter Muller came out after throwing 100 pitches over six-plus innings.
Weisenburger had another big moment, slashing a single to right field that drove in two runs and added another on an error by the right fielder. Weisenburger ended up all the way at third base, having just tied the game at 5-5.
The Black Sox couldn’t get the go-ahead run in from third with nobody out, though, which proved costly. Demester stayed on the mound for the bottom of the seventh and surrendered three consecutive hits as the Rattlers walked it off.
New Rockford finished the summer with a record of 4-9-1.
District 5
Game 3: Langdon 5, Midway Minto 1 (losers’ bracket)
Game 4: Grafton 2, Langdon 1 (championship)
The Langdon Post 98 Red Sox stayed alive to begin the day, but Grafton Post 41 ended up winning the championship for the three-team district.
Grady Pankratz pitched a gem in the 5-1 victory over Midway Minto Post 201. He struck out eight while allowing just one unearned run on seven hits and one walk in a complete game. His catcher, Landon Schneider, went 4-for-4 with a double. Dawson Downs added a 2-for-4 performance.
So it came down to Landon vs. Grafton, with Langdon needing to win twice.
Instead, Grafton finished a 3-0 tournament with a pitchers’ duel. Tyson Gemmill was great for Langdon: two unearned runs allowed in seven innings, with nine strikeouts and one walk. But Grafton’s Wes Johnson held Langdon to one run in a complete-game outing. He struck out seven and walked one.
Grafton outhit Langdon 5-4.
Langdon scored its lone run in the first inning on a two-out RBI single by Devin Hakanson.
The Red Sox did not record a hit over the final seven innings. A Schneider walk in the sixth inning was their only baserunner in that span.
Grafton tied it in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Johnson, following an error at third base. Grafton broke the 1-1 tie on a two-out error in the seventh.
Langdon finished the summer with a record of 14-8. Grafton advanced to the state B tournament in Lisbon next week.