Ben Larson/Photo by Noah Clooten
The Devils Lake baseball team refuses to let up.
After pulling out a tight 7-6 win over Grand Forks Red River on Friday, the Firebirds (13-5) went on the road for a doubleheader against Fargo South (2-3) on Saturday. They continued to play a gritty, fundamentally sound brand of baseball. They trailed in the late innings of both contests — yet they found ways to pull them both out.
The doubleheader sweep gave Devils Lake four straight wins, and 11 in its last 12.
The Firebirds didn’t score for the first six innings of Game 1’s 2-1 win. They didn’t have a hit until the fourth, when Mason Palmer and Parker Brodina both singled. But nothing came of it.
Ben Larson pitched a complete game for Devils Lake. He allowed a run in the third inning on a balk, of all plays, and otherwise kept Fargo South off the board. Until the final frame, he was in line for the loss.
But the Firebirds did what they’ve seemingly been doing every game: ignite a rally through small ball. Trason Beck led off the seventh with a walk. He advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on a bunt from Taydon Triepke, aided by an error from the Bruins’ pitcher. Just like that, some messy defense from Fargo South allowed Devils Lake to tie the game.
Two more batters, two more bunts. Max Palmer sacrificed Triepke over to third, and Beau Brodina bunted out to the pitcher, allowing Triepke to come home and give Devils Lake the lead.
The Firebirds stunned their opponent. It’s a method they’ve deployed countless times this season. The bats weren’t going the way they would have liked, but they executed effective bunts that forced the Bruins to field the ball. And it worked. Yet again, it worked.
Larson had no issue recording the final three outs after his team gave him a lead. He allowed just five hits and two walks over his seven innings of one-run ball. Larson has allowed just four earned runs in 22 innings this season, giving him a 1.64 ERA.
And the squad finished the day by completing the sweep. Devils Lake won 6-3, fueled by a much higher offensive output with 10 hits and six walks in five innings. It left some runners on, particularly in the early frames, but kept the gears spinning for long enough to tally some runs.
The standouts were the top two hitters in the lineup, B. Brodina and Fausten Olson, who each collected three hits. Olson has put up a three-hit performance in three of his last six games.
Also contributing to the effort was freshman Easton Kraft, who went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in his first varsity game. The breakout likely opened some eyes as to what he might be able to contribute to this talented group.
The Firebirds struck first on a B. Brodina RBI single in the second. He made up for getting caught stealing in the first inning, when Olson and Mason Palmer also reached base but Devils Lake came up empty.
The Bruins notched a two-out RBI single of their own in the bottom of the second against Remmick. The game was tied at one apiece.
Jackson Baeth, who entered Saturday with a monstrous 1.327 OPS, singled in the third. Then a pair of walks loaded the bases. But Remmick struck out on a 3-2 count, and the Firebirds couldn’t take advantage of another prime scoring chance.
Fargo South got its first two runners on in the bottom of the third, and both came around to score on a one-out double. The Bruins jolted in front, 3-1.
Kraft, after walking in his first varsity plate appearance, led off the fourth with his first hit. Olson knocked his second hit of the game, and Mason Palmer walked to load the bases once again.
This time, the Firebirds didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. Baeth hit a sacrifice fly, and Larson managed to tie the game on an error by the second baseman. Palmer scored on a wild pitch, and Devils Lake went back ahead 4-3 by grinding out a three-run rally.
It’s how they’ve continued to be successful this season: by manufacturing offense in a variety of ways. With at least three runners reaching safely in all five innings of Game 2, it was only a matter of time before some Firebirds crossed the plate.
Two more scored in the fifth to give them some breathing room. Kraft led off with a double, his third time reaching base in as many plate appearances. B. Brodina collected his third hit and second RBI of the game, and Olson followed with the third hit of his own to make it 6-3.
Cayden McCarthy pitched the final two innings after Remmick went the first three. McCarthy only allowed one hit in two scoreless frames, fending off any hopes Fargo South might have had of a comeback.
And so the Firebirds bested another team from a bigger town, which describes most of their opponents in the EDC. It kept the momentum rolling: a forward shift that’s been in motion since the streak started on April 12.
They were once 2-4. They’re now eight games over .500 and competing at the very top of the EDC. As the latter half of the regular season kicks into gear, Devils Lake has proven itself as a team with a slew of weapons, depth and tricks up its sleeve.
