Karsen Simon
CANDO — North Star made it pretty clear in the third inning which team deserved to go to the Region V final.
Though Bottineau (10-7) stayed close with North Star (10-3) up through the middle of the third, the Bearcats exploded for eight runs in the bottom half en route to a 12-2 victory on Monday. It advanced them to the regional final on Tuesday, where they’ll only need to win one of the next two games to move on to the Class B state tournament.
“This is always the biggest game,” head coach Jesse Vote said. “You want to get in that spot where you have to be beaten twice. We’ve done it. We’re used to it, and that’s a good thing. Build on that tradition. Get yourselves in a position to win one game and go to state.”
The leader of the offensive attack was senior Karsen Simon. The Bearcats’ cleanup hitter and first baseman reached base all four times he came to the plate, collecting two hits in the process.
“He’s been putting the ball in play and hitting the ball hard a lot,” Vote said. “It’s good to see, because when we get down in the 4-5-6 range, we get our top guys on — those guys are gonna have to bat ‘em in. Confidence, I think, is a big thing for them. And just getting yourselves comfortable. Once they start seeing the baseball, it’s contagious.”
Tall right-hander Zack Jorde got the start on the bump for North Star, pitching in front of a packed crowd on a sunny Cando day. He was a little inconsistent with his spots early on. But he worked around a leadoff baserunner in each of the first two innings — the latter of which included a pair of walks.
“It looked like he had a little bit of trouble with his offspeed,” Vote said. “He’s having some shoulder issues here, now and then. But in high school baseball, you just gotta stick around the plate. Try to throw strikes, and with the defense that we have, our pitchers just gotta remember that we’re gonna rely on our defense.”
North Star struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first. Four-sport superstar Dane Hagler led off with a loud double, then came around to score on an infield hit by Simon.
Hagler is North Star’s shortstop, leadoff hitter and No. 1 pitcher. Despite being a great quarterback, basketball player and track athlete as well, he’s committed to continue his baseball career at Jamestown next year.
“[Dane]’s a special baseball player. It’s just like a coach, having him out there,” Vote said. “Playing [the seniors’] final home high school game, a little bittersweet for them.”
An error and two wild pitches allowed Simon to come home with the second run of the first inning.
Jorde couldn’t quite escape trouble in the top of the third. He surrendered a two-out double, slicing North Star’s lead to 2-1.
But that narrow advantage quickly spiraled into a rout. Jorde got the bottom of the third started with a single, and Simon drove him in with a hustle double. At the time, Simon owned the only RBIs for North Star on the day.
“He throws a lot of curveballs, so I was kind of waiting for one of the curveballs,” Simon said. “Just attacking every pitch. That’s my plan. Anything that’s coming to me; anything in my spot.”
Bottineau made a pitching change, and it was then that the Braves started getting sloppier in the field. The pitcher couldn’t handle a soft dribbler, and Bottineau’s second baseman made the team’s second consecutive error. A series of wild pitches made it 5-1, and a bunt hit from Chas Bisbee made it 6-1.
Jorde had perhaps the most decisive blow. His second hit of the inning was a two-out knock that drove in two runs, extending the margin to seven. The Bearcats added another couple runs on a passed ball and a wild pitch just for good measure. It was an utter meltdown by Bottineau that shot North Star far into the sky.
“We just kept attacking,” Vote said. “We didn’t let our guard down. Tried to take any extra base that we can. Put the pressure all on them.”
All told, the Bearcats scored eight runs on four hits and three errors to extend their lead to 10-1. It was actually a competitive 7-6 in the hit column at that point, but the Braves’ sub-par fundamentals really made a difference.
“Just good approaches at the plate,” Simon said of what North Star did well. “Not slacking on the bases, being good baserunners and using good technique.”
Bottineau got one back on a pair of two-out hits in the fourth. But North Star completed its run-rule victory in the fifth, rallying for two runs to stretch the margin up to 10. Garrett Westlind had an RBI infield single, while Hunter Hagler had an RBI hit by pitch that ended the game.
Jorde’s final line on the mound saw him permit just two runs on four hits in five innings. He struck out four while walking three. He held things together while the offense did its thing.
North Star will now play in the Region V final against the winner of Monday’s nightcap on Tuesday at 3 p.m. If the Bearcats win, they’ll be state-bound. If they lose, they’ll play another game on Monday with the chance to still make it to state. Winning Monday’s game really gave them some wiggle room to work with on Tuesday, rather than facing elimination.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,” Simon said. “It also can let us just relax and play our kind of baseball. I shouldn’t say lackadaisical, but just laid-back and having fun.”
For Simon especially, and this group of seniors who have been through countless seasons in multiple sports with each other, they have one thing on their mind: a state championship. Last year, North Star lost in the first round of the state tournament before going on to win both consolation games. This year, they’re hoping for a different result.
“We’re a big family,” Simon said. “We enjoy being together. We’re hanging out all the time. It’s fun in the dugout… Hopefully we can get to state again, and hopefully we can do some damage.”
