Photo via New Rockford-Sheyenne Public School
The New Rockford-Sheyenne Black Sox are going to state.
On Wednesday, the Black Sox became the lone Lake Region representative in the Class B state tournament. North Star, Nelson County/Midkota and Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich all took tough losses on Tuesday to end their seasons.
They got there by winning the Region III tournament in Steele, North Dakota, over the past few days. Entering the bracket as the No. 3 seed, they got things started with two dominant wins on Monday and Tuesday — 8-1 over No. 2 Kidder County and 11-1 over No. 1 Carrington. It set them up for a good chance at success on Wednesday.
But as North Star learned the hard way, winning the first two games doesn’t guarantee a trip to state. The Black Sox still had to take care of business on Wednesday.
And they didn’t make it easy, losing the first game 2-0. After beating the top two seeds in the tournament, they were shut out by No. 5 LaMoure-Litchville/Marion. Keaton Cudworth gave the Black Sox a solid performance, allowing just two runs (one earned) on three hits and five strikeouts. But they only collected four hits of their own.
So they had to play L-L/M again on Wednesday. It was do-or-die for both teams, with the winner going to state and the loser packing their bags for home.
The Black Sox won, 9-2.
They scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back. Thomas Allmaras hit an RBI single before an out was even recorded, and an error and a sacrifice fly helped NR-S build that early lead.
Skye Kramlich got the start on the hill for the Black Sox. He threw all seven innings, allowing just two unearned runs. One of those runs came in the third, as the second error of the inning allowed the Loboes to get on the board.
But the Black Sox put the game away in the bottom of the third. Third baseman Easton Simon, who committed the aforementioned error, knocked a two-run double to kick off a five-run inning. A wild pitch, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly brought in the three remaining runs. The frame widened the gap to 8-1.
Kramlich settled in on the mound as NR-S cruised to the finish line. The squad added a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Alex Weisenburger. Kramlich was an out away from sealing a 9-1 victory, but a single brought in the second L-L/M run of the game.
He still, of course, retired the next batter and locked down a luxurious Black Sox victory. It took him just 86 pitches to get through the seven-inning masterclass. He allowed only five hits and one walk while striking out two.
So, despite the rough results for the other Class B teams in the Lake Region, the area will still be represented in the upcoming state tournament. The eight-team draw will take place from May 30 to June 1 at Jack Brown Stadium in Jamestown.
The other teams in the competition (in order of region) are Central Cass, Thompson, Grafton, Bottineau, Surrey, Des Lacs/Burlington and Washburn/Wilton/Center-Stanton.
