Trason Beck (Photo by Noah Clooten)
DEVILS LAKE — Devils Lake won in walk-off fashion Tuesday. Trason Beck drew an RBI walk to end it, following Will Heilman’s seven scoreless innings on the mound. It was a Senior Night victory at DLYA Field, 1-0 over Grand Forks Central.
Yet the Firebirds weren’t satisfied. They were shut down through the first seven innings by Central pitcher Brody Leddige, managing just four hits in regulation. They finally got it done in the eighth inning.
“Sometimes, that’s how baseball is,” Devils Lake head coach Brent Luehring said. “Baseball is the one game that it doesn’t matter the talent level if you do things right. And [the Knights] did everything right to win that game. Thank goodness we got one at the end.”
A gutsy move backfired on the Knights (5-14, 2-18) in the bottom of the eighth, as they issued back-to-back intentional walks to load the bases. Beck made them pay with an unintentional walk.
The win for the Firebirds (11-8, 12-8) kept them solidly in sixth place in the EDC, with a chance to move into fifth or potentially fourth, in which case they would host a playoff game. They narrowly trail Grand Forks Red River and West Fargo in the standings heading into Wednesday’s regular-season finale.
“I would have told you last week I thought we were playing pretty well,” Luehring said. “And I just didn’t think we had a lot of energy today. I don’t know what was going on; maybe the emotions of Senior Night… We’re playing tomorrow to get to 14 points and maybe host.”
The Firebirds, in an odd state of affairs, struck out precisely zero times in seven innings against Leddige. Yet they didn’t score. An offense that put up 28 runs over two games against Valley City four days prior had very few answers all evening.
“The guy threw the ball over the plate, and we hit it at them. A lot,” Luehring said. “And tip your hat to him.”
They had their chances early on, but they couldn’t capitalize to give Heilman some early support. They stranded a single in each of the first three innings, two of which were left in scoring position. Beck singled in the second inning but was picked off.
Zero after zero went up on the board.
“It was tough,” Beck said. “The coaches were trying to get us up the whole time. It’s kind of been the thing all year. We’ve been a little down in the dugout, not very loud. But [Luehring] gets us going a lot.”
Heilman, meanwhile, dealt with some minor control issues early on. He was missing high with his fastballs. He worked around a pair of two-out walks in the first inning, then issued a four-pitch walk to start the second.
A perfectly-executed 4-6-3 double play got Heilman out of the second inning with still no hits allowed. He had a strikeout in each frame.
When Heilman found the zone, it was effective. He spotted his fastball on the outside edge for strikes, both swinging and looking. He struck out his third batter in a 1-2-3 third inning.
“I just worked on getting more down the hill and not thinking about it so much,” Heilman said. “And just throwing it over the plate and let them hit it.”
The first hit against Heilman was a little dinker off the end of the bat with one out in the fourth. But he continued to keep the Knights off balance. Shortstop Mason Palmer bobbled a ball in the fifth, and Heilman’s fourth walk put a second runner on. He stranded two in scoring position with a routine flyout to center fielder Olson to keep the game tied.
Beck, who has more speed than the typical catcher, beat out a potential double play and stole second in the fourth.
“If we’re going down in the game, or it’s 0-0, I prefer to run over the pinch-runner,” Beck said. “Just because I know I can do it.”
Heilman, though, flew out to right to leave another runner in scoring position.
Devils Lake was set down 1-2-3 for the first time in the fifth, making three easy outs in the field. They got a two-out walk from Hunter Remmick but nothing more in the sixth.
Heilman allowed perhaps the hardest contact against him all the day with a leadoff flyout to left field in the seventh. Central then nabbed just its second hit of the day, another blooper into right field. Beck took care of that rather quickly, throwing the runner out by a mile despite not even hitting his target exactly.
Beck’s caught stealing proved monumental as Central’s nine-hitter lined another soft single to right field. Heilman fell behind 2-0 on the leadoff hitter, but he induced a fly ball to Olson to get through his seventh scoreless inning.
Heilman threw 106 pitches (64 strikes). He allowed just three hits while walking five and collecting four strikeouts.
“Will wasn’t his best today. He couldn’t really locate his offspeed. His changeup and his curveball, he just struggled to find it,” Luehring said. “Threw the ball over the plate. Trusted his defense.”
Heilman, a sophomore buried by some older pitchers in the depth chart, now owns a sparkling 1.35 ERA in 20 innings this year.
“I just do my job when I get up there, and have confidence in myself that I’m gonna throw a good game,” Heilman said. “And the defense will help me out, too.”
The Firebirds’ offensive struggles were exemplified in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to walk it off. Beck used his speed yet again to beat out an infield hit and steal second. Ben Larson wore one to keep the line moving. Easton Kraft, pinch-hitting for Taydon Triepke, then drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases.
It was a perfect scenario for leadoff hitter Max Palmer. Bases loaded, one out. But Devils Lake tried to pull off a squeeze play, and it failed spectacularly. Palmer popped the bunt up and Beck was doubled off third.
“Trying to get a squeeze, and get a win and get out of here,” Luehring said. “[Max]’s usually pretty good with his bat, and he just missed it.”
So off to extras it went. Devils Lake used Mason Palmer in relief to try to get him some work after not pitching due to a football deal last week. He retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts.
“He makes us a better team when he’s at shortstop, but he’s pretty dominant when he gets on the hill, too,” Luehring said.
Palmer also ignited the eighth-inning rally, slamming a double with one out. Now batting third after spending some time in the eight-spot, Palmer has seen his bat heat up after starting the year in a deep hole.
“I told him he’s hitting in the three-hole the rest of the year. He better figure it out,” Luehring said with a smirk. “I’ve got confidence in him. He’s a hard worker, and he’s a talented kid.”
Palmer stole third on the first pitch to Remmick. With a 1-0 count, Central opted to not only put Remmick on intentionally, but Brodina behind him, too. The force was on at every base. Devils Lake found itself in the same situation as the previous inning.
“First, he had to throw me a strike,” Beck said. “That was my first thing. I had the ‘take’ on for a little bit.”
Gabe DiNicola, pitching in relief after Leddige’s seven innings, threw three straight balls to Beck. He finally found the inside corner to make it 3-1.
But he couldn’t work his way back into the at-bat, the pressure crumbling around him. Beck literally walked it off to send the Firebirds home happy on Senior Night.
“That last pitch was just out of the box, so he didn’t really give me much to swing at,” Beck said.
Following the contest, the seniors did a ceremonial run around the bases in what could be their last spring game at DLYA Field. They stopped to greet the rest of their teammates at each bag along the way.
“Last time playing on this field in this jersey, so it’s a little sad,” Beck said. “But there’s more to come. We’re still not done yet, and there’s still summer coming up.”
Devils Lake’s regular season concludes with a two-pointer on the road against eighth-place Fargo North (11-9, 6-10) on Wednesday at noon. The first round of the EDC tournament will be played next Tuesday at the higher seed, then in Fargo on May 23 and 24.
“Today wasn’t our best day, but we’ve been playing good ball,” Heilman said. “And I think once we get tomorrow’s game, and then we get those four days of practicing, we’ll be playing good.”
