Photo by Noah Clooten
DEVILS LAKE — Despite losing some talented players to the A team, the Storm B squad has been playing some solid baseball this summer.
The offensive unit, in particular, keeps on rolling. Devils Lake totaled seven doubles in two games on Monday at DLYA Field, including four in a 12-9 slugfest win over the Minot 26ers. The Storm dropped the five-inning nightcap, 8-6, but still own a 14-4 overall record after Monday’s split.
“I thought we hit the ball really hard today,” Devils Lake B head coach Dustin Brodina said. “We drove the ball really well. Got some baserunning. But that first game, we gave up a lot of walks. The defensive side wasn’t as good because we didn’t throw very many strikes…. It was good to see the boys are seeing the ball really well.”
Game 1: Devils Lake 12, Minot 9
The Storm outlasted the 26ers in a game that featured a plethora of baserunners on both sides. There were three different four-spots — two by Devils Lake. The Storm had 11 hits and 10 walks, while Minot had eight hits and six walks.
The 26ers struck right right away for a four-run frame. Isaac Woodhull, after walking the first two batters, dropped in some curveballs and worked the outer half to get his first out on his 18th pitch. He surrendered a run-scoring single, then nearly limited the damage after recording his second strikeout.
But a throwing error from third base prolonged the inning. Two runs scored on the errant throw, and another scored on a double to put the Storm in a 4-0 hole.
Devils Lake initiated a similar type of rally in the bottom of the first. The Storm offense started with three straight walks and four of the first five, with Cayden McCarthy drawing an RBI walk after he fell into a 1-2 count.
The Storm were gifted a run on a dropped catch by the first baseman on a potential double play. They scored two runs without any hits to make it 4-2 after a first inning that totaled 69 pitches between the two teams.
The 39ers added one in the second on a sacrifice fly after an error by the shortstop.
Devils Lake pounced back with a four-spot of its now in the bottom of the third. McCarthy ignited the rally with a single through the right side. Henley Driessen and Finley Wirth each reached on an infield hit, and a wild pitch brought in a run.
At the top of the order, Tayven Wiberg made Minot’s funky new pitcher pay with a long double to left field. It bolted the Storm in front, 6-5.
Woodhull, though, still had trouble finding the trike zone. After the first three batters reached in the fourth inning, he issued a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. That ended Woodhull’s outing after three-plus innings. He surrendered five hits and five walks. He threw 72 pitches (35 strikes).
“Isaac started and didn’t do very well. He struggled,” Brodina said. “He couldn’t throw strikes. Couldn’t find the zone.”
Jaxon Strong entered with the bases loaded and nobody out, and he limited the damage to one run. Wirth made an off-balance catch on a long fly ball to left field, which went down as a sacrifice fly to put Minot ahead 7-6. Alex Hammond made another nice outfield catch in center, and the runner on second bailed the Storm out by tagging up too early.
Devils Lake jumped right back ahead with another four-spot in the fifth. Wirth hit a leadoff double and scored on a pinch-hit groundout by Mack Elsperger. Hammond and Isaac Kraft then swatted back-to-back doubles to put the Storm up 9-7. Strong kept the inning alive with a bloop hit, and Devils Lake greeted another new pitcher with a double-steal attempt.
The pitcher balked home a run before he ever threw a pitch to make it 10-7 Storm.
Wirth, batting in the eight-hole, was Devils Lake’s star on offense. He went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored.
“He’s a confident hitter,” Brodina said. “He’s just starting to get more reps. The more times you get up there, the better it looks. And it looks really big to him right now. So it’s good, and he’s driving the ball really well.”
The Storm added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. They drew three walks in the frame, including a bases-loaded one from Alex Hammond. Kraft hit an infield fly to the shortstop, yet Lakin Ronningen still managed to score from third base for Devils Lake’s 12th run.
Minot got one back on a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Strong went on to finish the game. He allowed two runs — one unearned in the seventh — on three hits and one walk while striking out one. He threw 53 pitches (32 strikes) over four innings.
“He came in and did a heck of a job. Pitched really well,” Brodina said. “He kept us in the game enough so we could get the win.”
Game 2: Minot 8, Devils Lake 6 (5 innings)
Devils Lake scored in three of the five innings, including its third four-spot of the day. But the Storm allowed eight runs over the final three innings in the loss.
“The second game kind of just got away from us,” Brodina said. “We tried some new guys that haven’t pitched at all this year. That’s the kind of learning [curve]. We want to win every game, but it’s kind of good to learn guys at new spots, and that’s what that second game was for.”
The first inning was marked by some oddities and controversy. Kraft reached on a leadoff double that was completely misplayed by the center fielder. Elsperger walked, and the two of them pulled off a double steal despite a close play at third. There was some grumbling from the 26ers’ dugout, and one of the Minot coaches was ejected by Simon Beach.
“I don’t know what words he had with Simon, but choice words and Simon didn’t like it, apparently,” Brodina said. “I guess he was questioning the call at third base. But I wasn’t there, so I don’t know if he was safe or out.”
With Kraft on third and nobody out, Talan Gregory hit a fly ball to center. Kraft initially scored, but Minot appealed and it was ruled that he left early. It was a repeat of what happened to Minot in the first game.
After the craziness of that inning, the Storm went to work in the second. Riley Brenno-Quale led off with a double, and Wirth lined an RBI single. It was Wirth’s fifth time on base in as many plate appearances. Three more runs scored in the inning on a pair of walks and a series of wild pitches, and an RBI double by Elsperger, to make it 4-0 Storm.
The 26ers rallied with their own four-spot to tie it back up in the third. Against the starter, Ronningen, who’d thrown two scoreless frames, they whacked a double and a triple to get right back into it. Ronningen and Andrew Hammond combined to issue four walks and a hit batsman in the inning as Minot made it 4-4.
Woodhull almost immediately put Devils Lake back on top with an RBI single in the bottom half. He drove in Brenno-Quale, who had reached on an error, to give the Storm a 5-4 edge.
But Hammond came back out and issued back-to-back walks. Left-hander Jasper Leiphon took over and recorded a strikeout to nearly keep the game tied, but he surrendered a go-ahead single up the middle with two outs. The pendulum swung back in Minot’s direction, 6-5.
Naturally, the Storm scratched out a run to tie it in the bottom on the fourth. Kraft reached on an error and scored on a groundout by Elsperger to make it a brand new ballgame.
Alas, the 26ers rallied for two runs with two outs against Leiphon in the fifth. He still struck out two in 1 2/3 innings. The Devils Lake offense went down 1-2-3 to end the contest.
“The guys battled, and we just came on the short end of that one,” Brodina said.
The B team is back in action at DLYA Field at 5 p.m. Wednesday against Bottineau Post 42.
