Hunter Remmick (Photo by Noah Clooten)
The Devils Lake A Legion team traveled down to Clark, South Dakota, for the Clark Rotary Legion Tournament this past weekend.
The Storm went 2-1 in their three games. They’re now 22-8 on the summer, and 22-4 after an 0-4 start.
They beat Groton 7-5 in a six-inning game on Thursday to kick things off. The Storm drew nine walks and struck out just once. Brody Rainsberry started (4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) while Taydon Triepke (2.0 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 2 K) finished it out. Rainsberry, Hunter Remmick and Ben Larson each recorded two hits in the contest.
Devils Lake drew three walks in the first inning to strike first, but Groton jumped ahead 2-1 on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the second, Larson scored on a wild pitch, and Fausten Olson put the Storm up 4-2 with a two-run single.
Devils Lake added two more in the third. Rainsberry scored on a passed ball, and Easton Kraft reached on a run-scoring error.
Groton kept it close with two in the fourth to make it 6-4. After Rainsberry hit a batter and allowed a single, both runners scored on an error by Will Heilman. Groton went on to load the bases with two outs, but Rainsberry induced a fielder’s choice to end the frame.
Remmick and Larson both singled to start the fifth, and Remmick scored on an RBI groundout by Kraft. Groton got one back in the sixth on its second homer of the game, but Triepke otherwise put the finishing touches on the 7-5 victory.
It was, at the time, Devils Lake’s seventh straight win.
But the Storm took a tight 5-4 loss to Colton on Friday. They allowed two unearned runs, one in the first and one in the sixth, which proved to be the difference.
Shortstop Mason Palmer made three errors, including two in the top of the first. He ended the frame by starting a 6-4-3 double play, but not before Colton took a 2-0 lead against Remmick.
Devils Lake, after threatening but not scoring in each of the first three innings, rallied to tie it up in the fourth. Landon Sundeen hit an RBI single, and Heilman followed with another single to drive in Larson with the tying run. It was 2-2 after four.
But Remmick, who’d settled in, surrendered two straight hits to start the fifth. A one-out single loaded the bases, and Colton scored two runs on another hit and a groundout to go up 4-2.
Remmick pitched five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three.
With Max Palmer on the mound, an error by Larson led to another Colton run in the sixth. A wild pitch from Palmer made it 5-2. Palmer otherwise pitched two innings without an earned run. He struck out three and walked zero. He’s allowed just two earned runs in 11 innings this summer.
Devils Lake got two back in the bottom of the seventh on a near-comeback attempt. Ben Brodina and Max Palmer drew walks to set the table, and the ever-so-consistent Olson drove them both in with a single to center field.
Olson, though, was left on first base as the Storm took a defeat.
They bounced back Saturday with an 8-2 win over Parkston Post 194 to cap off their tournament slate. Heilman turned in a strong effort (5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, ER, 3 BB, 4 K), and Triepke pitched the final inning of a six-inning game.
After each team scored one in the first, Devils Lake put up a four-spot in the second. Three straight walks put the merry-go-round in motion. Triepke and Olson each recorded an RBI single in the frame, while Max Palmer hit a sacrifice fly.
Parkston initiated a two-out rally to get one back in the third, but Devils Lake scratched out one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Mason Palmer led off the fifth with a double, one of two times he reached base on Saturday.
Oddly, no Storm batter reached base more than twice or had more than one hit, but all nine contributed. Eight of the nine reached at least once, while Max Palmer went 0-for-3 but had an RBI from his sacrifice fly. The team totaled six hits and seven walks in the win.
Devils Lake now enters its final week of play before the region tournament. The squad has already locked up the top seed in the Class A East. The Storm have three away trips: Grand Forks Post 6 on Wednesday, Thompson Post 181 on Thursday and the Minot Metros on Sunday.
Their region tournament, which will be held in Devils Lake at DLYA Field this year, is set for July 24-27.
