SNR falls in season opener

The Sheyenne-New Rockford Black Sox kicked off their baseball season on Monday, April 4, in New Rockford.

The Black Sox were originally scheduled to take on the Mustangs of Midkota/Dakota Prairie/Lakota/Griggs County Central (Midkota) in Tolna, but the game was rerouted to New Rockford because Tolna's baseball diamond wasn't ready.

But despite their unexpected home field advantage, SNR committed a number of errors that proved too difficult to overcome.

After earning a strikeout against the first batter he faced, SNR's starting pitcher, Nick Berglund, threw a pitch that got past his catcher, allowing the Mustangs' second batter to advance to first base.

That batter stole second soon after, and a line-drive single to the outfield drove him in for the Mustangs' first run.

Berglund closed out the inning strong with two more strikeouts, but the Mustangs had uncovered a weakness in the process: SNR is susceptible to base stealing.

The Mustangs went on to attempt numerous stolen bases nearly every inning, and though SNR managed to nab a couple here and there, most stole their base uncontested, and many went on to cross home plate.

In many cases, however, stealing a base wasn't necessary, as Black Sox errors at second base, home plate and elsewhere advanced just as many, if not more, Mustang runners than stealing bases did.

That being said, SNR's offense kept them in contention throughout. The Black Sox scored their first run in the bottom of the first, when Berglund smacked an RBI triple to the right center gap to tie the game.

Their offense continued scoring in the second inning, as the Mustangs' starting pitcher began to struggle. Their runs came on a bases loaded walk and a hit batter, and once more on an RBI fielder's choice from Berglund.

However, a number of singles, two walks and a wild pitch in the top of the third quickly brought the Mustangs level with SNR at 4-4. The lead stabilized there momentarily, but an outfield collision by two Mustangs in the bottom of the fourth allowed the Black Sox to retake a small advantage.

Like their last lead, however, it didn't last.

Four more Mustang runners found home plate before the dust settled, three in the fifth inning and another in the sixth.

After falling behind 8-6, SNR was unable to muster the kind of offense needed to rebound, and left the field with their first loss of the young season.

The Black Sox attempted to get their season back on track at home versus Carrington and then at the Washburn Triangular on April 8 and 9. The results of those games will be covered in the April 18 edition of the Transcript.

Region 3 Baseball

M/DP/L/GCC 8, SNR 6

at New Rockford

Midkota: 103 031 0 - 8 11 5

SNR: 130 200 0 - 6 5 3

SNR Individual Stats

Hitting: Kaden Jensen 1 RBI, 1 BB; Caden Price 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 run; Nick Berglund 2-3, 2 RBI 1 BB, 1 run; Alex Weisenburger 1 run; Luke Yri 1-4, 1 RBI; Haydon Meier 1-4, 1 run; Keaton Cudworth 1 BB, 1 run; Brody Weisenburger 1-3; Connor Knatterud 1 BB, 1 run.

Pitching: Berglund 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO; Cudworth 3.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO; Knatterud 1.0 IP, 2 H.

Midkota Individual Stats

Hitting: James Vollmer 2 BB, 1 run; Kyle Johnson 1-4, 1 BB, 2 runs; Cade Stein 3-5, 1 RBI, 2 runs; Ross Thompson 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run; Kaleb Short 2 BB; Trent Ekren 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 run; Gage Flaagen 1-1, 1 RBI; Trae Lillehaugen 1 run; Preston Lee 4-4, 1 RBI.

Pitching: Vollmer 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO; Lee 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 9 SO.

Non-region game

M/DP/L/GCC 1, SNR 1

at New Rockford

Midkota: 00 01 - 1 3 0

SNR: 00 10 - 1 3 0

SNR Individual Stats

Hitting: Knatterud 1-2, 1 run; Easton Simon 1 BB; B. Weisenburger 2-2, 1 RBI; Bradyn Collier 1 BB.

Pitching: Knatterud 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 SO; Simon 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO.

Midkota Individual Stats

Stats unavailable at press time.