Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Post 30 dominate Crookston after 2-hour rain delay
Haydon Meier runs to home plate during the Legion game against Crookston on Friday, June 16. Meier scored a total of three runs during the game.
Lucas Yri swings, but earns a strike during the Legion game against Crookston on Friday, June 16. Yri went 3-for-3, and earned two RBI's and 3 runs.
On a wet and dreary Friday evening in Jamestown, N.D., the New Rockford Post 30 Black Sox found a spark as they took their second win of the season in dominant form.
It had been raining for much of the day, and the grounds crew (which was basically just one guy with the help of both umpires and the head coaches) worked diligently to prepare the diamond.
An hour and a half after the scheduled start time of 5 p.m., that grounds worker generously updated the patiently waiting fans to say there was still a troublesome "soupy" patch at the shortstop position.
Thirty minutes later the diamond was finally given the all-clear, even as spits of rain began sprinkling the field yet again.
The Black Sox were up against the Crookston Senior Legion team from Minnesota, and starting on the mound for the Sox was Keaton Cudworth – typically a good sign for Post 30.
Through the first two innings, however, Crookston was able to knock in four runs thanks to solid hits and a few walks issued by Cudworth.
Crookston's biggest damage was inflicted in the bottom of the first inning when a hard-hit double to center field drove in two runners, giving the Minnesotans an early lead.
The Black Sox, though, were more than capable of keeping up. Connor Knatterud scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning, showing off his speed, game sense and baserunning in the process.
After advancing to first on a walk, Knatterud stole second base soon after, eventually advanced to third on a wild pitch and finally scored after a botched throw to third base from Crookston's catcher.
The Sox scored three more in the top of the second with even more small ball and advantageous play.
Haydon Meier scored as Easton Simon grounded into a fielder's choice, and Luke Yri was brought home by a wild pitch during the next at-bat. Knatterud then scored his second run of the day when Thomas Allmaras blistered a ball down the foul line in right field.
After two innings, the game was knotted at 4-4 and a shootout seemed to be developing.
That's when Cudworth shut things down.
From the second inning on, Cudworth was his usual self – allowing zero hits, no runs, just two walks and six strikeouts in his final 3.2 innings of work.
As the game continued the crowd grew larger, with fans from the two teams scheduled to play next trickling in. Many could be heard oohing or aahing whenever Cudworth delivered a sharp-breaking ball for a strikeout.
Meanwhile, Post 30 was doing anything but shutting down.
No longer were they merely playing small ball and taking advantage of mistakes. Instead, the Sox' bats sprang to life and nearly every player got involved in the hitting spree.
By the end of the fifth inning the score was already 9-2, and another two innings later Post 30 had ballooned their lead to 16-4.
Notably, Brody Weisenburger stepped on the mound to relieve Cudworth when he reached over 100 pitches with one out left in the sixth inning.
Weisenburger enjoyed his best pitching performance so far this season, inducing three quick pop outs and one groundout to secure the 16-4 win for Post 30.
Offensive standouts for the Black Sox included Skye Kramlich, who earned two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, as well as Luke Yri, who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
For Yri, the game in Jamestown was his second straight game with an impressive stat line. Over the past two games he's hit a perfect 6-for-6 with five RBIs and three walks.
The win was Post 30's second in a row, and brought their overall record to 2-3. Their next game is in Carrington against the Cardinals on Wednesday, July 5.
Non-District
Legion Baseball
Black Sox 16, Crookston 4
Friday, June 23
in Jamestown
BLCK 1 3 2 1 2 3 4 - 16 12 2
CRKS 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 4 4
Black Sox Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H RBI
C Knatterud 2 3 0 1
Yri 3 3 3 2
Cudworth 3 0 0 0
Meier 4 3 1 0
Allmaras 5 0 1 2
Kramlich 3 2 2 2
Simon 1 0 0 1
Schumacher 3 1 1 3
B Weisenburger 4 2 2 1
A Weisenburger 5 2 2 0
Pitching: IP H ER SO
Cudworth 5.2 4 4 9
B Weisenburger 1.1 0 0 0
Crookston Individual Stats
Hitting: AB R H RBI
#3 1 1 0 0
#21 3 0 0 0
#61 4 1 2 2
#12 4 0 1 2
#1 2 0 0 0
#11 2 0 0 0
#29 2 0 0 0
#24 3 1 1 0
#13 1 1 0 0
#5 3 0 0 0
Pitching: IP H ER SO
#13 4.0 6 6 5
#29 2.0 1 0 2
#11 0.1 0 0 1
