Schneider’s RBI single in 8th lifts Black Devils to state
BISMARCK — Hettinger had just three hits Wednesday in the Region 8 baseball championship game. The third made history.
BISMARCK — Hettinger had just three hits Wednesday in the Region 8 baseball championship game.
The third made history.
Matt Schneider hit a one-out, bases-loaded single in the eighth inning to score Chad Mosbrucker and give the Black Devils a 3-2 victory over Washburn-Wilton-Center-Stanton and their first-ever region title.
“Our kids refuse to lose,” Black Devils coach Joe Perkins said. “It’s validated everything we’ve done down in Hettinger the last four years to make our program better. Now it comes to fruition.”
Hettinger has had high school baseball for just two years. It hosts a co-op with Mott-Regent, Scranton and Lemmon, S.D. Throughout the week, every piece of the co-op played a part in sending the Black Devils (10-7) to next week’s Class B state tournament.
Gaven Schweitzer, a right-handed senior from Lemmon, pitched a complete game Wednesday. He gave up seven hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking three.
“Gavin pitched well,” Perkins said. “He was getting a little tired but he said, ‘Coach don’t take me out of this game.’”
Four errors came back to hurt WWCS. They all played a part in Hettinger’s three runs.
The Cardinals went ahead 1-0 in the first inning, but Hettinger evened it up in the fourth thanks to a two-base error, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice.
The Black Devils took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Mosbrucker’s RBI double — their only hit in the first seven innings. He drove in Nate Pierce, who had reached on an error. Mosbrucker is a junior from Mott and Pierce is a senior from Scranton.
Mosbrucker wouldn’t have been on base in the eighth inning to score the game-winning run from third if not for a WWCS error.
Regardless of the Cardinals’ miscues, Perkins was pleased with the way his team played through its hitting woes.
“It’s vindication, validation, whatever you want to say,” he said. “The boys played well.”
Hettinger plays the Region 1 champion, either Central Cass or Kindred, next Thursday night in the state tournament quarterfinals at Mandan Memorial Ballpark.
Central Cass and Kindred play today in their championship game.
“We’re going to play our hearts out and do the best we can,” Perkins said.
WWCS 100 001 00 — 2 7 4
Hettinger 000 110 01 — 3 3 1
Kirk Sailer, Brett Schreiner (5) and Wendlin Berger. Gaven Schweitzer and Caleb Larson. W–Schweitzer. L–Schreiner. HR–None.
Highlights: WWCS, Evan Eberle 2-for-4, R; Berger 1-for-3, RBI; Jesse Henke 2-for-3; Sam Goos 1-for-3; Sailer 1-for-3. H, Schweitzer 8 IP, ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 4 SO; Chad Mosbrucker 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, run; Ben Laufer 1-for-4; Matt Schneider 1-for-4, RBI.
Tags: hettinger black devils, sports, baseball, preps
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