Balanced Bismarck defeats Roughriders

• Brodie Candrian

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Dickinson Roughriders left fielder Brodie Candrian, left, tries to avoid a tag of Bismarck catcher Sam Ingemansen as he tries sliding into home plate during a statewide American Legion baseball game Saturday night at Southside Municipal Ballpark. Candrian was called out on the play.

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Another game, another step forward for the struggling Dickinson Roughriders.

For the third straight game, errors and tough-to-stomach miscues handcuffed the Roughriders and the Bismarck Governors took full advantage.

The Governors used a five-run sixth inning to break open a one-run game and hand Dickinson its sixth consecutive loss, 7-2, on Saturday night in a statewide American Legion baseball game at Southside Municipal Ballpark.

Dickinson had six errors in the game and gave up four unearned runs.

“Defensively, we’re still reverting back to bad habits,” Dickinson coach Andy Emard said. “That’s the one thing we’ve got to kick. You’ve got to trust the process of what we’re doing.”

Errors contributed to Bismarck’s runs in the first and second innings, which lifted them to a 2-0 lead.

The Governors (18-4, 8-2 state) added three runs on two singles and a sacrifice fly in the sixth before Preston Tescher’s well-hit, but playable ball got past Roughriders shortstop Scott Gordon and into left field to score two more runs and top off the game-changing inning.

Aside from the errors, Dickinson got a good performance out of its pitchers.

Sean Kelly started and threw six solid innings, giving up three earned runs, one walk and one hit batter. Errors contributed to four of the runs he allowed.

Scott Gordon didn’t give up a run in the final three innings, striking out three and walking three as the Roughriders’ defense picked things up behind him.

“We were very good on the mound,” Emard said. “Three of the last four games we’ve been very good on the mound.”

Sam Ingemansen was the only Bismarck batter to drive in multiple runs. He had RBI singles in the first and sixth innings.

His bases-loaded base hit in the sixth opened Bismarck’s scoring that inning.

“We had a few chances to knock it open, but if you just stay after it, sooner or later you think you’re going to get a big hit or two and we finally did,” Bismarck coach Mike Skytland said. “They made some errors, but they also made some good plays when they needed to. They made us earn it in the end.”

Jordan Tescher’s solo home run in the second inning was Dickinson’s lone run until Grant Dvorak blooped a two-out single into shallow center field in the eighth to score Gordon.

“Heck, we don’t have any errors the first two innings, we’re up (1-0),” Tescher said. “The mindset you have just makes the whole game different.”

Emard said slowly but surely, things are getting better for the Roughriders (6-14, 1-6 state).

But, he reiterated his stance that the team will be much improved by the end of the season, when it hosts the Central Plains Regional tournament.

“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but the message that I send to my guys is, right now, there’s changes we have to make and it’s going to take time,” Emard said.

Bismarck 110 005 000 — 7 13 1

Dickinson 010 000 010 — 2 10 6

Alec Grothe, Erik Ringsak (8) and Sam Ingemansen. Sean Kelly, Scott Gordon (7) and Brady Dutchak. W–Grothe. L–Kelly. HR–Dickinson, Jordan Tescher.

Highlights: B, Ingemansen 2-for-5, 2 RBI, run; Nick Jangula 2-for-3, 2B, RBI; Erik Peterson 3-for-4, RBI, run; Travis Famias 1-for-2, RBI; Grothe 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 1 BB. D, Grant Dvorak 3-for-4, RBI; Brodie Candrian 2-for-3; Tescher 1-for-3, HR; Gordon 2-for-4, run, 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 0 ER; Kelly 6 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 7 R, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 0 K.

Records: Bismarck 18-4, 8-2 state; Dickinson 6-14, 1-6 state.

Tags: legion baseball, dickinson roughriders, sports