Patriots blank Midgets in doubleheader

• Haley Butterfield

Press Photo by Royal McGregor Dickinson pitcher Haley Butterfield struck out 11 Bismarck Century batters in a loss Thursday at Gress Complex.

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The Dickinson High softball team didn’t hit its stride offensively Thursday, though head coach Bill Butterfield believes that will come.

In the meantime, West Region opponent Bismarck Century scraped together a sweep over the Midgets on Thursday at Gress Softball Complex.

Century won 10-0 in afternoon game and took the evening game 2-0.

“We just have to get the bats going,” Butterfield said. “It’s nothing we are worried about at this point. We haven’t really been live against that type of pitching yet.”

It was the first time this season the Patriots (2-0) saw game-time pitching and head coach Kevin Ziegler was satisfied with the offensive performance.

Dickinson combined for just eight hits in the doubleheader, its home opener.

“This early in the year, you wonder if you have your timing down and I thought we hit the ball well in the first game,” Ziegler said.

Dickinson right-handed pitcher Haley Butterfield was lethal in the circle during the second game. The sophomore threw seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out 11.

“I just tried to focus on every pitch I threw,” Haley Butterfield said. “If I’m throwing a fastball, I have to know, in my mind, the mechanics I need to work on. It’s good to see the batters I did today.”

Opposite her was Century sophomore Kaylyn Herold, who threw seven innings, giving up seven hits and striking out five. Herold also came up big at the plate, scoring the team’s only two runs after reaching on Dickinson errors in the second game.

“It was two young pitchers, and if that’s the future of softball, the future is looking good,” Ziegler said.

Brianna Flynn played the catalyst for Century.

The junior center fielder was 5-for-8 on the day with a home run and a double.

“She gets up there and she’s a very confident hitter,” Ziegler said. “She’s been a big hitter even since we had her.”

In the first game, Kelsey Lafond started for Dickinson (1-2) and stayed out of trouble for the most part, with the exception of the fifth and sixth innings.

“She’s a senior and she leads our whole team,” Haley Butterfield said of Lafond. “I think she did really well in the circle.”

Flynn blasted a solo home run in the third to help Century jump out to a 3-0 lead. The real damage came when the Patriots tacked on four runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth.

Cassidy Miller, Mikala Wax and Dominique Giesen each added multiple hits for the Patriots.

The Midgets aren’t dwelling on the past. They host Minot High at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“We looking forward to next week,” Bill Butterfield said. “… We just have to tighten some things up and be thinking ahead than thinking in the now.”

Century 111 043 — 10 12 1

Dickinson 000 000 — 0 1 1

Sarah Lardy and Alle Holland. Kelsey Lafond and Brianna Farnsworth. W–Lardy (1-0). L–Lafond (0-1). HR–Brianna Flynn.

Highlights: C, Flynn 3-for-4, 2B, 2 runs; Cassidy Miller 2-for-3, Mikala Wax 2-for-4, 2 runs; Dominique Giesen 2-for-4, 3B; Kaylyn Herold 1-for-2; Holland 1-for-3; Leslie Kinseth 1-for-3, 2B. D, Riana Cooper 1-for-3.

Century 000 101 0 — 2 9 2

Dickinson 000 000 0 — 0 7 2

Harold and Holland. Haley Butterfield and Lexi Yates. W–Harold (1-0). L–Butterfield (0-1). HR–None.

Highlights: C, Holland 3-for-4; Harold 3-for-4; Flynn 2-for-4; Wax 1-for-4. D, Butterfield 2-for-3; Sierra Rohr 2-for-3; Jessica Priebe 1-for-3; Rachel Jahner 1-for-3; Yates 1-for-3.

Records: C 2-0, D 1-2

Tags: dickinson midgets, century patriots, softball, preps, midgets