Yates has 6 RBIs as Midgets crush Jays in West Region softball tourney

• Lexi Yates

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Dickinson sophomore catcher Lexi Yates connects on one of her two triples Friday afternoon during the West Region softball tournament at Gress Complex. Yates also hit a home run and had a single, driving in six runs as the Midgets beat Jamestown.

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Lexi Yates was thrust into an unexpected role on the Dickinson softball team shortly before the season began.

It’s the postseason now, and Yates has grown into one of the Midgets’ key players.

On Friday afternoon, the sophomore hit a two-run homer, had two triples and a single to finish with six RBIs and lead No. 3 seed Dickinson to a 16-1 victory over No. 6 seed Jamestown in the opening round of the West Region Tournament at Gress Complex. The game ended after five innings because of the 10-run rule.

“Lexi has really stepped up and she’s had a great game,” Dickinson head coach Bill Butterfield said. “She’s really seeing it well and driving it hard. That shot she hit was a bomb. It was into the wind gone.”

Yates didn’t expect to be a force for the Midgets this year.

However, she replaced all-state catcher Mackee Hoffmann, who tore the ACL in her knee late in the girls basketball season.

Yates said she’s feeling a lot better about her swing than she was early in the season.

“I think it’s just because in the beginning I was scared because it was my first varsity year,” Yates said. “I had to step into some pretty big shoes.”

Yates went 4-for-4 and scored three runs as the Midgets (20-9) piled on 14 hits. Rachel Jahner was 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored.

Starting pitcher Haley Butterfield, who got the win. She and relievers Kelsey Lafond and Madison Jahner combined to limit the Blue Jays to just four hits.

Jamestown (4-21) scored its only run in the first inning after Kyra Dewald batted into a fielder’s choice double play but scored Kadie Anderson, who had led off the game with a triple.

That was as much as the Blue Jays could muster though. Four errors and several fielding miscues helped the Midgets tack on four runs in the first inning, five in the second, two in the third and five in the fourth.

“One inning, we gave them six outs,” Jamestown head coach Mike Soulis said. “You can live with giving up a run, but not five or six — especially to a team like Dickinson where you’ve got to try and stay toe-to-toe with them and limit them as much as possible.”

Butterfield struck out four, walked three but gave up just one hit in three innings. Lafond and Madison Jahner each struck out two as they pitched the fourth and fifth innings, respectively.

Kayla Thoele took the loss for the Blue Jays.

The Midgets face No. 2 seed Minot Ryan, a 27-1 winner over Turtle Mountain in its opener, at 10 a.m. today in the semifinals.

“It’s one step at a time and one game at a time,” Bill Butterfield said. “Tomorrow, we’re going to start over and play like it’s our first game again. We’re going to go get after it. Ryan will be tough, they’re very well respected.”

Jamestown 100 00 — 1 4 4

Dickinson 452 5x — 16 14 0

Kayla Thoele, Kadie Anderson (4) and Ashlie Meier. Haley Butterfield, Kelsey Lafond (4), Madison Jahner (5) and Lexi Yates. W–Butterfield. L–Thoele. HR–D, Yates (4).

Highlights: J, Anderson 1-for-2, 3B, run; Kyra Dewald 0-for-3, RBI; Alicia Beckman 1-for-2; Sam Johnson 1-for-2. D, Jessica Priebe 2-for-3, BB, 3 runs; Lafond 1-for-3, 2 runs, 1 IP, 2 K, 1 H; Rachel Jahner 3-for-4, 4 RBI, 3 runs; Yates 4-for-4, HR, 2 3B, 6 RBI, 2 runs; M. Jahner 1-for-1, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K, 0 BB; Beth Honeyman 1-for-3, RBI; Briana Farnsworth 1-for-3, RBI, 3 runs, BB: Haley Butterfield 3 IP, 4 K, 3 BB, 1 H, 1 ER; Riley Cooper 1-for-1, RBI, run.

Records: Dickinson 20-9, Jamestown 4-21.

Bismarck High 6, Minot High 4

Kennedy Blair drove in two runs in the first inning and then Bismarck scored a run on a passed ball and two on illegal pitches in the second to defeat the No. 4 seed Majettes in the opening round.

Kalli Tveito added a RBI single in the second as the No. 5 seed Demons (13-16) advanced to face No. 1 seed Bismarck Century (25-4) at 10 a.m. today in the semifinals.

Lexi Benno and Miranda Fenner each went 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run to lead Minot (15-12).

Bismarck 240 000 0 — 6 9 2

Minot 002 020 0 — 4 6 4

Shelby Standing Elk and Kennedy Blair. Maddie Irmen and Kaddie Clark. W–Standing Elk. L–Irmen. HR–None.

Highlights: BHS, Kalli Tveito 3-for-4, RBI, 2 runs; Jaime Barta 2-for-3, run; Blair 2 RBI. MHS, Lexi Benno 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, run; Miranda Fenner 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, run; Irmen 1-for-3; Hannah Gefroh 1-for-3.

Records: Bismarck 13-16, Minot 15-12.

Minot Ryan 27, Turtle Mountain 1

Hannah Stewart went 3-for-3 with seven RBI and three runs scored as Minot Ryan crushed Turtle Mountain in its tournament opener.

Lions pitcher Lexi Klein struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter as the game ended in five innings via the 10-run rule.

Ryan catcher Maddie Lipp drove in five runs and scored three despite only once reaching base on a hit. Sam Smith went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs for the Lions (25-5).

Shelby Perkerewicz went 2-for-3 with a run for the Bravettes (1-24).

TM 000 10 — 1 3 4

Ryan 4(10)6 7x — 27 27 2

Lexi Klein and Maddie Lipp. Maycie Morin, Syann Golus (4) and Golus, Kayana Trottier (4). W–Klein. L–Morin. HR–None.

Highlights: TM, Shelby Perkerewicz 2-for-3, run; Morin 1-for-2. Ryan, Hannah Stewart 3-for-3, 3 runs; 7 RBI; Sam Smith 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 runs; Maddie Lipp 1-for-1, 2 BB, 5 RBI, 3 runs; Brieann Backes 2-for-2, 2 runs, RBI; Klein 5 IP, 7 K, 0 BB, 3 H, 0 ER.

Records: Ryan 25-5, TM 1-24.

Jamestown 16, Turtle Mountain 6

Jamestown kept itself in the tournament, defeating the Bravettes in an elimination game.

Alicia Beckman went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs to lead the Blue Jays (5-21), who faces the loser of today’s morning semifinal game between Bismarck Century and Bismarck High at noon today in a state-qualifier game.

Syann Golus went 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs to lead Turtle Mountain, who ends its season with a 1-25 record. Winter Monette had a double and drove in two runs.

TM 030 21 — 6 9 3

Jamestown 382 3x — 16 11 1

Maycie Morin and Kayana Trottier. Kadie Anderson and Kyra Dewald. W–Anderson. L–Morin. HR–None.

Highlights: TM, Winter Monette 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Shelby Perkerewicz 1-for-3; Morin 1-for-2, run; Kassandra Poitra 2-for-3; Syann Golus 3-for-3, 3B, 2 runs; Madison Gourneau 0-for-1, RBI, run. J, Ashlie Meier 2-for-4, 4 runs; Dewald 2-for-3, 2 runs; Alicia Beckman 2-for-2, 2 RBI, run; Morgan Geigle 2-for-3, run.

Records: Jamestown 5-21, TM 1-25.

West Region Tournament

At Gress Softball Complex, Dickinson

Games Friday

First round

1) Bismarck High 6, Minot High 4

2) Minot Ryan 27, Turtle Mountain 1, 5 innings

3) Dickinson 16, Jamestown 1, 5 innings

Consolation round

4) Jamestown 16, Turtle Mountain 6, 5 innings

Semifinals

Games today

5) No. 1 Bismarck Century (25-4, 21-3 West) vs. Bismarck High, 10 a.m. (Field 3)

6) Minot Ryan vs. Dickinson, 10 a.m. (Field 1)

State qualifier: Minot High vs. Game 6 loser, noon (Field 1)

State qualifier: Jamestown vs. Game 5 loser, noon (Field 3)

Championship: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m. (Field 3)

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