Title game washed out

JAMESTOWN -- Dickinson baseball coach Pete Dobitz chose not to waste anytime Saturday at Jack Brown Stadium.

After Dickinson's Class A state tournament semifinal against Williston was suspended due to rain in the sixth inning on Friday, Dobitz and the Midgets resumed Saturday at 11 a.m. With the Midgets ahead 7-1 and three outs away from the state championship game, Dobitz elected to send out closing pitcher Travis Tooley to finish the game.

"He knew he couldn't send (reliever) Kyle Schroeder back out there," Tooley said of Dobitz. "He was looking out for his arm."

Tooley didn't disappoint.

The hard-throwing right-hander struck out the first batter, allowed the following Coyote to reach on a hit, and then forced Williston No. 3 hitter Quinn Devlin to ground into a game-ending double play.

"(Assistant) coach (Stephen) Greenwood said that (Williston) would probably be taking pitches right away," Tooley said. "He told to me that my first pitch has to be a strike, even if I have to lob it in there."

Tooley finishing the contest means that Dobitz has the services of crafty freshman Stephen Laylock against Minot for the state championship. The game was supposed to be played Saturday night, but rain forced more delays and the title tilt takes place today at 1 p.m. Central Time.

"(Tooley) takes a little time to prepare and we told him to make sure he was ready to go," Dobitz said. "He did a good job."

Tooley's brilliance capped off a stunning pitching performance from Dickinson's staff. Starter Jamie Ollila pitched 5Zc innings, allowing just an unearned run on two hits to notch the victory. Ollila would have gone farther in the game, but fell victim to control problems. He walked six batters in the game and hit one while striking out one.

He led off the top of the sixth inning with two straight walks and Dobitz went to senior captain Kyle Schroeder to get out of the inning.

Schroeder, who no-hit West Fargo in the opening round, walked the first batter and then turned it into a double play on a bunt back to the pitcher.

With the bases juiced, Schroeder went with the force out at home by tossing it to catcher Alex Koppinger, who then threw it to first baseman Ben Herauf for the second out. Schroeder ended the inning by striking out the next batter.

Dickinson had a 5-1 lead and added to it in the top of the sixth, loading the bases on Williston reliever Brett Colebank. The Midgets finished with two runs in the inning before the game was eventually suspended due to rain.

"They've had pretty good focus," Dobitz said of his players during the long rain delays over the weekend. "It was nice to close (the game) out with a double play."

Dickinson spent most of Friday preparing for a late night. Officials estimated that the championship would start around 9:30 p.m., but heavy rain began to fall in the second inning of the third-place game.

Minot coach Pete Stenberg will most likely counter Laylock with sophomore Ryan Bollinger.

Bollinger pitched Minot out of a jam in the late innings to close out its game today. He pitched to only five batters and struck out four.

If Bollinger doesn't go, Stenberg could look to senior Jordan Martinson, who beat Fargo South 1-0 in the first round on Thursday.