Coyotes slap Midgets with 4-0 defeat

It was a bittersweet home finale for the Dickinson High baseball team.

On senior day, the only two Dickinson players with base hits were the only non-senior starters.

Williston shut out the Midgets 4-0 in the West Region game Tuesday at the Southside Municipal Ballpark. The Midgets won the nonconference game 7-3.

"It was a big deal," Dickinson senior Korey Kallenbach said. "It's the last time being at home during my high school career. I'll be back during Legion, but it was a big deal for us."

The main culprit in snapping Dickinson's three-straight West Region win streak was Williston's Cory Vinger. The senior pitcher threw six innings, allowed two hits and struck out seven.

"Whenever a team can hold us to just two hits, that kid threw very well," Dickinson head coach Pete Dobitz said. "It wasn't a lot of off-speed stuff. It was a lot of in-and-out, up-and-down. He kept us offstride in some of those at-bats."

Vinger has worried about throwing on the turf mound for the first time, but he said everything was working from the get-go.

"I thought the mound was going to be a factor," Vinger said. "It's a turf mound and I'm not really used to that. The footing was great. On dirt mounds you have to worry about your footing and stuff."

Not only did Vinger have a strong start on the mound, he went 2-for-2 with a double, two walks, scored two runs and had a RBI.

Opposite Vinger was Dickinson High senior Brett Braunagel.

The two matched pitch-for-pitch until Braunagel surrendered two runs in the third inning. Kallenbach came relieved him with two outs in the fourth inning and senior Taylor Kraenzel finished the final two innings.

The Coyotes (8-16, 2-9 West) didn't falter batting with two outs -- they thrived on it.

All four of Williston's runs were scored with two outs. The Coyotes' other batter with two hits was Oliver Sogard.

"They are a good-hitting team," Dobitz said. "They are well coached. Poised is a good word for not only their pitcher today, but their at-bats. They had good, solid at-bats. I give their whole team a lot of credit."

Getting big two-out hits is something that Williston isn't accustomed to doing this season, but Vinger said it's good to see it happen.

"We haven't had that basically all year," Vinger said. "It's usually been on us, so when it comes up for us, we take advantage of it."

The Midgets' (14-10, 8-4 West) two hits of the game came off the bats of sophomore second baseman Dylan Skabo in the third inning and junior catcher Brady Dutchak in the fifth.

Dobitz said the pitching staff of Braunagel, Kallenbach and Kraenzel did a fine job.

"Our pitchers pitched well: six hits, four runs, one of them unearned," Dobitz said. "They pitched more than well enough to win. We just have to come up with something offensively."

Dickinson could fall out of first place in the West Region with the loss, but Kallenbach said the focus is on the team's road trip to face Minot High on Thursday. Both games will count toward the West standings.

"We'll definitely have to take two up there to stay number one," he said. "We're definitely going to have to go up there and play ball."

In the second game, the Midgets plated six runs in the first three innings. Senior Dan Anderson took the win, while Jordan Axeness was charged with the loss.

Dickinson senior Mason Schiff went 1-for-2 with a double and three RBIs, followed by Tanner Hopfauf with a double and a RBI. Jacob Brokaw led the Coyotes going 2-for-2 with a triple.

Williston 002 110 0 -- 4 7 0

Dickinson 000 000 0 -- 0 2 1

Cory Vinger, Sam Falcon (7) and Alex Haaland. Brett Braunagel, Korey Kallenbach (3), Taylor Kraenzel (5) and Brady Dutchak. W-Falcon. L-Braunagel. HR-None.

Highlights: W, Vinger 2-for-2, 2B, 2 runs; 2BB; Oliver Sogard 2-for-4; Riley Kleven 1-for-3, 2B, run; Jordan Axeness 1-for-3; Caden Lerbakken run; Jacob Brokaw 1-for-3. D, Brady Dutchak 1-for-3; Dylan Skabo 1-for-4.

Williston 002 10 -- 3 5 2

Dickinson 132 1x -- 7 7 1

Axeness, Haaland (4) and Sogard. Dan Anderson, Austin Maus (3), Trevor Coates (4) and Mark Erickson. W-Anderson. L-Axness. HR-None.

Highlights: W, Brokaw 2-for-2, 3B; Sam Falcon 2-for-3; Lerbakken 1-for-2, RBI. D, Mason Schiff 1-for-2 2B, 3 RBI; Tanner Hopfauf 1-for-1, 2B, RBI; Taylor Thiel 1-for-1, run.

Records: W 8-16 2-9 West, D 14-10 8-4 West