BISMARCK — Last year’s Western Dakota Association tournament ended in heartbreak for the Dickinson Midgets’ softball team in a 5-0 defeat to Bismarck Century in the championship game. Dickinson returners redeemed themselves, winning both games of their Tuesday doubleheader against Patriots with an overall score of 21-10.
Despite the win, the game did come with difficulties with Century taking a momentary lead in both games, but their 11 errors would cost them dearly.
Game one started with Dickinson chasing after a 4-0 lead, but would end with them walking-off with a 7-6 victory.
At the top of the first, Ava Jahner relieved Mataya Mortenson from the circle with bases loaded and three runners already tagging home plate. Jahner walked her first batter, resulting in a score, but she was able to dig her team out of the hole, holding the Patriots to five scoreless innings following the first. She collected the save and winning pitcher, retiring seven batters, walking two and not earning any runs.
The Midgets tied the game at 4-4 at the bottom of the fifth inning, due to a fielding error by Century that allowed Taya Hopfauf to cross home plate.
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The Patriots would re-establish their lead in the first frame of the final inning with two runs to make it 6-4. The victory was all but theirs until senior Kali Kubas stepped into the batter’s box. She singled on a hard ground ball to left field that would send Mortenson home and move Hopfauf and Jahner into scoring positions. Century battery would be the cause of their demise with a wild pitch sending Hopfauf home and then an error by the catcher that would allow Jahner to clear the 60 feet to home plate.
Game two showed a much stronger performance from Dickinson, who would see to it that the game would end early due to the 10-point rule. The final result was 14-4 with a majority of Midgets’ runs coming in the later innings.
The Midgets got onto the scoreboard at the bottom of the second, extending to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The Patriots showed resilience and pushed back in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. The scoring included a two-RBI single from senior Brooklyn Morris.
The Midget’s response was aggressive with stellar hits in the fifth and sixth innings, resulting in nine runs to cement their victory.
Century relinquished the lead from a homer made by Reese Hauck to send her and Hopfauf home in the fifth inning.
Hauck would also have a two-RBI single in the sixth inning, sending Mortenson and Hopfauf home to increase the lead to 7-4.
Dickinson started the final inning at the top of their lineup, sophomore Jenna Decker, who would score the first and last run of the inning.
Hopfauf was the Midgets’ lead scorer with five runs, two from game one and three coming in the overwhelming victory of game two. Another senior contribution came from Hauck who led with six RBIs on the day, including her home run.
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Senior Hope Fath held the circle the full six innings of game two and struck out three batters, allowed four hits and pitched a 1,2,3 inning at the top of the second.
Dickinson’s fielders also did their part and contributed 39 putouts in both games.
