Lions swipe a sweep

When the Dickinson High and Minot Ryan softball teams first met this season in late April, the Midgets were able to hand Lions pitcher Hannah Stewart her only loss of the season.

Stewart didn't let it happen again.

"When we play Dickinson, it's always a pretty close game," Stewart said. "They are a really good team."

The sophomore right-hander threw seven innings, allowed one run on six hits, struck out eight and got out of multiple jams to grab a 3-1 win over the Midgets on Tuesday at Dickinson's North Complex. The Lions took the sweep with a 5-4 win in the nightcap, as Stewart came in for relief.

"We were going up against quality pitching," Dickinson head coach Bill Butterfield said. "We knew that coming in and we weren't going to score a bunch of runs, but we gave up too many runs. Our defense is kind of what let us down today."

The Midgets (17-4) committed eight errors, while Minot Ryan had just one.

Haley Butterfield, who suffered her first loss of the season in the opener of the doubleheader, pitched seven innings, allowed three runs on 10 hits and struck out three.

The Lions struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning and added one insurance run in the fourth.

Dickinson had multiple chances throughout the game. But Stewart was able to buckle down and limit the damage. She twice got out of a one-out bases-loaded jam.

"We had the bases loaded two innings in a row and we needed a few of those runs that were out there," Dickinson junior Riana Cooper said. "We went up to the plate with confidence at the plate, but the hits just didn't come for us."

The Midgets continued to fight, as Cooper ripped a RBI single to right-center field to score Lexi Yates. Cooper went 2-for-3, while Yates was 1-for-3 with a double and a run. Butterfield helped herself out at the plate with a pair of hits.

"(Stewart) is one of the faster pitchers in the WDA, but I went up there with confidence that I could hit off of her," Cooper said.

In the second game, the Lions and Midgets returned to battle. The Midgets tied the game 1-1, after Dickinson's Briana Farnsworth belted a RBI single to score Rachel Jahner, who got on via walk.

"We know that we can compete with them," Farnsworth said. "We just had those errors and that's what we are going to work on before WDA."

Dickinson took its first lead of the game after a three-run fourth inning. However, the Lions responded with a three-run fifth and a scored the game-winning run in the sixth.

Though Brieann Backes started the game, Stewart pitched the final four innings to snag the win. The sophomore also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Maddie Lipp and Sam Smith each had a pair of hits for the Lions.

"Brieann did a good job in the circle and they were just connecting," Stewart said. "I was just trying to throw the pitches I did that worked in the first game as well."

Farnsworth finished 3-for-4 with a RBI while Madison Jahner added two hits. Rachel Jahner and Jess Priebe each had a hit and a RBI.

The game wrapped up the Midgets' regular season. They have 10 days to prepare for the West Region Tournament that begins May 24 in Jamestown.

"We have to learn from the mistakes that we made tonight, but forget out and look to WDA," Cooper said.

MR 020 100 0 -- 3 6 0

Dickinson 000 001 0 -- 1 6 4

Hannah Stewart and Maddie Lipp. Haley Butterfield and Mackee Hoffman. W-Butterfield. L-Butterfield. HR-None.

Highlights: MR, Sam Smith 3-for-3, 3B, RBI, 2 runs; Lipp 4-for-4; Sydney Marmon 1-for-2, 2B, RBI; Stewart 1-for-4; Alex Smith 1-for-3, RBI. D, Riana Copper 2-for-3, RBI; Butterfield 2-for-3; Lexi Yates 1-for-3, 2B, run; Rachel Jahner 1-for-4.

MR 100 031 0 -- 5 8 1

Dickinson 001 300 0 -- 4 9 4

Brieann Backes, Stewart and Lipp. Madison Jahner and Hoffmann. W-Stewart. L-Jahner. HR-None.

Highlights: MR, Stewart 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBIs; Lipp 2-for-4, RBI, 2 runs; Smith 2-for-3, run; Shelby Schmidt 1-for-3; Marmon run; M. Ebert run. D, Briana Farnsworth 3-for-4, RBI; M. Jahner 2-for-3; Madi Steier 1-for-4; Jess Priebe 1-for-2, RBI; Jahner 1-for-3, RBI, run; Butterfield 1-for-3, run; Hoffmann RBI; Cooper run; Emilee Sickler run.

Records: D 17-4