Midgets blank Minot

Eric Seiler came out a little too hot on a cold and windy Saturday at Southside Municipal Ballpark.

After tossing his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning against Minot High, the Dickinson High senior left-handed pitcher went back to the bullpen for a few extra tosses.

"I talked a little bit with (assistant) coach (Stephen) Greenwood, and he said it looked like I was trying to overthrow, so he asked me to take three, four miles an hour off and just work the zone and hit my spots," Seiler said. "That's what I did and it seemed to be working."

Once Seiler settled down, Dickinson settled in and went to work.

Seiler mowed down the Magicians as the Midgets remained calm at the plate and made the most of their patience en route to a 10-0 West Region victory in six innings.

From the second inning on, Seiler was money.

He struck out nine -- including four in the second inning after a dropped ball allowed a Minot batter who struck out to reach first base -- and allowed just three hits while walking two.

Seiler also reached base four times, getting on with a single and three of the 10 walks Dickinson took in the game.

"Everybody seemed like they were getting on base," Seiler said.

Dickinson (6-2, 3-1 West) sent its entire lineup to the plate in the 46-minute first inning.

The opened things up with an RBI single by Ryan Jones, scored another when Jordan Tescher was beaned with the bases loaded and went up 3-0 when pitcher Tyrel Erickson, who relieved Magicians starter Alex Schaefer after six batters, sent his first pitch into the dirt and allowed Jones to score from third base.

Erickson continued to have trouble settling in during the second inning, walking two and giving up two runs when Minot first baseman Ethan Stein bobbled a hard-hit line drive by Tescher.

"We gave too many free passes early on," said Minot head coach Pete Stenberg, whose team fell to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the West. "That's a tough hole to dig yourselves out of."

Erickson gave up another run in the fourth when Tommy Peters drove in courtesy runner Scott Gordon on an single that ricocheted off Erickson's glove and into right field.

Dickinson closed out the game via the 10-run rule with five consecutive base hits in the sixth inning.

After Peters reached on a walk, Tescher, Connor McNeilly, Tevin Papineau and T.J. Dempsey all had balls sneak into left field. Papineau scored Peters and Tescher and Dempsey drove in courtesy runner Brodie Candrian to make it 9-0.

Caleb Burgard ended the game with his only hit, blooping it into right field to bring around Papineau.

The Midgets had 10 hits against Schaefer, Erickson and Austin Bernston, who relieved Erickson in the fourth inning.

Dickinson head coach Pete Dobitz said things are beginning to slow down for his hitters now that they've played a few games.

"It comes to being able to see more live pitching," Dobitz said. "The farther you get into the year, the less bad pitches you're taking. You're not swinging at balls you shouldn't swing at. The longer you see pitching, the more you see, the more you know the balls you can hit well and the balls that are in the strike zone."

Minot 000 000 -- 0 3 2

DHS 320 104 --10 10 0

Alex Schaefer, Tyrel Erickson (1) and Austin Bernston (4) and Trevor Gust. Eric Seiler and Connor McNeilly. W-Seiler (2-0). L-Schaefer.

Highlights: Minot, Alex Fornshell 1-for-2, HBP; Jarid Hoffman 1-for-2, BB; Trevor Gust 1-for-3. Dickinson, Caleb Burgard 1-for-3, RBI; Kyle Breen 0-for-1, 2 BB, run; Eric Seiler CG, 9 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 H, 1-for-1, 3 BB; Ryan Jones 2-for-3, RBI, 2 runs; Tommy Peters 1-for-1, RBI, run, 2 BB; Jordan Tescher 2-for-2, 2 RBI, run, BB, HBP; Connor McNeilly 1-for-3, BB; Tevin Papineau 1-for-2, 2 RBI, run, BB; T.J. Dempsey 2-for-3, 2B, RBI; Scott Gordon 3 runs.

Dickinson 10, Minot 0

Kyle Breen didn't allow any hits in three innings on the mound and the Midgets scored eight runs in the second inning to win the nonconference game of the doubleheader.

Dickinson had six hits and four walks while Minot committed an error in the second inning.

Tommy Peters and Scott Gordon each had two-run singles in the inning for the Midgets.

Minot 000 0 -- 0 2 2

DHS 080 2 -- 10 9 0

Kyle Schumacher, Ethan Stein (2), Micah Holmen (3) and Eric Thoemke. Kyle Breen, Ryan Jones (4) and Brandon Lange. W-Breen (1-0). L-Schumacher.

Highlights: Minot, Jarid Hoffman 1-for-2, Thoemke 1-for-2. DHS, Connor McNeilly 2-for-2; T.J. Dempsey 2-for-2, 2 RBI; Scott Gordon 1-for-3, 2 RBI; Tommy Peters 1-for-2, 2 RBI.

Records: Minot 1-7, 0-4 West; Dickinson 6-2, 3-1 West.