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The Dickinson High baseball team and its slow start to the 2018 campaign continued Tuesday afternoon.
The Midgets remain winless on the season after being swept in a doubleheader against Bismarck Century on Tuesday, April 24 from the Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark.
The Patriots defeated DHS 16-2 in game one and 13-2 in game two, maintaining a zero in the loss column.
"They're picked number one in the state, number one in the conference for a reason. The cream of the crop in the city of Bismarck is sitting in that dugout over there," Dickinson head coach Pete Dobitz said.
Dickinson starting pitcher Tristen Brunk worked himself out of trouble in the top of the first inning.
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After a Patriots run crossed the plated in a double steal, he walked the bases loaded before getting Century senior Preston Eagleson to line out to center.
Brunk was less fortunate in the next inning as a two-run double from sophomore Cade Feeney added to the Dickinson deficit.
Following a RBI single from sophomore Connor Hanson, senior Matt Miller added a RBI single of his own, giving Century a 5-0 advantage.
Facing only one batter in the top of the third, Brunk exited the game with a hip flexor injury. Midgets sophomore Jaren Hughlen took over on the mound, relinquishing five runs before retiring the side.
"I thought we swung the bats pretty well tonight and we took advantage of some things," Patriots head coach Kent Schweigert said. "The thing I really thought we did a good job with was we were very aggressive at the plate and we were aggressive on the bases. We did a good job of that."
In the nightcap, the Midgets were far more competitive.
Junior starting pitcher Morgan Wardner pitched out of a pair of bases loaded jams in the first two innings, only allowing one run.
"I think Morgan Wardner threw a good game, he just got tired there," Dobitz said.
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Dickinson tied the score in the bottom half of the second after junior outfielder Nathaniel Jilek scored from third on a wild pitch from Patriots junior starting pitcher Stevie Kraljic.
Wardner got the first two outs in the top of the third, but a single, a Midgets error and a walk led to a two-run double from junior Treyton Mattern.
The two teams traded runs in the fifth before Bismarck Century broke it out with a nine-run sixth.
Dickinson has runners in scoring position in the first five innings but could only produce two runs.
"There always seems to be that one at-bat that we can't get a clutch hit," Dobitz said. "We're hoping that's going to come along toward the end of the year.
"What I'm happy with is that we did compete except for a couple of innings that got away on us. The last game, one inning got away on us and in that first games, two innings got away, but other than that we did compete and I keep telling our boys, we just have to get better every single day."
Bismarck Century 16, Dickinson 2 (F/5)
BC 146 05 - 16 16 0
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D 001 10 - 2 4 0
BC: Kade Feeney and Preston Eagleson. D: Tristen Brunk (2), Jaren Hugelen (2), Ethan Dietz (1) and Logan Bentz
W-Feeney. L-Brunk. HR-None.
Highlights: BC: Feeney, 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI, R; Connor Hanson, 3-4, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI. D: Cody Maier, 1-2, 2B, R; Kobe Krenz, 1-1, R.
Bismarck Century 13, Dickinson 2
BC 102 019 - 13 10 0
D 010 010 - 2 2 2
BC: Stevie Kraljic (2.2), Dawson Weikum (2.1), Mason Leingang (1) and Cameron Miller. D: Wardner (5), Joseph Pavek (0.2), Dietz (0.1) and Bentz.
W-.Kraljic. L-Wardner. HR-None.
Highlights: BC: Hanson 3-4, BB, 2B, 3 R, RBI; Treyton Mattern 2-3, BB, 2B, R, 3 RBI. D: Wardner 1-2, BB, 2B, R, 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R (ER), 4K.
