Dickinson High soars over Patriots in 34-run doubleheader sweep
Apr. 24—DICKINSON — After a chilly, 2-hour and 50-minute, marathon closing-half of the Tuesday, April 23 doubleheader, the Dickinson High School Midgets improved their record to 6-4 on the 2024 season with a 34-run output over the Bismarck Century Patriots (4-6) in a crucial Western Dakota Association matchup at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Ballpark. DHS earned a run-rule, 15-1 win in the opener and outlasted the Patriots in the nightcap, 19-10.
After putting up a 10-spot in the first inning after 15 batters headed to the plate, Dickinson's scoring went cold and Bismarck Century began chipping away, scoring a run in response during the second frame, 4 more in the third and 3 over the fourth and fifth innings to close the gap and score 8 unanswered runs and give the Midgets a slim, 10-8 lead. It didn't last long, with the Midgets scoring 9 runs in the final two innings to outlast the Patriots for the sweep.
Senior shortstop Jace Kovash got the scoring started right-away after singling and advancing to third on an error, then ended up across home-plate after a wild pitch ... after that, it got even wilder. Senior first-baseman Kaden Krieg scored on an error and then Will Easum drove home junior third-baseman Jack Price before junior second-baseman Camden Kubas singled home Tyler Danbom and Easum on the next at-bat for a 5-0 lead. The hits just-kept-coming for DHS as Kovash came back to the plate for a second time and sent sent Nick Sobolik across the plate on a single and centerfielder Kyler Kudrna then drove in Kubas on a shot to left field. Dickinson continued to build their lead on a Krieg single that plated Kovash and Price brought Kudrna across the dish with a single that was followed by Krieg stealing home on a pickoff attempt that made the score a seemingly insurmountable 10-0, particularly after the Midgets had run-ruled the Patriots in the opener.
But as Century kept chipping away, DHS bided their time and sent four pitchers to the mound to stanch the bleeding. The staff combined for 4 strikeouts, but gave up 9 walks in the game and 8 earned-runs, total, before Kudrna came on in the ninth to secure the win with a pair of Ks.
In the meantime, Dickinson High scored 9 runs in the final two frames, with Kovash singling to lead off in the fifth and advancing to second on an error and pinch-runner Conrad Kopari scored soon after on a Price single to center, then Price scored on a single from senior left-fielder Jeremiah Jilek before Danbom singled Jilek home on a grounder to center field. Kubas walked home pinch-runner Easton Hugelen to close out the scoring for DHS in the frame and maintain a 14-8 lead.
While Bismarck Century was able to post a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, the Midgets went off for 5 more in the bottom-half of the inning on a leadoff-walk to Krieg that led to Krieg advancing to second on a wild pitch, then scoring on a Jilek single and Price scoring on an error. Jilek scored on another wild pitch and junior backstop Malachai Medina drove pinch-runner Kevin Olsson across home-plate with a single to center field for an 18-10 lead, before Kubas closed out the scoring as Kopari scored for Medina on a single from Kubas.
In what was a run-rule-shortened game to start the Tuesday series, senior righthander Jilek pitched a gem of an opener, throwing a complete-game 2-hitter that featured only a pair of walks and no earned-runs. Bismarck Century scored their lone run in the first inning and the Midgets backed-up Jilek with a 6-run opening frame.
Kovash notched a leadoff single and Kudrna did the same, sending Kovash to third, but Krieg put an end to all doubts with a moon-shot to center field to give DHS a 3-0 lead and they never looked back. Senior designated-hitter Colin Tschetter tripled home Price and Sobolik and Medina soon singled Tschetter home on a line-drive to left.
Kudrna walked and was tripled home by Krieg in the second inning, and then the Midgets kept piling on with a 6-run third inning that featured a bunt-RBI-single from junior left-fielder Christian Tibor that plated Tschetter — who had singled and stolen second — then Easum scored on a balk. Kudrna soon singled home Tibor on a drive to right field, and then Krieg scored Kovash on another single to right. It wasn't over yet for the Patriots, as Price scored Kudrna on a sac-fly and Krieg scored on a pickoff-attempt error to close out the scoring for the inning and give Dickinson a 13-0 lead.
The final runs came in the bottom of the fourth as Easum tripled to center field and then came home on a Tibor line-drive to left, with Tibor ending up at third on a throwing-error on the play. Kovash drove Tibor home on a groundout to end the misery at 15-1.
For the series, Krieg went 4-for-6 with 5 runs and 7 RBI to go along with the triple and the dinger for 9 total bases, while Price was 3-of-6 with 4 runs and 3 RBI and added 3 stolen-bases. Kovash had a 4-for-9 night that almost saw a walk-off grand-slam in the nightcap, but he also piled up 4 runs and 2 RBI to go along with an appearance in middle-relief. Jilek, meanwhile, was 3-for-6 with a pair of runs and 2 RBI.
Next-up for DHS will be a Friday, April 26, non-conference doubleheader versus Williston that begins at 4:30 p.m. at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark.
For more information about Midget baseball, please keep reading The Dickinson Press and/or visit their website at
https://www.dickinson.k12.nd.us/schools/dhs/athletics/index
. For more information about baseball in North Dakota, you find it at
https://ndhsaanow.com/tournaments/baseball
.
