Midgets conjure WDA title with win over Magicians
May 26—SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA — After caging the Williston Coyotes, 8-2 on Thursday, May 23 and following that up with an 11-1 win over Mandan in the second round of the Western North Dakota Association Tournament, the Midgets completed the hat-trick en route to another WDA title with a 6-1 Saturday victory over Minot in a rematch of last-year's finals. Dickinson High now heads to the state tournament as the number-one seed from the west and will face a team to be named later.
DHS scored 4 runs by the end of the third inning on Saturday, May 25, and that proved to be enough to defeat WDA rivals Minot, as Ava Jahner pitched a complete-game gem that featured 11 strikeouts while surrendering only 1 earned-run and walking only 4 while scattering 6 Minot hits along the way to the 2024 WDA title. Sophomore standout first-baseman Kyndall Peterson was a thriller at the plate, posting a 3-for-4 performance with a homer, a pair of runs and 2 RBI, while eighth-grade sensation Gabby Sobolik continued her hot-streak with a 3-for-4 outing that saw her also go-yard with a run and 2 RBI of her own. Meanwhile, Jahner helped her own cause with a solo homer on 2-of-4 from the plate and Madelynn Bren was a multi-hitter herself with a 2-for-3 day at the dish.
Jahner tricked the Magicians through the first four innings and the lone Minot run was scored in the fifth frame as only senior shortstop Avery Lunde was able to post a multi-hit outing for the visitors. The Midgets earned all 6 of their runs in the final, with junior hurler Halle Baker absorbing the loss.
Dickinson set up their finals appearance with a run-rule-shortened, 11-1 victory over Mandan on Friday, May 24, as Jahner again was masterful from the mound with an 8K outing with just the 1 earned-run while allowing only 2 walks and 4 hits in the five-inning matchup.
DHS scored 8 by the bottom of the second and never looked back, piling up 3 more in the bottom of the fourth inning to close-out Mandan early with the loss. While Mandan will be making their first appearance in the state tournament next weekend, the Midgets weren't taking any risks and outhit the visitors, 12-4 down the stretch.
Jahner also was dominant at the plate with a 2-for-3 day that saw her drive in 4 and drill a home-run along with Braelynn Farnsworth, who went 1-for-2 with 2 runs a steal and 2 RBI. Jahner also hit a double to tie for a game-high in total-bases with Peterson at 6 as the sophomore first-baseman was a perfect 3-for-3 with the dinger and 2 runs to go along with her 2 RBI. Classmate and shortstop Myah Merry also was perfect at the plate at 2-of-2 with a run and Sobolik had another multi-hit afternoon at 2-of-3 with a run-scored.
The first round of the 2024 WDA Tournament began with 2 runs for the Midgets in the bottom of the first as a portent for future events, then Dickinson shelled the Coyotes for 6 more over the final two frames to remove all doubt. Jahner clipped the Coyotes most of the way through the seven-inning, stellar-start from the circle with a massive 14-strikeout haul that saw only 3 hits for Williston and a pair of walks with a single earned-run to show for their efforts. Jahner was taking no chances at the plate, either, clobbering the Coyotes to the tune of a 3-for-4 day with 3 runs and an RBI with a stolen-base thrown in for good-measure.
Meanwhile, backstop Mackenna Medina had a solid afternoon with the stick, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, and Peterson had a multi-hit effort of her own at 2-of-4 with a home-run and 3 RBI with a game-high 5 total-bases to help eclipse Williston for the win.
For more information about softball in North Dakota, please visit
https://ndhsaanow.com/tournaments/softball
, and to find out about Dickinson High School athletics, just keep reading The Dickinson Press and/or visit their website at
https://www.dickinson.k12.nd.us/schools/dhs/athletics/index
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