Midgets tower over Minot North in doubleheader sweep

May 10—MINOT — The Dickinson High School Midgets continued their roll with a road-trip to Minot North that ended in another two-game sweep for the visitors, as DHS sent the Sentinels to a 28-5 loss in the opener and toppled their hosts, 13-6, in the nightcap.

Dickinson (16-3) rushed to a 7-3 lead at the end of the first inning and furthered their advantage to 13-3 by the end of the second frame, scoring all the runs they would need in the opening contest at Minot North. While a breakout, 11-run third inning wasn't exactly necessary, it happened nonetheless and DHS strolled to the opening win of the doubleheader.

Starting senior righthander Ava Jahner struck out 7 in a little over three innings of work and walked 2 while giving up 4 hits and 4 earned runs. Sophomore standout Madison Wegleitner came on in relief and gave up only 2 hits and an earned-run the rest of the way from the mound.

Meanwhile, in the batter's-box, the Midgets could do-no-wrong as sophomore standout Kyndall Peterson had another stellar night on 4-of-4 hitting with 5 runs and 4 RBI to go along with 3 doubles and a game-high 7 total-bases. Classmate Myah Merry also had a solid outing in a 2-for-2 performance with a double, 2 runs and 4 RBI from her standard catcher position. Eighth-grade phenom Gabby Sobolik continued her hot-streak with a home-run, 4 runs and 3 RBI on a 1-for-3 afternoon in Game 1, Mackenna Medina had a multi-hit night with 4 runs and 3 RBI on 3-of-5 production — with a double and a triple thrown in for good-measure — and senior outfielder Morgan Koffler went 3-for-5 with 4 runs and 3 RBI as well from the number-three spot in the lineup to secure the run-rule victory for the visitors.

The nightcap proved to be a much-closer affair, with the Sentinels posting a 3-run first inning and DHS matching them in the top of the second. The inning was a two-out rally for the Midgets, as Braelynn Farnsworth tripled and Madelynn Bren walked, then Merry singled home Farnsworth and moved Bren to third while advancing on the throw. Senior centerfielder Jenna Decker singled home Bren and Merry for the first of her 2 hits on the night to close out the scoring for Dickinson and even the numbers at 3-3.

The Sentinels responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third frame, and the Midgets posted a run in the top of the fourth and sixth innings to even the score at 5-5. Farnsworth singled home Sobolik — who had a leadoff single to open the fourth inning — and Merry brought Bren across the plate in the sixth to knot the game and help build the tension in the contest.

DHS tipped the advantage on a Farnsworth lineout that plated Koffler, and after MNHS tied up the game again in the bottom of the seventh — to send the game into extra-innings — the Midgets took over from there. As has been the case numerous times in the 2024 season, DHS used a big-frame to take control of the game, scoring 7 in the top-half of the eighth and roll away with the nightcap.

Bren singled and Merry had a deep-dinger over the centerfield wall to score them both, then Koffler singled home Decker for a 9-6 lead. But DHS was far from done, as Farnsworth ripped a 2-run single to center that brought Priscilla Alvarez and Koffler home, then Sobolik and Farnsworth scored on a set of passed-balls to take the victory for the visitors.

Bren ended up with a 2-for-2 night with a trio of runs, while Farnsworth went 3-for-4 with a triple, 4 RBI and 3 runs with 5 total-bases, with Merry pacing the Midgets on 3-of-5 hitting with a pair of runs and 4 RBI and a game-high 6 total-bases.

Peterson took the win in a 5-strikeout showing, giving up 5 hits and only 1 walk on 3 earned-runs, while Jahner threw four innings of 5-K ball and gave up 3 hits and 3 walks with an earned-run.

Next-up for the Midgets will be the completion of a home-series with Mandan, which was cut short on Tuesday, May 7. The games resume at 3:30 on Friday, May 10 at Sanford Softball Complex on Bravera Field.

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

.