Watertown splits home doubleheader against West Fargo (N.D.) with 14-4 win in nightcap
Watertown Post 17's American Legion baseball team let a victory get away in the opener of a doubleheader against the West Fargo (N.D.) Packers before bouncing back in the second game to salvage a split.
Post 17 (5-7 on the season) led 12-1 after three innings in the first game before West Fargo used a pair of five-run innings, including one in the top of the seventh, to rally for a 13-12 win.
West Fargo led 4-1 in the second game before Post 17 answered with back-to-back six-run innings on the way to a 14-4 four-inning win.
"Any time you play a team that is the caliber of West Fargo and you come away with a split, that's a good night at the ballpark," said Post 17 head coach Ryan Neale. "The good thing coming out of the night was the fight the kids showed after losing the first game in the fashion we did. They didn't hang their heads and dwell on that and fought hard to earn the split."
Dylon Rawdon's solid pitching performance and a nine-hit attack that featured a 3-for-3 performance by Treyton Himmerich sparked Watertown to the win in the nightcap.
Rawdon allowed only three hits and one earned run on the mound. Himmerich hit three singles and joined Ryan Roby in scoring three runs apiece. Jack Heesch added two hits and Roby, Kaden Rylance, Austin Johnson and Mason Krause each one. Krause doubled and joined Heesch with two runs batted in.
Devin Petersen tripled and Leyton Hofland had two hits for West Fargo (15-8).
Post 17 also had nine hits in the opener, including a triple by Himmerich and doubles by Johnson and Will Engstrom. Heesch collected two hits. Drew Denzer, Rylance, Spencer Wientjes and Carter Beynon contributed singles.
"We've talked about getting comfortable at the plate over this little stretch of games and trying to find some consistency on the offensive side," said Neale. "I think it showed up tonight for us. The guys hit the ball well and we played a little small ball and ran the bases aggressively."
Watertown scored three runs in the bottom of the first, five in the second and four more in the third to lead 12-1. It was still 12-2 in the fifth before the Packers plated five runs, four on a grand slam by Mason Stoelting. They added another run in the sixth and five more in the seventh.
Devin Peterson finished 3-for-4 and joined Stoelting, Brady Medina and Caleb Anderson with doubles for West Fargo. Anderson and Eastin Heisler each had two hits. Brody Medina earned the win in relief.
Post 17 heads to Rapid City to face Post 320 on Saturday and Sunday.
"Overall, it was a good night getting the split against a good program," said Neale. "Now we can use this momentum and head out to Rapid City and look to a win a conference series."
Amateur Baseball
Brookings 12, Lake Norden 4
BROOKINGS — A six-run second inning propelled the Brookings Cubs to a 12-4 season-opening amateur baseball win over the Lake Norden Lakers on Wednesday.
Brookings only held a 7-6 advantage in hits but took advantage of 10 walks and two hit batsmen.
Tyler Kreutner collected three hits and scored four runs for Brookings, which also got a two-run triple from Rhett Zelinsky.
Josh Cleveland doubled and singled for the Lakers, who also got a double from Jackson Noem and run-scoring singles from Mitchell Noem, Kale Stevenson and Cameron Thue. Mick Tulson's 19-game hitting streak came to an end in the game.
The two teams meet again on Wednesday (May 24) at 8 p.m. in Lake Norden.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown Post 17 splits home baseball doubleheader against West Fargo
