VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City Royals got off to good start and then held off Kindred in game one of their doubleheader Monday night at Charlie Brown Field. The Royals took game one 5-4. Kindred took game two 12-0 in three innings.

 

GAME 1: Valley City 5, Kindred 4

The Royals scored four runs in the first inning to take an early lead in the opener, then had to hold on for the win.

With one out, five straight Royals reached base, four on hits, to score four times for the 4-1 lead. The big blow was Alex Thornton’s two run triple which scored Jacob Johnson and Mitchell Taylor. Johnson drove in Grady Karges with a single earlier in the inning. Riley Gerhardt’s double scored Thornton with the fourth run of the inning.

Kindred, which scored in the first, got two back in the third on back to back triples by Logan Myers and Ethan McKenney. Lukas Klabunde scored McKenney with a ground out to make it 4-3.

Valley City got an insurance run in the fourth on a one out single by Jacob Johnson.

Kindred would get another run in the fifth when McKenney tripled and then scored on a wild pitch.

Offensively, Valley City was led by Alex Thornton and Jacob Johnson who both had two hits and drove in two runs. Mitchel Taylor and Easton Hesch had two hits each for the Royals.

Corey Nelson got the win allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits over four innings. he walked three and struck out five. Alex Thornton pitch two innings and Jacob Johnson struck out the side in the seventh for the save.

Kindred was led by Ethan McKenney with two triples, two runs scored and an rbi.

GAME 2: Kindred 12, Valley City 0 F/3

Kindred scored 10 runs in the third inning and Kaleb Klabunde tossed a three inning two hitter as the Vikings took the second game.

Graham Glasoe had a two run triple that highlighted the big inning. Connor Rolland added an rbi double in the inning as well. Klabunde walked one and struck out three.

Devyn Thornton and Connor May had the hits for Valley City.

The Royals are 9-3 overall and 7-0 in the East Region. Kindred is 3-6 overall and 0-4 in the region.

Valley City hosts the Fargo Comets on Wednesday for an East Region doubleheader. Both games will be on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC beginning with the pregame show at 5:15. The games will also be video streamed on newsdakota.com