VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City Saints hosted the Ada Athletics for a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Charlie Brown Memorial Field. The A’s, who qualified for the Minnesota Class C state tournament last season took both games of the twin bill from the Saints by scores of 6-1 and 7-6.
The Saints (1-2) will complete an early season homestand this Wednesday night as they host the Jamestown Elks at 7:15 PM at Charlie Brown Memorial Field.
Game 1 – Ada 6, Valley City 1
Ada’s Riley Resnick used his arm and bat to single handily defeat the Saints in Game 1. Resnick shut down the Saints offense as he tossed a complete game one-hitter and helped his own cause at the plate with a two-run single to spearhead a four-run 6th inning for the visitors.
After an uneventful 1st inning, the A’s would score first with two unearned runs in the 2nd inning off Saints starter Reed Butz. Butz walked the leadoff batter and after a flyout proceeded to hit the next batter. After a wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, Butz would induce a lineout for the second out. Ada’s first run would come on a passed ball allowing Resnick to score from 3rd. After another hit batsman, the A’s would tack on another run as Clarke Peterson scored on the second passed ball of the inning.
The Saints would counter in the bottom half of the second inning as Davey Demeter led off the inning with a walk after getting new life earlier after the catcher dropped a routine foul pop-up. A wild pitch would move Demeter over to 2nd. With two outs, Gavin Wright singled up the middle scoring Demeter and cutting the Ada lead to 2-1.
Neither team would get anything going during the middle innings as both Butz and Resnick settled in with Butz not allowing a hit through his first five innings of work. However, the A’s would finally get to Butz in the 6th inning. Brothers Beau and Braiden Fetting led off the sixth with singles. After a groundout moved both of them to 2nd and 3rd, Resnick would drive both the Fetting brothers in and chase Butz from the game. Colter Soderholm came in relief for the Saints and allowed a run after back-to-back wild pitches. Ada would score their final run on the game on a sac fly by Jonas Sanders.
Butz would take the loss for the Saints as he pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing five runs (three earned) on three hits, walking one, hitting two, and striking out six. Wright had the Saints only hit with his RBI single in the 2nd inning.
Resnick got the win for Ada as he went the distance allowing one unearned run on one hit, walking three, and striking out nine Saints batters. He also retired the final 13 Saints batters he faced. Five different Ada players each collected one hit.
Game 2 – Ada 7, Valley City 6
The Saints rallied from a 7-1 deficit, but the A’s would hold off the Saints rally for a 7-6 victory and a doubleheader sweep.
Like in Game 1, the A’s scored first this time in the 1st inning of starter Evin Casey. After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, Ada would score on a sac fly by Clarke Peterson. A Jonas Sanders double that barely alluded a diving attempt by Gavin Wright put Ada up 2-0 after a half inning. The Saints struck back in the bottom of the inning as Carlos Turpo and Wright started off the game with back-to-back singles off A’s starter Keith Hanson. Jake Miller cut Ada’s lead to 2-1 on a groundout to 2nd base that scored Turpo.
The Saints would begin the top of the 2nd inning in the worst way possible. Drake Solseng led off the inning by reaching on a throwing error and advanced to second. The next batter, Mike Erickson hit a slow grounder to 2nd that got under the glove of the 2nd baseman for another error, which allowed Solseng to score. After collecting two outs, Sunny Resnick would increase Ada’s lead to 4-1 with an RBI single. After Sunny stole second, Riley Resnick would chase Casey from the game with an RBI single of his own. Adding insult to injury, catcher Cal Fougner was injured on the play and had to be taken out. Jesse Johnson would come in and finish the 2nd without further damage.
Ada would increase their lead to 7-1 in the 3rd with a two out two-run double by Braiden Fetting. This is all Ada would get the rest of the game as Johnson settled in and shut down the A’s the rest of the way.
The Saints then began their rally in the bottom of the 4th as Jake Miller led off with a single. Casario then followed with a one out single of his own. Reed Butz, who earlier entered the game in Fougner’s spot drove Miller in with a two out single cutting the Ada lead to 7-2.
The Saints appeared to have Hanson solved in the 5th. Seth Soderholm led off with a single. Then Wright would single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Miller then roped an RBI double to center scoring Soderholm and moving Wright to 3rd. Demeter then cut the A’s lead to 7-5 with a double of his own scoring both Miller and Wright. Demeter would later score on an Andrew Schaan two out single cutting the deficit to one. However, the Saints would get no closer and would be swept at home.
Casey took the loss for the Saints as he allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk in 1 2/3 innings of work. Johnson would pitch the remaining 5 1/3 innings allowing two runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out eight. Wright, Miller, and Schaan led the Saints offense with two hits a piece with Demeter, Turpo, Casario, Butz, and Seth Soderholm each collecting one hit.
Hanson picked up the win for Ada going six innings allowing six runs on ten hits, walking one, hitting two batters, and striking out one. Peterson pitched a scoreless 7th to pick up the save for the A’s.