BISMARCK, N.D. — In a doubleheader that showcased both elite pitching and opportunistic offense, the Valley City Post 60 Royals swept the Bismarck Representatives Thursday to close out their regular season on an 11-game winning streak. The Royals edged out a 1-0 win in a pitchers’ duel in game one before outlasting the Reps 10-6 in a wild, error-filled finale.
Game One: Valley City 1, Bismarck 0
In a game that lasted just 1 hour and 20 minutes, offense was at a premium as Valley City starter Bryson Heck outdueled Bismarck’s Ethan Urlacher in a classic pitcher’s duel.
The Royals had an early chance in the first when Corbyn Powell singled and stole second, but Urlacher struck out back-to-back batters to escape the jam. Bismarck threatened in the bottom half after a walk, hit-by-pitch, and sac bunt put two runners in scoring position, but Heck struck out a batter and induced a groundout to keep the game scoreless.
Both pitchers were sharp throughout, with Urlacher walking just one through six innings and Heck holding Bismarck hitless until the fourth.
Valley City finally broke through in the seventh. James Schwehr led off with a single, and with two outs, Leighton Hendrickson singled to move Schwehr to third. Heck then helped his own cause with a sharp single up the middle to give Valley City the game’s only run. In the bottom of the seventh, a two-out walk brought the top of the order up for Bismarck, but Heck induced a slow bouncer up the middle to seal the complete game shutout.
Game Two: Valley City 10, Bismarck 6
Game two was a far cry from the opener, as both teams struggled with execution and defense early in a high-scoring affair.
Valley City raced to a 6-0 lead in the second, helped by several Bismarck errors. After playing error-free in game one, the Reps committed seven miscues in the nightcap.
Royals starter Luke Praska lasted 2.2 innings before control issues forced an early exit. James Schwehr entered with a 6-2 lead, but Bismarck rallied for four more runs with two outs to tie the game 6-6 by the end of the third inning.
After a stretch of scoreless innings on both sides, Valley City reclaimed the lead in the sixth in unusual fashion. With Corbyn Powell at second and Jack Samuelson at first, Parker Roelfsema singled to right. A late stop sign for Powell at third caused confusion, but an errant throw allowed both Powell and Samuelson to score, giving the Royals an 8-6 edge.
Valley City tacked on three more in the seventh. Powell smashed a double off the wall to drive in Adam Shanenko, and Roelfsema followed with a sacrifice fly after Bismarck intentionally walked Samuelson. A defensive error brought home the final run to make it 10-6.
Powell then took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order to seal the win and the sweep.
Up Next:
Valley City finishes the regular season with an 18-3 record and will carry an 11-game winning streak into the Western Regional Class A Tournament, which begins Thursday, July 24, in Bismarck. Every postseason game will be broadcast on 1490 AM / 96.3 FM KOVC and streamed live at NewsDakota.com.