BISMARCK, N.D. — It took extra innings, but the top-seeded Valley City Post 60 Royals survived a major upset scare in the opening round of the Class A West Regional Tournament, edging the eighth-seeded Williston Oilers 5-4 on Thursday night.

The Royals fell into an early 4-0 hole after a disastrous first inning that included three walks and three hit batters. Corbyn Powell came out of the bullpen to stop the bleeding, striking out the side and setting the tone for a dominant relief outing.

Valley City chipped away at the deficit in the second inning. After two quick outs, Will Schwehr and Leighton Hendrickson reached base to extend the inning. Bryson Heck followed with an RBI single, and Powell ripped a double to pull the Royals within one, making it 4-3.

Despite several missed opportunities—three inning-ending line-drive double plays with runners in scoring position—Valley City finally tied the game in the fourth. A wild throw by Williston catcher Carson Weber allowed Heck to score from third, leveling the game at 4-4.

Powell held Williston scoreless over five strong innings before handing the ball to James Schwehr to start the sixth. Schwehr kept the game tied before giving way to Heck, who recorded the final four outs and gave the Royals a chance to win it in extras.

In the bottom of the eighth, back-to-back walks to Schwehr and Andrew Sykora set the table. A botched pickoff attempt and a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. After Will Schwehr struck out, pinch-hitter Adam Shanenko delivered the game-winning sac fly, driving in Schwehr for the walk-off victory.

With the win, Valley City (19-3) extended its winning streak to 12 games and advanced to the semifinals, where it will face the Bismarck Senators at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Broadcast Information:
All Post 60 tournament games are broadcast on 1490 AM / 96.3 FM KOVC and streamed online at NewsDakota.com.