Game 1 - Pioneers 10... Dakota College at Bottineau 9 (8 Innings)
Coleman Parry (1B - American Fork, UT) blasted a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 8th inning after the Pioneers rallied from a 8-2 deficit to give the Pioneers a thrilling 10-9 win over Dakota College at Bottineau in game 1 on Friday afternoon in Miles City.
Dakota College took control of the game in the 3rd inning by scoring 5 runs and then added 2 in the 4th and another in the 5th to build a 8-2 lead. MCC got those 5 runs back in the top of the 5th inning to cut the lead to 8-7 but the Lumberjacks got a run in the bottom of the 5th to lead 9-7. The Pioneers then got 2 clutch runs to in the top of the 7th to get the game to extra innings before Parry's heroics.
MCC scored 1st with 2 runs in the 2nd inning. Luke Wilson (C - Calgary, Alberta) (courtesy runner Brock Lopez) and Luke Thorne (3B - Missoula, MT) drew back to back walks. Cooper Morlang (2B - Rapid City, SD) hit a bunt single to load the bases. Brady Bickett (CF - Rapid City, SD) and Bohden Bahnmiller (SS - Helena, MT) hit back to back sacrifice flies to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.
The Lumberjacks then rattled off 8 consective runs before the Pioneers notched 5 runs in the 5th. Tanner Goertz (LF - Highlands Ranch, CO) hit a one out double and was promptly driven in on a Parry RBI single. Casey Morgan (RF - Salt Lake City, UT) walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd. With 2 outs, Thorne hit a RBI double and Morlang walked to load the bases again. Lopez came to the plate and walked in a run before Bahnmiller knocked in 2 with a single.
Trailing 9-7 in the top of the 7th, Thorne led the inning off with a solo home run. Morlang singled and Bahnmiller walked with one out. Morlang and Bahnmiller advanced a base on a wild pitch and then Morlang scored on a dropped 3rd strike to Bratlien who was out going to 1st.
That set up the 8th inning for the Parry home run and Ostyn Brennen (Kalispell, MT) shut down the Lumberjacks in the bottom of the 7th and 8th innings.
Parry finished the game 3-4 (HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Thorne was 2-3 (HR, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 R).
Davis Mosier (Billings, MT) got the start for the Pioneers and pitched 2 innings (4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) and gave the ball to Max Holden (Kalispell, MT) for the next 1.1 innings (3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO). Trae Awbery (Miles City, MT) went the next 2.1 innings (3 H, R, BB, 2 SO). Brennen went the final 2.1 innings (H, BB, 5 SO).
Inside the Box Score
- The Pioneers had 10 hits (2 HR, 2 2B) and the Lumberjacks had 11 hits (all singles).
- MCC had 4 errors and DCB had 1.
- Pioneer batters struck out 6 times, walked 8 times, and had one hit by pitch.
- Lumberjack batters struck out 12 times, walked 8 times, and had one hit by pitch.
- MCC had 4 stolen bases and DCB had 0.
Game 2 - Pioneers 14... Dakota College at Bottineau 2 (5 Innings)
Game 2 had far less suspense than game 1 as the Pioneers plated 10 runs in the 1st inning and cruised a 14-2 win in 5 innings.
The front third of the MCC Pioneer batting order had it going in game 2. Leadoff hitter Tanner Goertz was 3-4 (2B, 2 RBI, 3 R), Lance Bratlien was 3-4 (HR, 3 RBI, 3 R) in the two slot and Coleman Parry was 3-3 (2B, 2 RBI, 2 R). They accounted for 9 of the Pioneers 14 hits.
Bratlien hit a huge home run after a Goertz single to lead off the 1st inning and the Pioneers never looked back. Ethan Forrest (DH - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) had a 2 RBI single after that and then Cooper Morlang had a RBI single to put MCC up 5-0. After batting thru the lineup, Goertz singled again to drive in 2 runs. Bratlien drove in another run with a single and Luke Thorne followed that with a RBI single. The final Pioneer run of the inning came on a fielder's choice.
MCC scored 3 in the 3rd inning after a Bratlien single and Parry RBI double. Parry scored on a double play grounder and Thorne scored on a passed ball. The Pioneers final run of the game came in the 4th inning when Goertz doubled and Parry drove him in with a single.
Brady Bickett got the start on the mound and pitched 3 innings (3 H, 2 R, 6 SO). AJ Truman (Eureka, MT) pitched the 4th inning (2 BB, SO) and Collin Fortier worked the 5th inning (2 BB, 3 SO).
Inside the Box Score
- The Pioneers had 14 hits (HR, 3 2B). The Lumberjacks had just 3 hits.
- DCB had 3 errors and MCC had 2.
- Pioneer batters struck out 4 times and walked 3 times. They were hit by pitch 3 times.
- Lumberjack batters struck out 10 times and walked 4 times. They were hit by pitch once.
- MCC had 3 stolen bases.
The Pioneers are now 24-10 on the season and lead the MonDak Conference with a 7-1 record. Next up is a trip to Glendive on Wednesday, April 2 for a doubleheader with Dawson CC beginning at 1:00 PM MDT.