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Fargo, N.D. —
A big day at the plate failed to translate into a victory for Blue Springs Post 499/Junior Fike.
Fike, despite pounding out nine hits, lost a 12-9 shootout to the Grand Forks (N.D.) Blues in a winners’ bracket game in the Mid-States Junior American Legion Baseball Regional Friday at Jack Williams Stadium in Fargo.
Seven errors helped lead to Fike’s downfall Friday.
“We picked the wrong day to play our worst defensive game,” Fike coach John Kirwin said. “(Alex) Smith and (Cameron) Miller pitched well; we just kicked the ball around behind them.”
But the bats nearly made up for the defensive miscues. Caleb Humphreys led the way for Fike with two hits and three RBIs, and Cale Benson hit his third home run of the tournament.
“True to Fike form, our boys never considered themselves out, twice coming back from deficits of six and seven runs to make it a game,” Kirwin said. “We’re still deep on pitching and are hopeful to make a run on Saturday and Sunday.”
Fike will take on Rapid City (S.D.) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in an elimination game. The winner advances to another elimination game at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Humphreys hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first to give Fike a 2-1 lead. Grand Forks, though, went ahead for good with three runs in the top of the second on two errors and a sacrifice fly.
Fike cut it to 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the third, but the Blues blew it open by scoring six runs in the top of the fourth.
Trevor Henson’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth and Andrew Olsen’s RBI single in the fifth cut the deficit to 10-5. Grand Forks, though, added two runs in the sixth.
Fike made it interesting, though, by scoring two runs in the sixth. Benson slugged a two-run homer in the seventh to get Fike within three runs, but a ground out by Reece Eddins ended the game.
A big day at the plate failed to translate into a victory for Blue Springs Post 499/Junior Fike.
Fike, despite pounding out nine hits, lost a 12-9 shootout to the Grand Forks (N.D.) Blues in a winners’ bracket game in the Mid-States Junior American Legion Baseball Regional Friday at Jack Williams Stadium in Fargo.
Seven errors helped lead to Fike’s downfall Friday.
“We picked the wrong day to play our worst defensive game,” Fike coach John Kirwin said. “(Alex) Smith and (Cameron) Miller pitched well; we just kicked the ball around behind them.”
But the bats nearly made up for the defensive miscues. Caleb Humphreys led the way for Fike with two hits and three RBIs, and Cale Benson hit his third home run of the tournament.
“True to Fike form, our boys never considered themselves out, twice coming back from deficits of six and seven runs to make it a game,” Kirwin said. “We’re still deep on pitching and are hopeful to make a run on Saturday and Sunday.”
Fike will take on Rapid City (S.D.) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in an elimination game. The winner advances to another elimination game at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Humphreys hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first to give Fike a 2-1 lead. Grand Forks, though, went ahead for good with three runs in the top of the second on two errors and a sacrifice fly.
Fike cut it to 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the third, but the Blues blew it open by scoring six runs in the top of the fourth.
Trevor Henson’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth and Andrew Olsen’s RBI single in the fifth cut the deficit to 10-5. Grand Forks, though, added two runs in the sixth.
Fike made it interesting, though, by scoring two runs in the sixth. Benson slugged a two-run homer in the seventh to get Fike within three runs, but a ground out by Reece Eddins ended the game.
