SURREY - For the second straight day, a Surrey pitcher took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of an American Legion game.
The Blue Sox defense made plays Thursday during a 10-0 win over Burlington.
That wasn't the case Friday for starter Chance Smith.
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Daniel Allar/MDN
Bottineau’s Devon Bercier fouls off a pitch during his team’s 10-8 win in the first game of a doubleheader Friday in Surrey. Bercier pitched 5 2/3 innings to earn the win.
Bottineau took advantage of six Surrey errors and five walked or hit batters to defeat the Blue Sox 10-8 in the first game of a doubleheader.
The Blue Sox (6-8) outhit Bottineau 10-4 and trailed 4-0 before Smith surrendered a hit.
"We gave away way too many runs," Blue Sox coach Jeremy Feller said. "With good teams, you give away plays (and) they're gonna score on you. We felt we gave up at least eight runs by just not fielding the baseball."
Although Bottineau (9-1) didn't total many hits, the team put pressure on Surrey's defense by bunting, stealing bases and taking extra bases as the Blue Sox tossed the ball around.
"Their pitchers were throwing strikes and we were just doing the little things," said Bottineau leadoff Taylor Milbrath, who scored three runs without recording a hit. "Everybody in the lineup can do 'em so that helps."
Surrey cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth, as Smith and Cayde Enns picked up RBI singles.
Bottineau responded with all four of its hits in the top of the fifth, scoring five runs and sending 10 batters to the plate. Surrey had two errors in the frame.
"(After) two or three times through the order, you're gonna start seeing some pitches and learn when to attack," Bottineau coach Derek Aus said. "We worked into good hitting counts, too. When we got hits I think we were expecting strikes and we knew when to swing."
Bottineau added another run in the sixth to extend its lead to 10-4, but the Blue Sox rallied during their at-bat.
Bottineau starter Devon Bercier was chased from the game after giving up four runs in the inning, including a two-RBI double to left fielder Brady Schwan. Justin McCloud relieved Bercier with a 10-8 lead, two outs and runners on second and third.
McCloud recorded four outs, allowing just one walk, to preserve Bottineau's win.
Smith finished 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and Surrey catcher Michael Feigitsch went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs.
Feller thought his team could have won the game by five or six runs, but he also praised Bottineau for playing "good, fundamental baseball."
"Any time they had a runner on base, they made us pay whether they stole or bunted him over," Feller said. "They did things right and we didn't and that was the difference between us being up and losing."
Bottineau pounded 12 hits in a five-inning 9-2 win in the second game of the doubleheader. McCloud batted 3-for-3 and four of his teammates tallied two hits apiece.