LaMOURE - The Velva American Legion baseball team fell 10-4 to Washburn (31-4) on Wednesday in the first round of the Class B state tournament.
Nathan Dean and Ryan Kuntz struggled on the mound for Velva (28-7) and the rest of the team couldn't keep pace with the Section 7 champions.
"We just didn't hit the ball," Velva coach Travis Bruner said. "If I remember right, we left at least eight runners in scoring position.
"They hit the ball well - and we expected them to - but we didn't counteract. Kind of the story of the game."
Velva will play 2011 champion Casselton at noon today in an elimination game. Washburn advanced to face Wahpeton at 5 p.m.
Standout pitcher John Mack will start for Velva today.
"I think he'll be ready to go," Bruner said. "We didn't start him (Wednesday) because we wanted to give him another day's rest. I was hoping today went a little better."
Mack pitched five innings of Sunday's Section 5 championship.
Wahpeton 1, Casselton 0
Wahpeton eked by reigning state champion and Section 3 winner Casselton in the tournament's first game by a 1-0 final. Jeremy Bontjes scored the game's lone run in the sixth inning.
Bontjes also pitched a complete game, giving up just four hits while striking out eight for the Section 1 champions.
Grafton 4, Lisbon 3
Wednesday's second game saw Section 4 champion Grafton escape with a 4-3 win over Section 2 runner-up Lisbon in nine innings. Lisbon rallied for two runs in the seventh to force extra play. Grafton scored in the bottom of the ninth and was led by Zach Suda and Christian Lunde. The pair had two hits each and Suda added an RBI.
Grafton will play host LaMoure at 7:30 tonight. Lisbon will Garrison in an elimination game 2:30 p.m.
LaMoure 3, Garrison 0
LaMoure (27-13) scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning and Tanner Carlson held Garrison scoreless, giving up just five hits and one walk.
Carlson struck out nine Titans. Brooks Reinholt led Garrison (18-4) with two hits. Ramsey Crawford gave up seven hits and walked four in the loss.
- Daily News Staff