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Klabunde, Rudolph stifle Trappers in Vistas sweep

Alex Eisen/MDN Vistas pitcher Lofton Klabunde releases a pitch to home plate on Tuesday in a North Dakota American Legion baseball game against the Post 400 at Corbett Field in Minot.

Never relinquishing the lead on a picture-perfect summer evening at Corbett Field, the Minot Vistas (6-4) cruised to a somewhat stress free sweep of the Fargo Post 400 Trappers on Tuesday.

Barring a seventh inning blast off the scoreboard, Lofton Klabunde pitched a complete game gem in the first North Dakota American Legion baseball game for a 4-1 Vistas win. In the nightcap, Creighton Rudolph came two outs away from a complete game shutout before the Trappers loaded the bases and got to relief pitcher Kyler Stenberg for two runs. The Vistas, however, bunkered down for a 3-2 victory.

“We got really good pitching today,” Minot coach Pat Arntson said. “We needed that with just kind of where our arms are at. Guys are starting to get a little bit sore from this past weekend. We didn’t have a ton of guys available, so it’s really helpful for them to go that deep. Then, Kyler came in during a tough spot and found his groove when he needed to.”

The rare pitching combination of Klabunde and Rudolph certainly paid off.

“They threw a ton of strikes with different pitches,” Arntson said. “And got early contact. That was the impressive part. I think Lofton had 75 pitches in seven innings. You know you are getting a lot of early, soft contact with that final number.”

After an inning and a half of scoreless baseball in the first game, Johnny Tubbs ignited the Vistas’ offense with a two-out home run over the left field fence to put Minot up 1-0.

The lead grew out to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Helping his own cause, pitcher Klabunde sent a single to left field to score Creighton Rudolph from second base. An over throw from left field to home plate allowed Conor Taney to score all the way from first base.

Derek Bartsch, the next batter, brought Klabunde home with another RBI single to left.

“It builds confidence for myself,” Klabunde said about working with an early lead. “It’s like going out there and if we make a couple of mistakes, then you know you have a little breathing room. And you can always come back and get more hits.”

Gunning for the shutout, Klabunde had to watch it sail away in the seventh as Jackie Ross went the opposite way for a one-out solo home run that clipped off the bottom of the scoreboard in right field.

Klabunde, the only player across both teams to record multiple hits with two outs, gave up just four hits in the contest to earn the victory. Zach Staller, despite throwing a complete game as well, took the loss for the Trappers.

The Vistas didn’t waste any time taking the lead in Game 2. After starting pitcher Rudolph went 1-2-3 in the top of the first inning, the Vistas loaded the bases in the bottom half. A wild pitch scored the first run and then Eli Stewart drove two more runs in with a base hit back up the middle, 3-0.

On the mound, Rudolph took over right where Klabunde left off. He kept his shutout alive multiple times.

First with a double play on a comebacker to the mound early in the contest and later got a ground out plus two pop outs to the catcher Noah Tate to strand a Trapper runner on third base in the fifth inning.

His Houdini act wasn’t quite finished. Rudolph escaped the sixth inning as well with another runner on third base, as Ross sent a two-out long ball to the warning track to be caught.

The good fortune ran out in the seventh. Rudolph walked the bases loaded and, for the first time all day, the Vistas found themselves under some pressure.

Despite his determination, Rudolph handed the ball off to Stenberg with two outs left to get.

“I wanted them,” Rudolph said about getting the last couple of outs. “Any time you get out there and have the chance to go the whole distance it gives your team a rest and some guy’s arm a rest. So, you really try to get those last two outs for your team mainly. I just had some control issues and luckily Kyler (Stenberg) was able to step up and close the door”

Stenberg faced three batters, closing out the win with a walk, sacrifice fly and a pop out in foul territory to first baseman Bartsch.

Both teams only had three hits in the second game. The loss went to Post 400’s Matt Hagen.

The Vistas are off to Alexandria, Minnesota, next for a tournament that will run from Friday to Sunday.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

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