Alex Eisen/MDN Minot youth baseball second baseman Hunter Ruzicka turns a double play in practice last month, as the team prepared for the Cal Ripken World Series.

BRANSON, Mo. — On Thursday, it was the defense that went missing. Then, the bats went cold on Friday.

The Minot youth baseball team, representing North Dakota, is still looking for that “complete game” having lost its second game in as many days at the Cal Ripken Major70 World Series.

Minot lost 5-1 to Ohio Valley on Friday in Branson, Missouri.

“We hung in the game,” Minot coach Ron Nissen said. “It was a good game. We just didn’t put enough runs up.”

Minot was held to two hits in the contest with its lone run coming in the third inning on a Hunter Ruzicka fielder’s choice. The hits came from Eli Nissen with a single in the first inning and lead-off hitter Morgan Nygaard getting a base hit as well in the fifth inning.

Runners left on base proved to be costly.

“A 5-1 loss is not a blowout by any means,” Ron Nissen said. “We had runners on second and third, bases loaded and a couple different times we had runners in scoring position. We just didn’t get that one big hit.”

Minot lost its first game of the tournament on Thursday to Pacific Northwest 10-5 after holding a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. Despite dropping to 0-2, the players remain upbeat knowing they had opportunities to win both contests.

“We feel like we belong. We have competed really well, but just haven’t put a complete game together yet,” Nissen said. “I don’t think they are getting frustrated. They realize that they need to play complete ballgames down here or you’re not going to win. We have explained that to them and they realize that.”

Minot and Ohio Valley were tied at 1-1 through two and a half innings.

Ohio Valley scored its five runs on nine hits. Bennett Egan had a pair of doubles and Landon Akers also notched two hits with a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Hits were at a premium for Minot.

“The team we played today was really rock solid defensively,” Nissen said. “We had some guys that hit the ball really hard today and that team just made the defensive plays when they need to.”

On the mound, Tyler Buchanan was dealt the loss for Minot despite praise from Nissen about his four innings of work. Landyn Almy and Carson Yale pitched in relief. Kyle Campbell picked up the win for Ohio Valley throwing 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief.

Minot’s last game of pool play is at 10 a.m. on Sunday against North Arkansas. A team, much like every team they have played so far, that they don’t know a lot about.

“There’s not too many scouting reports out,” Nissen said jokingly. “When you play in North Dakota, you get to know everybody so well that you kind of almost know how to pitch to guys and how to play people. In these games, you are going in blind so it is a little bit difficult.

“But, on the same note though, baseball is the same all over the world. Good pitching, good defense and good hitting adds up to wins.”

Minot will try to put all that altogether on Sunday to get its first win at Cal Ripken World Series.

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