FARGO (FNS) — Enderlin/Maple Valley pitcher Jacob Johnson admits he often feels a bit worn down when he gets to the midway point of games.

Unfortunately for the Falcons’ opening-round opponent in the North Dakota Class B state baseball tournament, such wear and tear wasn’t visible on the junior pitcher Thursday at Newman Outdoor Field.

Johnson retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, and the Falcon offense came alive with a five-run fifth inning in a 7-1 opening round win over MLS-Glenburn.

After surrendering an RBI triple to Henry Savelkoul, one that was set up by a two-out error in the first inning, Johnson proved to be virtually unhittable the rest of the way, recording 12 strikeouts. After allowing a one-out single in the second inning, Johnson didn’t allow another hit until there were two outs in the seventh.

“My arm felt good throughout the whole game,” Johnson said. “Normally I start getting sore around the fourth, fifth inning but it still feels good. You know people are watching and you want to bring your A-game.”

Johnson said he tried to take better care of his arm in the days leading into the week. He also credited the warm weather for helping him stay fresh throughout the day.

His strong effort wasn’t a surprise to his head coach.

“He’s one of the top-five, maybe top-three pitchers in the state in our division,” Kevin Bratland said. “He showed it today. Went right after people, good fastball, good curve. We’re pretty spoiled.”

After taking a 2-1 lead on a fourth-inning single by Austin Glarum, the Falcons blew things open with a five-run fifth, a surge that was highlighted by back-to-back RBI triples by Colton Sorenson and Brandan Utke.

Enderlin/Maple Valley takes on top-seed Thompson at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Three-time

champ Park River tops Ryan

FARGO (FNS) — To the best of Bryce Wood’s knowledge, Thursday was a first for the Park River/Fordville-Lankin baseball team this season.

“It’s probably the first time we’ve had more errors than hits (allowed) in a game all year,” the PR/F-L senior said.

That wasn’t enough to derail the Aggies as they kept alive their bid for a third consecutive North Dakota Class B high school baseball tournament championship.

Wood pitched a complete game three-hitter (the Aggies had four errors), and Park River/F-L advanced with a 6-4 win over Bishop Ryan in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.

The Aggies scored two runs in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie. Nate Zavalney led off the bottom of the sixth by lining a triple to the fence in right field, his fourth hit of the game. Nick Thompson bounced the next pitch into right field to single home the go-ahead run.

With two out, PR/F-L added an insurance run when Wood doubled into the left-field corner to drive in Thompson.

For Zavalney to lead off an inning with a triple, “the percentages are high” that he’ll score, said PR/F-L coach Brett Omdahl, whose team needed late-inning heroics for the third consecutive game to pull out a win. “With their backs against the wall, these guys fight back.

“That triple was huge. We needed an answer. The momentum was on Ryan’s side. Nate came up huge.”

Wood got out of a two-on situation in the seventh as the right-hander ended the game with his 10th strikeout.

“Wood did everything that I wanted him to, everything we as a team expected him to,” Omdahl said. “(If) we clean up the mess we had defensively, he throws a shutout.”

The Aggies wasted no time taking a lead.

Nate Zavalney led off the bottom of the first inning with a ground-ball single into right field. and eventually scored when twin brother Adam Zavalney lined a double into the gap in left-center field.

Park River/F-L scored three more in the third.

But the Lions capitalized on PR/F-L miscues to pull even.

After back-to-back singles to open the fourth inning, Ryan took advantage of a hit batter, a wild pitch and a throwing error to score twice.

Ryan tied the score with two more in the fifth without benefit of a hit. Two errors and two walks keyed the inning.

That set up the sixth-inning Aggies outburst. “It was getting the ball in play, something we do well,” Wood said. “Make them make plays. If they don’t, we’re standing on the bags.”