GRAND FORKS — What was scheduled to be a low-scoring pitching duel between Williston’s Brady Aberle and Minot’s Carson Tonini didn’t exactly scare away the offenses for either team.

In the opening round of the American Legion Class AA State Tournament, the No. 6-seeded Williston Keybirds outlasted Tonini and the No. 3-seeded Minot Vistas, 5-3.

Garret Hill got the Keybirds on the board first with an RBI single in the opening frame.

Minot countered with two runs in the bottom half. Derek Nygaard, who went 3-for-3 in the contest, scored off a balk and Kyler Stenberg came home on an error.

Another balk allowed Williston to tie the score at 2-2 in the third inning. That was followed by an RBI single from Jaxon Meyer to give the Keybirds a 3-2 lead.

A two-out RBI double by Chance Johnson extend Williston’s lead in the fifth inning.

Runs were traded in the seventh to push the final score to 5-3. Minot left the tying runner on first base.

The Vistas, currently suffering through a five-game losing streak, drop into the must-win side of the double-elimination bracket and have a long road ahead of them to keep their season alive. First up is a loser-out contest against No. 7-seeded Fargo Post 400 at noon this afternoon in Grand Forks.

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