“The first time, it was pretty close,” Holien said. “Second time, we got stomped by them. We all didn’t think that we had the biggest chance of winning today. They are a really solid team.”

After the Blue Sox jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning, any prior doubts vanished in the wind. Surrey earned a decisive 13-3 victory in the first game of Friday’s American Legion Class B District 3 Tournament action.

That early surge proved to be critical. The rally began with the bases loaded and one out.

Jaxon Feller got hit by a pitch. Holien nailed a deep double to the outfield. Dalton Anderson ripped a triple. Mason Dunn added an RBI groundout.

Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Mustrats’ Garrett Schmidt scores the game-winning run against Garrison. Renville County took a 6-5 victory in 10 innings.

“Exactly what we wanted to do,” Surrey coach Kelly Wetzel said. “Jump on them early and get the momentum going. Take it away from them. You could tell that the bench was alive. The whole team was on and ready to play, and it got everybody going and it was a great effort by our team.”

Surrey added two more runs off Renville County starting pitcher Brock Depute in the fourth inning. Cleanup hitter Mitch Seopa flung his bat at an outside pitch and found a spot in left field.

In the bottom of the fifth, Surrey starting pitcher Jayden Wetzel escaped a critical jam. He wiggled his way out of a tough spot with runners on second and third base.

Keegan McClain relieved Wetzel and gave up a run, making the score 9-3 in the bottom of the sixth. After Muskrat pitcher Dalton Moberg relieved teammate Korbin Hall, he surrendered the game’s final four runs in the top of the seventh.

Renville County scored their three runs on four hits. The Blue Sox needed only nine hits to score their 13 runs.

“If they can come out again and jump on a team, we’ve got a good chance,” Kelly said. “There’s some good teams behind us here. We can’t take anything for granted.”

As he celebrated with his teammates, Holien broke into an ear-to-ear grin. He realized he overcame his doubts.

“We’re going to the ‘ship,” he said. “I’m excited.”

Renville County

walks off in a thriller

Stetson Helwing entered the tournament in a slump, so he spent some extra time in the batting cages. On Thursday, the shortstop hit a home run to help Renville County defeat Bottineau. His walk-off single cemented another victory against Garrison to conclude a 10-inning Friday matchup.

Slump: busted.

“He’s had two awesome games at the plate,” Renville County coach Bart Savelkoul said. “Just the time he has put in lately, to come up with a home run and that hit right there is just tremendous. It’s dedication to baseball.”

The Muskrats and Titans battled in a topsy-turvy ballgame, finishing with a 6-5 final. Renville County scored their first four runs in the first inning and their final two runs in the tenth inning. After a run crossed on an errant pitch, first baseman Charles Eriksmoen launched a three-run shot over the left field fence.

It was the first home run of Eriksmoen’s career. His teammates were nothing short of exuberant as he touched home plate.

“The kids had to show up to the second game with energy,” Savelkoul said. “Not be down, come back and grit it up. Just a big gut-check.”

The nightcap did not lack drama. Garrison scored their first run of the game in the top of the sixth inning, then added three more in the seventh to tie up the game. Second baseman Trapper Jacobs drove a deep sacrifice fly help his team take the lead in the tenth, but his efforts ultimately proved fruitless.

“We’re a little pooped right now,” catcher Henry Savelkoul said. “When you’re having fun, you don’t feel it that much. We did it as a team, and it’s all good. We’re just grinding it out as long as we can go.”

Surrey and Renville County will meet once more at 1:30 p.m. today. If the Muskrats win, the teams will face off again at 4 p.m.

“The season was on the line there,” Bart Savelkoul said. “We were going home. Big crowd here today, and I just couldn’t be any prouder of them showing up after getting beat by their rival. More than anything, just that we showed up mature, knew we had to do it and they did it.”

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.