After a lopsided first contest, the rematch offered plenty of action and lots of banter around the diamond — whether that was Hooker playing in the outfield for the first time for the Expos or Surrey batters unsuccessfully trying to dodge errant pitches.

“This was a good confidence booster for us,” Surrey head coach Jesse Roberts said. “Usually, Minot teams are really good, and they gave us some competition there.”

In Game 1, Surrey brought home 16 runs on nine outs. The scoring gradually increased throughout each inning, from three runs in the first to five runs in the second to eight runs in the third.

The Blue Sox effectively took batting practice, and it didn’t matter who the Expos had on the mound. Defensive miscues from Minot saw Surrey running around the bases throughout the contest.

Alex Eisen/MDN Minot Expos left fielder Corey Hooker runs full speed into the fence trying to catch a foul ball Tuesday evening in Surrey. He jogged away without any injuries and a smile on his face.

“Errors hurt really bad,” Expos head coach Grant Dowty said. “We didn’t really have any energy, and the first game showed it when you lose 16-0. The second game we had a little bit of energy.”

Conner Dyke, Dylan Fredrickson, Keegan McLain, Coltan Francis, Kekoa Munos and Dalton Anderson all collected RBIs for Surrey.

McLain pitched a four-inning complete game on the mound and, for good measure, even caught a pop fly on the third-base line to record the final out of the game. The opening game was called off after three and a half innings due to the mercy run-rule at 16-0.

“I was trying to throw a lot of strikes and tried not to let all the noise get to my head,” McLain said. “I was doing a slow rhythm and keeping my pace.”

The nightcap started with both teams leaving the bases loaded in the first inning. The Expos didn’t waste the same opportunity in the second inning.

A bases-loaded walk to Ethan Johnson scored Minot’s first run of the doubleheader. Hooker added an RBI sacrifice fly to center field and Kaleb Bellew provided an RBI single off the glove of Surrey third baseman Collin Headrick. Two pitches to the backstop added two more runs, 5-0.

Hooker nearly kept Surrey off the scoreboard in the bottom half with a spectacular diving effort in left field. The ball went in and bounced out of Hooker’s glove and allowed the Blue Sox to score two runs off Fredrickson’s line drive. A passed ball added one more to cut the Expos’ lead to 5-3 after two innings.

“He might be a natural outfielder for all I know,” Dowty said about Hooker starting his first game in the outfield.

Hooker’s adventures in left field were far from finished. Before he finally made that elusive diving catch, Hooker crashed into the fence at full speed going after a foul ball. He jogged away like nothing even happened and yelled back to the dugout, “I’m fine.”

The ball landed well beyond the other side of the battered fence, which withstood a takedown attempt from Hooker, a former Minot High wrestler.

“I have never seen that,” Dowty said. “I don’t think anybody out here has ever seen something like that before. I don’t even know what to say about it. I don’t even know.”

Once the shock value of Hooker’s remarkable collision started to wear off, Surrey went back to work to complete the comeback. An RBI fielder’s choice and an infield RBI single by Francis tied the game at 5-5 in the third inning.

Following a passed ball that scored another run, Headrick knocked in two more with a single, 8-5. In the fourth inning, Munos hit an RBI single and a wild pitch had Surrey up 10-5.

The Expos got one run back in the top of the fifth to end the nightcap at 10-6.

“We struggle when we don’t swing,” Roberts said. “So, hitting the ball today will help us going into next week as we got three games coming up. It will be long, but everybody has to go through it. We will figure it out from here.”

Both teams are back in action next Tuesday, June 23. The Minot Expos host Makoti at 5 p.m. at Jack Hoeven Park in Minot, while the Blue Sox welcome Velva to Surrey for a doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m.

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