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Vistas get back in win column, split doubleheader with Mandan Chiefs

Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Minot Vistas pitcher Eli Nissen follows through on a pitch during Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Mandan Chiefs at Corbett Field. The Vistas earned a 6-3 victory before falling 3-2 in the nightcap.

During the early stages of Thursday evening’s opener at Corbett Field, the Mandan Chiefs could not solve Minot Vistas southpaw Eli Nissen.

In 5 1/3 innings of work, Nissen flummoxed the Chiefs with a reliable fastball and a potpourri of off-speed pitches. The strong pitching effort helped Minot (7-11 statewide league) claim a 6-3 win over Mandan (4-10 statewide league) in Game 1.

“I was just trying to really pound the strike zone,” Nissen said. “I had some good off-speed working for me today. I knew if I could pound the strike zone a lot, I’d have my defense right behind me to make great plays.”

Mandan eked out a 3-2 victory in the nightcap. Shortly after the first contest began, Minot loaded the bases and scratched across the run in the opening frame.

Neither team struck in the second inning, but the Vistas tacked on four critical runs in the third. After a bases-loaded walk, the Chiefs flubbed Logan Merck’s grounder through the left side.

As the ball slipped through the crack, Jack Plemel and Dylan Vigested hustled to home plate. Another walk gave the Vistas additional insurance for the lead they never relinquished.

“We needed the help of the cheap ones — free bags and stuff like that — to give Eli a cushion,” Vistas head coach Pat Arntson said. “He’s been good. He needed some run support, and we knew we would be pretty comfortable with him on the mound.”

Nissen established a rhythm on the hill. As the game wore on, he showcased a knack for forcing ground balls.

“I just get locked in my zone,” Nissen said. “It’s just me and the hitter. I’m trying to play catch with the catcher.”

In the bottom of the sixth, Minot’s Derek Nygaard ripped a sharp RBI single down the third-base line. The Vistas created even more breathing room, but the Chiefs did not go down quietly.

Mandan slapped the ball around the diamond in the top of the seventh. The visitors scored all three of their runs in that frame, but Vigested worked his way out of trouble.

The victory snapped Minot’s six-game losing skid.

“We’re not going to be too proud to collect those wins when they’re tough to come by right now,” Arntson said. “That’s for sure, but we don’t want to celebrate that so much that we lose sight of the progress we need to make and our long-term goals for this program.”

The nightcap remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning. Morgan Nygaard opened the scoring with a sharp RBI single to left field.

The Chiefs countered with another run in the top of the fourth. After a dropped third strike, Blake Arenz got on his horse and slid safely into home.

The Vistas returned the favor in the bottom of that frame. Calvin Watkins’ blooper into shallow right field gave the home team a 2-1 advantage.

Momentum continued to shift. Mandan regained the lead after Anthony Johnson and Easton Andresen racked up RBI singles in the top of the fifth.

Minot did not produce a run in the final three frames.

“There was a lack of motivation all over the field,” Arntson said. “The energy didn’t feel like anybody was really here to get after it. We were both just here playing just because we’re supposed to instead of because we all want to.”

The Vistas will welcome Williston to Corbett Field on Sunday. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 5 p.m.

“We’re still not ready,” Arntson said. “We’re still trying to find a consistency. That’s what we need to find. That’s why we started moving a little bit of the bodies around. We still haven’t found that recipe to find that offensive blowup. Any time we’ve gotten to a decent number, it’s usually been with a significant amount of help with free bases from the other pitching staff. We have yet to come out and just bang it around. We’re still trying to find that group. Hopefully, it’s there.”

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

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