Alex Eisen/MDN Sabre Dogs first baseman Eddie Satisky (35) makes a sliding grab Sunday evening against the Badlands Big Sticks at Corbett Field in Minot.

The Souris Valley Sabre Dogs last-ditch rally to reach the postseason hit a speed bump while trying to sweep the Badlands Big Stick.

The Lewis Division-leading Big Sticks (29-20) snapped the Sabre Dogs (26-22) four-game win streak with a 7-2 victory on Sunday evening at Corbett Field.

The Sabre Dogs now trail the Big Sticks by 2 1/2 games with four games remaining in the regular season.

Recaps of Friday’s 5-4 extra-innings win and Saturday’s 8-2 victory over the Big Sticks, which included a debut grand slam by Minot State’s Jackson Pokorney, can be found online at minotdailynews.com.

It’s hard to beat any team three times in a row.

“That’s true,” said assistant head coach Brock Baughcum, who was filling in for head coach Corey Thompson. “Very proud of our guys. They hung around and played it out until the end. The previous two nights were really good for us. We took two out of three from a really good team. That’s all we can ask.”

Thompson departed to his alma mater Point University in Georgia to fulfill requirements after accepted a new job. He promised a return before the end of the summer if the Sabre Dogs made the postseason this weekend.

Along with Thompson not in attendance, there were a few more notable changes for the Sabre Dogs.

Slugger Bo McClintock, fresh off a home run in Saturday’s win, left the team to go back to school. Veteran infielder Mason Dinesen was stationed in center field due to a lack of outfielders on the roster. Lastly, Minot State players Kaiden Cardoso, Martin Rodriquez and Kellen Peat were penciled into the Sabre Dogs’ starting lineup for the first time this season.

In total, seven MSU Beavers saw action on Sunday.

“A lot of guys have had to take off back to school,” Baughcum said. “Some mandatory meetings about COVID-19 that the students had to attend to. Bo (McClintock), Chauncey (Callier) and (Allen) Grier all had to leave. They hated it, but they have to do what they have to do.”

Sabre Dogs starting pitcher Josh Robins worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second inning to keep the game scoreless.

Big Sticks starting pitcher Joel Colledge matched by leaving the bases juiced with Sabre Dogs in the third inning.

The deadlock was pried open shortly after in the fourth inning with Big Sticks No. 7 hitter Clayton Hale blasting a two-run home run. His fifth long ball of the season had the Sabre Dogs trailing for the first time in five games, or 40 consecutive innings.

Josh Solomon cut the deficit in half with a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. But Hale went yard again in the eighth inning to push the Big Sticks’ advantage back up to two runs at 3-1.

The Sabre Dogs again got one run back. Rodriquez ripped an RBI single back up the middle in the bottom half. However, Kellen Peat struck out with runners on second and third base to end the inning.

The Big Sticks added four insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning against relief pitcher Aaron Kern to put the game away, 7-2.

Solomon went 3-for-5 at the plate. Carson Lundmark, Gaylan Young and Hale all had three hits for the Big Sticks. Badlands outhit Souris Valley 12-9.

“We got to come back and score more runs than the other team,” Baughcum said. “We have new faces coming in the house, and we are going to go out and compete. See what happens.”

Playing for home-field advantage in the best-of-three championship series and possibly decide who they face, the Clark Division-winning Fremont Moo visit Minot for a three-game series starting this evening. All games scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. from Corbett Field.

The Sabre Dogs will conclude the regular season on Thursday with a rain makeup game against the Big Sticks. The championship series gets underway on Friday.

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