Kari Gibb/MDN Bishop Ryan junior Drew Zwak pitches against South Prairie-Max in the top of the third inning at Hoeven Park

South Prairie-Max traveled to Minot to face Bishop Ryan at Hoeven Park and nearly went home with the win. The Royals led 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning before the Lions were able to tie the game and then win 8-7 in the end.

Bishop Ryan got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning. Lions junior Drew Zwak hit a single to reach base. Fellow junior Teegan Coonrod tripled to score Zwak. Junior Ramsey Walz then grounded out, but scored Coonrod on the hit. With the score 2-0 in favor of Bishop Ryan, the teams each scored a run in the third inning to make the score 3-1 for the Lions.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Bishop Ryan junior Jett Lundeen singled to reach first and then was able to advance to third when Lions junior Bennett Warren grounded out. With one out, Zwak then doubled to score Lundeen. Coonrod singled to score Zwak and Bishop Ryan was up 5-2 going into the sixth inning.

After a scoreless sixth, the Royals pounded the ball at the top of the seventh. South Prairie-Max sophomore Landen Jansen singled to start the inning. Fellow sophomore Zachary Korgel was walked to have runners on first and second base. Royals junior Hayden Bohl was walked and the bases were loaded. Senior Ethan Dobson stepped to the plate and hit a double to score Jansen and Korgel while Bohl advanced to third.

Royals freshman Burke Rauschenberger singled to score Bohl and two batters later, sophomore Jacob Samson was walked to load the bases. Bohl scored on the series from a wild pitch making the score 5-5 at that time.

With two out, senior Josiah Bagwell reached on a fly ball error that allowed Dodson and Rauschenberger to score. The Royals led 7-5 with three outs separating them from the road win.

To start the bottom of the seventh, Warren singled to reach first and was able to steal second base on a pick off attempt by the defense. Zwak then hit a double that scored Warren. Royals 7, Lions 6.

Coonrod then returned the favor to Zwak for the initial score. Zwak scored when Coonrod hit a triple to tie the game at 7-7 with no outs.

The last batter was Walz for the Lions and he was able to bring Coonrod in for the 8-7 come from behind win.

Zwak was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate while Coonrod was 3-for-4 while Lundeen, Warren, eighth grader Calvin Olson and junior Boden Erck each added hits. The Lions were 11-for-28 as a team. Zwak pitched six and two-thirds innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits with an earned run mark of three. He also walked four batters and recorded ten strikeouts. Coonrod pitched one-third inning in relief and allowed no runs, no hits, no walks and tallied one strikeout.

South Prairie-Max’s Dodson and Rauschenberger went 2-for-4 batting while Samson, Jansen and freshman Kamron Bauer each added a hit. As a team, the Royals were 7-for-30 at the plate.

The Lions are scheduled to host Shiloh Christian Thursday, May 16, while the Royals have a trip to Garrison today.