Submitted Photo Minot Metros starting pitcher Kayden Danielson throws a pitch during Saturday’s American Legion Class A West Region third-place game against the Bismarck Senators at Municipal Ballpark. Photo by Josh Dungan/Bismarck Tribune

The fifth inning has been a special one for the Minot Metros throughout the regular season, and that didn’t stop being true during the West Region tournament over the weekend.

For the second time in three games, the Metros used a gigantic fifth inning to get themself over the hump with the pressure at its apex. Playing a must-win game with a berth to the state tournament on the line, the Metros scored nine runs in the bottom of the fifth to break open a tie game, defeating Dickinson 13-3 in six innings on July 26 to keep its season going for another week.

“I wish our boys would start hitting right away, but it seems that fifth inning has been our inning all season long,” Metros coach Craig Schmich said. “To me it seems they’re waiting until the fifth inning to go strike instead of going to do it early, but I don’t think that’s intentional. That’s just how it’s been all season. That fifth inning has always been our magic inning, so if we can get going then, then we’re in a pretty good spot.”

The Metros (27-17) used a big fifth inning in their opening-round game against Watford City in which they scored seven runs to rally from an early 6-0 deficit to come away victorious in that contest as well. Minot scored 16 runs in the fifth inning in its four games at the region tournament.

A loss to the Bismarck Reps the day prior pushed the Metros’ season to the brink against Dickinson, with the loser seeing their season end short of the state tournament. Minot jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. A two-out error allowed the inning to continue, and the Metros took advantage. Owen Sundahl drove in two with a single to right and TJ Hjelmstad recorded his first of four RBIs with a single to score Sundahl from second.

The Volunteers (11-14) rallied with three in the fourth, but Minot clinched its spot at state with its signature fifth inning. The Metros recorded seven hits in the inning, including two bunt singles. Jace Price and Hjelmstad doubled in runs as Dickinson used three pitchers to get out of the inning.

Price had another productive game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Price is second on the team with 46 hits and is batting .362 this season. In his final three games at the region tournament, Price hit 6-for-11 with two doubles and six RBIs.

“He’s been one of our best hitters all year,” Schmich said. “I’ve told him that since Day 1. In the Bismarck Reps games in the regular season, he comes up with two clutch hits in those games to keep us in it and get us a win. I told him he’s one of the clutchest players I’ve ever coached. He grinds out at-bats, he gets to two strikes and I’m not worried. He’s going to find a way to hit the ball hard. If it’s caught, he’s still finding a way to get barrels. This season he’s been really good for us and I’m happy to see he’s been able to get his stride and be a big contributor for this team.”

Haden Bakk sealed Minot’s place at state with a walk-off pinch-hit single to left to score Landyn McGhee and trigger the 10-run mercy rule.

“The biggest thing for us is I told them that we’re going to fight until the last out no matter what,” Schmich said. “We’re playing to get to the state tournament and I think the boys came and were ready to answer the call. They scored three in the second inning, we were throwing up some zeros and then Dickinson came back with three of their own in the fourth. I kept telling them to keep fighting because it doesn’t matter how we win this game, if we win it by one or we win it by 10 it doesn’t really matter as long as we can get there. It’s a testament to the boys we have. They grind out at-bats. They do what they need to do.”

Now that the Metros knew they were in the state tournament field, the only thing left to resolve is what seed they would be between the No. 3 or No. 4 out of the West. The answer was the third seed after defeating the Bismarck Senators 7-2 in the third-place game later that afternoon.

There was no fifth-inning magic this time around, but instead the Metros got solid pitching to carry them to the third seed. Kayden Danielson tossed six shutout innings, allowing just a single hit and striking out eight. He allowed just three baserunners, the lone hit being a double surrendered to Drayden Dockter in the fifth.

Danielson’s gem followed a solid outing from Remington Anderson the game before. Anderson went five innings against Dickinson, allowing three runs on three hits, striking out six.

“Remington gives us a great game in Game 1 and then we go to Kayden Danielson again to give us a clean six innings,” Schmich said. “Kayden really wanted to start against Bismarck. He had 94 pitches left to go, so we let him ride and he goes out there and throws a one-hitter for six innings. The pitching side of things, what I tell the guys all year is that if you throw strikes and get ahead of guys, good things are going to happen. That’s what our guys did Sunday and only giving up five runs and scoring 20, that’s a good day for us.”

The Metros didn’t wait until the fifth to put the game away. They scored all seven runs over the course of the first three innings and kept the Senators (16-14-2) off the board until the seventh. Minot only produced four hits, but drew six walks.

Gavin King had a pair of RBIs.

The Metros will head to Casselton for the state tournament, where they will play the No. 3 seed out of the East in Kindred on July 31 at 4 p.m.