idwest Region Tournament Championship as part of the Little League World Series.

The team representing North Dakota in the Midwest Region Tournament comes out of Fargo. They faced off against the team from South Dakota during their morning game on Wednesday, August 6.

South Dakota took an early lead in the bottom of the first after Connor Felderman took a walk to first and stole second on a wild pitch. Devin Aukes tripled into center field to bring Felderman home making the score 0-1. Aukens himself was then brought in by a sacrifice fly hit by Maxen Snoozey. North Dakota’s Jack Dahlman was able to secure a strike out for the third out of the inning, keeping SD from growing the score in the first.

North Dakota quickly responded in the top of the second inning earning three runs. North Dakota was able to load the bases with just one out on the board when Rylan Erickson struck out. Reid Wallgren hit a single to the third baseman to bring Hayden Holman home for their first run of the game. Jack Dahlman was then able to hit a line drive into center field to bring in James Shih and Tanner Holman. Wallgren was then tagged out on his way home after misunderstanding North Dakota’s third base coach. The score was 3-2 for North Dakota all the way through the bottom of the third.

North Dakota was able to widen their lead to five in the top of the fourth. The first run of the inning came when North Dakota once again had the bases loaded with two outs. Tanner Holman singled on a ground ball into left field to bring Charlie Mortensen home for the team’s fourth run. The fifth run came from a walk to Rylan Erickson to bring Hayden Holman in. The score was 5-2 for North Dakota at the end of the fourth inning.

Neither team would score again until South Dakota took to the plate in the bottom of the sixth for the last inning of the game. Devin Aukes singled into left field with bases loaded and no outs to bring Will Oakley in for South Dakota’s first run of the inning. Kenson Henderson was able to keep the ball rolling with a sacrifice fly to center fielder Reid Wallgren to bring Tate Schneider in. Camden Tycz of South Dakota grounded into a fielder’s choice to Charlie Mortensen at short stop. Mortensen forced the out on second before Aukes could make it, ending the inning and the game with a score of 5-4 to advance North Dakota to the championship game.

North Dakota will play in the championship game on Friday, August 8. They will play the winner of the losers’ bracket for the Midwest Region Championship. The final game of the losers’ bracket will be held on Thursday, August 7 and will see South Dakota take on Nebraska for a shot at redemption.