Aug 11, 2008 - 04:06:12 CDT
MINOT - The ink is dry, and the writing on the wall reads: Dickinson Roughriders, 2008 American Legion baseball state champions.The Roughriders brought home their first state title in the tournament's 50-year existent. The No. 2-seeded Roughriders handled the top-seeded Bismarck Governors 7-2 in the title game Sunday at Corbett Field. Dickinson advances to the Central Plains Regional, scheduled for Thursday-Sunday back in Minot.
The Governors advanced to the title game behind the right arm of Zach Wentz with a 4-2 victory over No. 4 and two-time defending state champion Minot Vistas, played earlier Sunday. Minot earned an automatic bid into the regional tournament.
"The goal was, when I was hired in '07, was to build a new deal and try to get the kids to buy into what we were doing," Dickinson coach Cory Hansen said. "It got better in '07, but it took us 40 games to buy into the system."
Hansen inherited an 18-30 team in 2007. The Roughriders finished 37-25 last season.
Right-handed pitcher Steven Laylock carried the load on the mound Sunday to carry the Roughriders to jubilation. Laylock threw a complete game, scattered six hits, gave up no earned runs, walked two and fanned eight.
Laylock threw 138 pitches on two days rest. He threw nine innings and 133 pitches in a winners' bracket game against Mandan on Friday.
"I told my teammates I wanted to go all nine," Laylock said. "I wanted to be out here when the final out came. I did everything for my arm that I could. This was the biggest challenge for me in baseball."
Laylock faced 37 hitters. He got 10 to ground out and five to fly out. He pitched six full counts.
As the innings dragged on, Laylock got tougher. He recorded five of his strike outs in the final four innings. Of his final 22 pitches, 18 were strikes. Laylock threw 95 strikes total.
Laylock singled in Michael Steve in the top of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. No. 3 hitter Cole Frenzel answered with a two-run home run in the same frame to give the Roughriders a 4-1 lead. Laylock credited Frenzel's round-tripper to his strong finish on the hill.
"I knew I would have to make sure that every pitch is a good pitch," Laylock said. "My goal is to throw strikes and let the defense make plays."
The Governors drew first blood when Zach Wentz, who doubled, scored on an error. Bismarck's second run was scored in the seventh by Hunter Johnson - again, on an error. Bismarck coach Mike Skytland credited Laylock for not allowing a comeback. Skytland said fatigue from playing earlier wasn't a factor.
"At the start of a championship game, both teams are excited to be here," Skytland said. "It seemed like we could never get the momentum. We knew Laylock would give a quality effort. Frenzel's homer broke it open. We had a couple more chances, but we couldn't get the big hit."
Dickinson cleanup hitter Ben Herauf crushed his fifth homer of the tournament in the third inning. Herauf, who was named the tournament's MVP, finished with 15 RBIs in the tournament and hit 12-for-22 at the plate.
The Mandan Chiefs won the sportsmanship award.
Dickinson 001 003 201 “ 7 17 3
Bismarck 010 000 100 “ 2 6 0
Steven Laylock and Michael Steve; Jon Hausauer, Hunter Johnson (6), Alex Deyle (7) and Taylor Isakson. W-Laylock; L-Hausauer. HR-Dickinson, Ben Herauf, Cole Frenzel.
Highlights: D “ Travis Tooley 3-for-5; Kyle Schroeder 2-for-4, RBI; Grant Kovacs 2-for-5; Herauf 2-for-5, RBI; Frenzel 2-for-4, 2 RBIs. B “ Wentz 3-for-4.
Records: D 38-15; B 35-15.
Bismarck 4, Minot 2
Skytland put the ball in the right hands to get the Governors into the championship game. Wentz said it was his best effort of the season, and his statistics backed up his analogy.
Wentz threw nine complete and needed 114 pitches to solve the Vistas. Wentz never faced more than four hitters in an inning, threw an impressive three-pitch fourth inning and pitched just two full counts in the 32 hitters he faced.
Wentz gave up four hits, two runs (earned), walked four and fanned six. He got 10 to fly out and eight to ground out.
"I threw a lot of fastballs," Wentz said. "I threw a lot of strikes at the knees, which is big for me."
Starting in the sixth inning, Wentz threw strikes on 23 of 24 pitches. In all, he fired 75 strikes and 39 balls.
"In the third I settled in, once I quit walking people," Wentz said.
The only runs he gave up were solo shots to Ryan Bollinger in the seventh and Zac Elgie in the ninth.
"Bollinger put a good swing on an inside fastball," Wentz said. "With Elgie, I just left it over the plate."
Wentz faced Minot's 2-3-4 hitters in the ninth. His strategy was to go after Minot's powerful offense. He got No. 2 Ryne Hornecker to pop out to Cody Erhardt in center field, gave up a homer to Elgie, got Bollinger to pop out to second baseman Jon Hausauer and fanned Derek Somerville.
"I wanted to attack them, throw strikes and make them earn it," Wentz said. "On the Elgie home run, we were still ahead by two runs. We didn't want to give them any freebies."
Wentz also benefited from stellar defense. The Governors turned three double plays to halt any chance for a rally from the Vistas.
Bismarck got on the board first in the second inning when Matt Chuppe singled in Wentz, who led off the inning with a walk.
The Governors tacked up three more in the third. Erhardt singled in Hausauer and Wentz belted a two-run bomb. Tyler Peterson was the Governors' lone multiple hitter by going 2-for-4.
Elgie was Minot's lone multiple hitter. Bollinger threw seven complete to earn a mark in the loss column. Bollinger scattered seven hits, gave up four runs (earned), walked one and fanned two.
Minot 000 000 101 “ 2 4 0
Bismarck 013 000 00x “ 4 7 0
Ryan Bollinger, Jordan Rubbelke (8) and Dane Towery, Ben Kramer (8); Zach Wentz and Taylor Isakson. W-Wentz; L-Bollinger. HR-Bismarck, Wentz; Minot, Bollinger, Zac Elgie.
Highlights: M- Elgie 2-for-4, HR, 1 RBI; Bollinger 1-for-4, HR. B-Tyler Peterson 2-for-4; Cody Erhardt triple, RBI; Wentz HR, 2 RBIs; Hunter Johnson double; Matt Chuppe 1-for-3, RBI.
Records: B 35-14; M 37-21.
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