Wahpeton pitcher Rylan Flack is humming on the hill as the summer season stretches on | Photo by Carol Colby
Wahpeton Post 20 suffered a sweep Tuesday at the hands of Devils Lake in its regular-season home finale. The 7-0 and 2-1 losses will send Wahpeton into a play-in game ahead of the upcoming East Region Tournament.
Devils Lake scored all seven of its runs in the third and sixth innings of the opener, and rode a stellar outing from Cayden McCarthy to the win. The hurler delivered a 107-pitch complete game, holding Wahpeton to three hits and two walks while striking out 13.
Mayville State commit Ben Larson led the Devils Lake lineup in a 3-for-3 performance. Taydon Triepke and Max Palmer drove in two runs apiece atop the order.
Trey King provided volume for Wahpeton despite allowing six hits and five walks. The righty made it through 5 ⅓ innings, giving up six earned runs and fanning three.
Brayden Steffens posted another strong relief effort, holding Devils Lake scoreless in the final 1 ⅔ innings, while allowing a pair of hits and a walk. He struck out one.
Aiden Hajek hit his sixth double of the summer for Post 20, tying King for the team lead. Hajek, a North Dakota State College of Science commit, leads the squad with a .341 average and 23 RBIs.
Game two showcased a pitcher’s duel, as both squads scored a run in the first inning and Devils Lake scored the go-ahead and final run in the fifth.
Wahpeton righty Rylan Flack stayed hot on the hill, tossing a 108-pitch complete game. Flack held a vaunted Devils Lake lineup to four hits and three walks while striking out four. The outing lowered Flack’s ERA to a sterling 2.41 through 37 ⅔ innings.
Mason Palmer was electric on the bump for Devils Lake, supplying a 101-pitch complete game. Palmer’s three-hitter included three walks, a dozen strikeouts and zero earned runs.
Carter Hockert crossed the plate for Wahpeton, upping his total to a team-high 29 runs. Riley Jones, Hajek and Hockert each singled for the team’s three hits, and Ryan Braun reached twice via walk.
Brody Rainsberry collected to singles for the visitors and Hunter Remmick drew a pair of walks.
Devils Lake improved to 20-7 overall and 11-3 in the East Region, holding down the top seed. Wahpeton fell to 15-16 overall and 3-11 in the region, sending them to a play-in game against an opponent to be determined ahead of the East Region Tournament, scheduled for July 22-25 in Fargo.
