Featuring a roster bursting at the seams with American Legion Baseball state champions, the Wahpeton Wahppers amateur team added another title to the local trophy case Sunday in Jamestown, winning the North Dakota “AA” State Championship 5-3 over Tolna.
Wahpeton trailed 3-2 before using a three-run sixth inning to claim victory. The Wahppers didn’t commit a single error in the game.
Jackson Fliflet, Reece Berberich, Trace King and Tori Uhlich each doubled at the dish and Caden Kappes tripled.
King was key in the No. 8 hole, doubling home Jackson Fliflet for the go-ahead run.
Current Wahpeton Post 20 player Cayson Pinsonneault added an insurance run by scoring Jake Uhlich on a single.
Eight Wahppers found the hit column in the championship performance.
Former Post 20 righty Skyler Bladow started on the mound, completing 4 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.
Bladow’s Post 20 teammates Cooper Klosterman and Nick Zach were called from the bullpen to finish the game.
Klosterman notched the win across 1 2/3 innings of shutout work. The 6-foot-4 righty allowed two hits and struck out one.
The lefty Zach mowed through Tolna’s order by striking out the side to earn the save.
Wahpeton finishes its inaugural season with a 14-9 record and a 3-0 showing in the state tournament.
Read about Wahpeton’s road to the title game here.
