MANDAN – Grand Forks Central’s hopes for a state baseball championship ended the same way its hockey hopes had – with a loss to Bismarck.
Demons starter Nate Dinga rode a three-run first inning to a 3-1 win over the Knights Saturday in the title game of the North Dakota Class A high school tournament at Mandan Memorial Ballpark.
Dinga went 6X\c innings, giving up three hits before turning the ball over the Kole Bauer, who retired the last two batters to earn his second save of the tournament. Bauer also had a win in relief.
It was Central’s fifth appearance in a state title game. It previously won in 2000 and 2006. Bismarck was appearing for the third time and added this crown to the one it won in 2003.
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Central coach Kyle Beckstead said there is no solace in just getting to the title game. “It’s disappointing. We came here to win this,” Beckstead said. “This team set their minds to that a long time ago. We fell short.”
Bismarck scored three in the first inning off Knights starter Zach Walz. With one out, Jared Spooner reached on an infield single. Bauer singled and both players scored on Quinn Irey’s double to the wall. Irey came home on Tre Kautzman’s single.
That was more than enough for Dinga, who coasted into the seventh inning before encountering any trouble. Cole Kirchoffner tripled to open the seventh and scored on Kaleb Binstock’s groundout.
That ended Dinga’s night as he reached his allowable innings limit. Bauer finished up for the third straight day.
“I talked to coach before the game,” Bauer said. “I knew. My arm is definitely sore, but in a situation like this you just forget about that. The adrenalin is pumping too much.”
Walz was equal to Dinga after the first inning. He struck out three and gave up just five hits.
Bauer had two hits to lead Bismarck.
Through the first six innings, Dinga allowed one runner to reach third base, that in the first inning. He faced the minimum number of batters in the second through the sixth innings.
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“They (Dinga and Bauer) were like wine,” Bismarck coach Jim Patton said. “They just got better as time went on. I can’t say enough about those two.”
