Central baseball team sweeps Riders

In postgame comments, Grand Forks Central coach Mike McNamara praised the control of his pitchers.

Grand Forks Red River coach Mark Varriano was disappointed in his staff's command of the strike zone.

The polarized positions summarized Central's 6-3 and 1-0 high school baseball sweep of Red River on Thursday night at Kraft Field.

"With wood bats, if you're around the plate and you play pretty good defense, you're going to be tough to beat," McNamara said. "Both teams had their chances at the plate, but we didn't walk a lot of guys."

The same couldn't be said of the Riders, who walked nine batters and beaned one in the first game alone.

"Central threw strikes so they deserve to win," Varriano said. "We gave away 10 free passes in the first game. That's more than three innings of outs. It's surprising because pitching has carried us all year."

Central starters Brady Johnson and David Nelson were efficient. Red River outhit the Knights 20-12 in the doubleheader, but Central's pitchers made the Riders earn their way aboard.

"I was trying to get head and throw strikes," Johnson said. "My breaking ball is coming along, and if I can throw that for strikes it gives me some flexibility with what else I can do."

In the first game, the Knights overcame a 3-0 deficit by plating three runs in the fifth inning. The big play came when Gage Salquist's liner to Red River second baseman Scotty Swiers tipped off the edge of his glove on his diving attempt and into shallow right field. The ball caromed far enough to score a pair of runs.

The play eventually sent the game to extra innings, where Central scored three times in the eighth. Johnson's two-out two-run double put the Knights ahead. On the mound, Johnson gave way to Nelson, who pitched the eighth inning for the save.

Nelson continued that momentum in the nightcap. The right-hander worked quickly through seven innings. Red River managed 10 hits, but Nelson was able to get the big out when needed.

Central leadoff hitter Casey Purpur walked to lead off the game and eventually came around to score when Nelson bounced into a fielder's choice.

Red River mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh when Jake LaDouceur reached on an error and Taylor Steen walked. But Nelson got Red River cleanup hitter Joey Conneran to line out to shortstop to end the game.

"We were not mentally ready to play," Varriano said. "Not even close."

Red River dropped to 7-7 in the conference, while Central improved to 6-8.

"We've had a problem competing for two full games lately, so tonight was a big step for us," Johnson said. "Red River has a really good team this year."

1/2: Grand Forks Central's David Nelson (7) scores the tying run as Red River's Erick Huderle lunges to make the tag in the fifth inning of Central's 6-3 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader Thursday at Kraft Field. Herald photo by John Stennes.

2/2: Grand Forks Central's Brady Johnson watches his bases loaded, two-run, game-winning double in the eighth inning of Central's 6-3 win over Grand Forks Red River in Game 1 of a doubleheader Thursday at Kraft Field. Herald photo by John Stennes.