LOCAL SPORTS CLIPBOARD: Central falls in state softball tournament; Red River defeated by Legacy in Class A baseball

Central upended: Grand Forks Central fell to Bismarck Century 14-0 on Thursday in the opening round of the North Dakota state Class A softball tournament in Mandan.

The Knights dropped into Friday’s consolation round.

Mandan’s Maddy Zander held Central to four hits. Central’s Brooklyn Ramsey led Central as she went 2-for-2.

Zander had a big day at the plate for Mandan, going 3-for-4 with five RBI and a home run.

Riders upended in state tournament: Bismarck Legacy spotted Grand Forks Red River a four-run first-inning lead Thursday before storming back to outslug the Roughriders 15-8 in the final game of the opening round at the state Class A baseball tournament in Mandan on Thursday night.

The West Region champion Sabers erased the last of a 5-1 deficit with a six-run second inning and added five more runs in the sixth to extend their winning streak to six games. They have scored nine or more runs in each of those wins.

East Region No. 4 seed Red River had to fight its way into the state tourney by winning a pair of elimination games at the East Region, downing Fargo South 4-1 and Fargo Davies 5-2. The Roughriders took advantage of a Legacy error to take a 4-0 lead in the first inning, despite Legacy Walker striking out the side.

Gunnar Heuchert worked a leadoff walk and Ross Meyer singled before Walker hit Ryan Muizelaar on his first pitch to load the bases with no outs.

Brady Lewandowski struck out swinging and Spencer Sproule hit a bouncer to short that Isaac Pegors bobbled as Heuchert raced home with the first run. Walker then struck out Matt Scribner with what should have been the third out. Instead, Tanner Faller came to the plate and ripped a bases-clearing double over the head of center-fielder Jackson Klipfel.

Whiskey Jacks fall: The Sioux Falls Sunfish defeated the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks 3-2 Thursday two take the three-game series.

Sunfish pitcher Mitch Stone threw a gem, going six innings on one run (earned) and striking out seven batters.

First baseman Jake Hjelle and catcher Keenan O’Brien continued their hot performances at the plate, both collecting a pair of hits for Wheat City. Both improved their averages to .379 and .400, respectively.

The Whiskey Jacks (4-3) start a three-game road series versus the Hastings Sodbusters in Hastings, Neb. on Friday. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. at Duncan Field in Hastings.