Lions pull out win against Warriors, 11-1
Although weather changed the location of Thursday’s game, the Bismarck Lions earned their second win against their Hot Spring County rivals’ the Ouachita Warriors.
Their first match up was on March 6 in the Prescott Tournament. The Lions were able to get the win over the Warriors 10-2. The rematch, played in Bismarck, was similar with the Lions pulling out the win 11-1 in five innings. The win puts the Lions to a 6-4 record as they get ready for conference play after spring break. The loss puts the Warriors at 2-8 for the season. The Warriors will be back in action during the spring break in the Mike Volz Memorial Tournament March 25-27.
On the win Lions head coach Cameron Brown said it felt good being able to compete after the uncertainty of getting to play. “It feels good to be able to compete and have some confidence going into conference play and that was the big thing about playing today and making sure we got the game in,” he said. “Cause this morning and even yesterday when it was raining it was uncertain that we were going to get to play, so being able to play, even though we had to move it to our place and going through that adjustment, I thought we came out and we played well and beat a good Ouachita team that had a lot of history. It feels good to compete at a high level.”
Thursday’s game started with the Warriors taking a one-run lead over the Lions in the first inning. Bismarck pitcher Grady Howell walked Ouachita’s Keith Miller to put a runner on base. The Lions then got two outs before Ouachita’s Kaden Fulmer knocked a ball up the middle to bring Miller in for the first run. Ouachita’s Hunter Rook was the next at-bat and the third out after a fly ball was caught by the Lions. The Warriors defense then came up big holding the Lions scoreless.
From there it was all Lions. After holding the Warriors scoreless in the top of the second inning, the Lions went on the offensive to score three runs to take the lead. Howell was the first at-bat and was walked by Fulmer who was pitching for the Warriors. Bismarck’s Riley Tuttle then bunted but was the first out for the Lions. Dane Stephenson was then hit by the pitch to get on base while Zachary Weeks struckout for the second out. Kalem Rorie then hit a fly ball that was missed by the Warriors to bring in Howell and Stephenson for two runs. Rorie was the third run after Barrett Shultz hit the ball up just left of midfield.
The Lions gained even more momentum in the third after scoring four runs to take a 7-1 lead. Bismarck’s Braden Efird scored the fourth run after a hit by Caleb Grissom. After two outs the Lions loaded the bases and Rorie was able to drive in two runs, scored by Tuttle and Stephenson, to put the Lions up 6-1. The seventh run was scored by Howell after an error by the Warriors.
The Lions scored one run in the bottom of the fourth, with Efird, to lead 8-1 and gained even more momentum after holding the Warriors to three batters in the top of the fifth. The Lions finished the game by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to get the win. With the bases loaded an error by the Warriors allowed Caleb Shultz to score to put the Lions up 9-1. The Warriors then tried for an out at second base which led to Weeks scoring run number 10 and a hit to left field by Efird brought in Ian Smith for the game winning 11th run.
When asked if moving the ball game to Bismarck played an effect in the Lions’ performance Brown said, “I think we play well either way.” He then added “We’ve had several road games this year and I feel like we’ve played just as well. It’s always good to be at home in front of the home crowd but I feel like either way we’re going to go and play our baseball.”
With conference play coming up for the Lions, Brown said he is ready to compete. “We’re in a tough conference, but again I just want to go out and compete and show everybody that we’re changing the culture around here.”