Hi-Liners upset top seed Packers, one win away from State

Valley City scored six runs in the second inning to open up a big lead on the way to a 8-3 win over West Fargo Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Dakota Conference baseball tournament in West Fargo.

The Hi-Liners scored first in the top of the first. With two out, Braxton Jorissen singled to center field. Broden Muske would reach on an infield single sending Jorissen over tho third. Joe Cummings would single to right to bring in Jorissen to give Valley City the early 1-0 lead.

West Fargo would score twice in the bottom of the inning. With runners at first and third, Jaden Grefsrud would single to right scoring Mason Stoelting. One batter later, Matt Heupel would double in Griffin Staahl to give the Packers a 2-1 lead.

Valley City would start the second inning with four straight hits. A leadoff single by Max Mehus, was followed by a single by Kai Kringlie, a single by Ethan Miller and a double by Gavin Gerhardt. Miller's single scored Mehus and Gerhardt's double scored Kringlie and Miller to break the 2-2 tie. After Jorissen grounded out, Muske would single in Gerhardt to make it 5-2. With two out, Muske was second and courtesy runner Robert Fischer at first and Adam Bitz at the plate, Tanner Larson's pitch got by catcher Eastin Heisler for a passed ball. Muske moved up to third and Fischer to second. Bitz singled to left, scoring Muske and Fischer to give the Hi-Liners a 7-2 lead.

The Packers got a run back in the bottom of the third on a Grefsrud rbi single to cut the Hi-Liner lead to 7-3.

The Hi-Liners would put another run on the board in the sixth on a two-out, bri single by Bitz.

The Packers would get two on with no one out in the seventh, but reliever Braxton Jorissen got a double play and a ground out to end the threat and give Valley City the big 8-3 win. The Packers had just beaten Valley City by the same score last Monday in Valley City.

Eight different Hi-Liners had hits as part of their 13 hit attack. Bitz had three to go along with three runs driven in. Jorissen, Muske and Cummings all had two. Jorissen also scored twice. Miller, Gerhardt, Mehus and Kringlie each had one hit. Gerhardt drove in two runs.

Mehus got the win going six innings allowing nine hits and three runs. He walked four but did not strike out a batter. Jorrsien threw six pitches to get three outs in the seventh.

Valley City, the number eighth seed, is now 7-9 on the year and will face Wahpeton Friday in the semifinals at Kraft Field in Grand Forks. West Fargo falls to 13-4 and will face Grand Forks Red River in a loser out game Friday in Grand Forks. The win also snapped West Fargo's 10 game winner streak.