Day 5 Was High Drama For Legion AA State Baseball

The drama hit a peak Friday evening at Aafedt Stadium during the second half of Day 5 at the North Dakota AA American Legion Baseball State Tournament.

Game 15: Fargo Post 400 Starts vs Mandan Chiefs 2025

The game started slowly for Mandan, with the first run coming only in the second inning via a Mason Oster RBI single. But Post 400 wasn’t far behind, knotting the score at one in the third thanks to a sharp double down the right-field line from Kane Mathiason. The battle remained tight until the fifth inning, when Ashton Rinas crushed a timely single that pushed the Stars ahead 2‑1. Mandan clawed back in the seventh after Dylan Gierke threaded a single into left, tying things up again at 2‑2.

Finally, in the top of the 10th, Mandan appeared to seize their moment when Gage Miller blooped a sacrifice fly to score a go‑ahead run—bringing the score to 3‑2. The lead held just long enough for hope to flicker before Christianson struck gold yet again, delivering the walk‑off RBI single that slid through the infield. Kaleb Blanchette took the win in relief for Post 400, earning six strikeouts across five steady innings. His counterpart, Gage Miller, suffered the loss after giving up just enough to lose in extras. Aiden Bogner had tossed seven solid innings for Mandan, yielding only two earned runs en route to what should have been a win.

With the win, Fargo Post 400 advanced to Saturday's 12:00 championship game.

The loss sent Mandan to the losers bracket game to take on the winner of Game 16 at 6:00 PM

Game 16: Dickinson Roughriders vs West Fargo Patriots

In a masterclass of clutch hitting and polished pitching, the West Fargo Patriots edged the Dickinson Roughriders 2‑1 in a tense, extra-inning showdown Friday afternoon. The game, which stretched into the bottom of the eighth inning, ended when Max Zenker ripped an RBI single that plated the winning run—sending the Patriots through with a walk-off victory that highlighted everything this tournament is about: grit, patience, and execution when it counts.

The contest stayed subdued through the first five innings, the kind of classic pitcher’s duel fans dream of. Dickinson drew first blood in the top of the sixth, though, when Kyler Kudrna executed a smooth steal of home—an old-fashioned play that caught both the crowd and the Patriots off guard, giving the Roughriders a 1‑0 lead. Less than an inning later, West Fargo responded. Evan Krogen’s clean single down the right-field line tied the score and reset the momentum squarely in their favor.

Trey Husar was nothing short of dominant on the mound, logging seven and two-thirds innings with 11 strikeouts. He surrendered just one unearned run and kept Dickinson’s powerful bats bottled up from the early innings. In the eighth, Caden Rademacher came on and delivered the final third of an inning with zero hits or walks, striking out a batter to secure the win.

The win advances West Fargo into game 17 against the West Fargo Patriots.

The loss eliminates the Dickinson Roughriders from the state tournament.

Game 17: Mandan Chiefs vs West Fargo Patriots

The final game of a thrilling Day 5 at Aafedt Stadium saw the West Fargo Patriots build on momentum with a sharp 3‑0 shutout over Mandan Chiefs 2025 in the evening 6:00 game. Powered by a standout performance from left-hander Landon Zink, West Fargo finished the night with a complete-game victory that reaffirmed their elite-caliber tournament form.

Zink set the tone early with seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out six while walking only one. Routine grounders and sturdy positioning behind him meant that the defense was never tested beyond its ease—a dream night for a starting pitcher.

Offensively, West Fargo didn’t need fireworks—just timely hits. Jett Collins cracked a crucial double in the third inning to get things rolling, while Max Zenker collected three hits and played cornerstone in the run production. Trey Husar, too, contributed with another RBI to round out the scoring.

West Fargo totaled 13 hits on the night, featuring balanced contributions across the lineup. Hudson Dinger led the field with nine defensive chances and no errors, while Landon Zink’s dominance on the mound coupled with Max Zenker’s consistent contact made this one of the most controlled wins of the tournament.

The win advances West Fargo into Fridays state championship game against Fargo Post 400.

The loss finishes the season for the Mandan Chiefs.

Get our free mobile app

Here is the current bracket heading into championship Saturday