Highlights From North Dakota AA American Legion Baseball Tourny

The evening games of Day 3 at the North Dakota AA American Legion Baseball Tournament brought drama, clutch pitching, and late-game heroics as fans at Aafedt Stadium were treated to a pair of close contests under the lights.

Game 9: Dickinson Roughriders vs Mandan Chiefs

In a game defined by defense and dominant pitching, the Mandan Chiefs edged the Dickinson Roughriders 3-1 in 10 innings during Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. contest.

After three scoreless innings, Mandan broke through in the fourth, taking a 1-0 lead following a Dickinson error. That slim margin held until the bottom of the sixth, when Dickinson’s Jake Balliet sent a solo shot over the right-field fence to tie the game.

Both teams traded zeros for the next three innings, but Mandan found the breakthrough in the top of the 10th. Troy Gerhardt delivered a clutch RBI single to put the Chiefs ahead, and Gage Miller followed with a double to add insurance, making it 3-1.

Gage Miller also earned the win on the mound, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Starter Hudsen Sheldon was impressive for Mandan as well, allowing just one run on two hits over 7.2 innings. Dickinson’s Kevin Olsson nearly went the distance, surrendering only four hits and one unearned run over eight frames while striking out seven.

Gerhardt led Mandan at the plate, going 2-for-5, while Miller and Gerhardt each recorded an RBI. Dickinson managed just two hits—one apiece from Balliet and Christian Tibor.

With the win, Mandan advances to play Fargo Post 400 on Friday at noon.

The loss moves Dickinson down to the losers bracket to play the winner of Minot and Fargo Post 2 at 7:30 pm.

Game 10: Fargo Post 400 Stars vs West Fargo Patriots

The 7:30 p.m. matchup featured a tense back-and-forth between the Post 400 Stars and the West Fargo Patriots, ending in walk-off fashion as Post 400 claimed a 3-2 victory.

Post 400 struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Gus Pankratz. West Fargo responded in the third, plating two runs—one off a groundout from Trey Husar and another on a single by Landon Zink.

The Stars evened the score at 2-2 in the fifth when Caleb Christianson lined a single down the right-field line, and both teams remained deadlocked until the bottom of the ninth. That’s when a defensive miscue by the Patriots brought home the winning run, sealing the walk-off victory for Post 400.

Hudson Stein earned the win in relief for the Stars, pitching two hitless innings and striking out three. Starter Matthew Bryant threw seven solid innings, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out five. West Fargo’s Hudson Dinger put in a strong effort as well, striking out 10 over 6.2 innings of work.

Christianson and Pankratz were instrumental for Post 400, combining for four hits and two RBIs in the heart of the lineup. On the West Fargo side, Zink finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and eight defensive plays, while the Patriots turned in an error-free performance until the costly miscue in the final frame.

Post 400 advances to take on Mandan on Friday at noon to battle to see who will be advancing to the state championship game.

West Fargo is set to take on the winner of Williston and Bismarck at 4:30 pm.