Mavs stumble at state
Mavs stumble at state
By JARANN JOHNSON
BHG News Service
The Makoti Mavericks’ run at this past week’s N. D. State Class B American Legion State Baseball Tournament was short lived. The Mavs went two and out, falling to Hazen and Hatton. Grafton won its second consecutive Class B Legion championship Sunday with a 1-0 win over Cando.
Hazen 13, Makoti 1
When you’re considered weak the first thing you want do is show everybody that you’re strong. Hazen showed everybody that their losing record wasn’t a true mark of their strength in the first game, beating Makoti 13-1.
Karson Hintz started for Hazen at pitcher, surprising a few. A few thought that Nate Leintz was going to get the nod in the team’s first game of the tournament. But Hintz didn’t let the surprise go to waste.
In the first inning Hintz walked one and gave up a single but that was it. He forced a double play and pop-out to end the top frame. In the bottom frame Hintz started his team out with a walk. Connor Doll
followed with s single, putting Hazen in scoring position with no outs.
Nate Leintz didn’t let the early chance go to waste, hitting a two-run double. The runs kept coming. One run on a wild pitch, and another run on a throwing error to first base. A second error and walk loaded the bases.
Austin Hintz and Hazen befitted from Makoti’s third error on a pitch he hit to third base, making the score 5-0.
Hazen finally made a mistake, giving Makoti its first out of the inning. Tyler Borlaug tried to make it home on a bunt from third but Sitz didn’t bunt and Borlaug was tagged out. Sitz’s at bat ended in a strike out, giving Makoti two outs.
It took a while for Makoti to get the final out of the inning. The top of the batting order saw Hintz reach base on an error, allowing one run to score. Then Doll lined a two-run single, making the score 8-0.
