Williston’s Mekiah Klumker makes contact with a pitch during an at-bat in the state tournament semifinals against West Fargo Horace on Friday, May 29, at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex.
Mike Kraft/MDN
Any time the Williston softball team wins a game, Alana Thomas treats herself to a postgame Dr. Pepper.
The tradition began last season, and after the Coyotes won their first state title in program history, Thomas continues to enjoy the pleasurable taste of a job well done with her go-to carbonated beverage.
Thomas certainly earned this season’s 30th order of Dr. Pepper after Williston’s 4-1 victory over West Fargo Horace in the Class A state tournament semifinals on Friday, May 29, at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex to advance to their second straight championship game. Thomas outdueled Horace’s Josie Carriere, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings, striking out six and not yielding a walk to earn the win. Carriere was coming off an 18 strikeout performance against Bismarck Legacy.
“She’s a great pitcher,” Thomas said. “I enjoy watching her pitch and I know she’ll do great for her team since she’s so young. I knew I had to do 10x better. Sometimes it messes with a team’s confidence, but not with ours.”
Thomas needed just 77 pitches to earn the win in the circle for the Coyotes. She was on target throughout the game, throwing 61 pitches for strikes.
The Coyotes (30-3) managed six hits off Carriere, with the bottom of the lineup carrying the bulk of the load. Their No. 8 and No. 9 hitters Morgan Strietzel and Alex Austreim went a combined 4-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Strietzel had one of her team’s two extra-base hits – a double in the fifth.
Strietzel’s first hit of the game gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead in the third. She singled to left on an 0-2 count, driving in Akayla Slagle from second. Strietzel would come around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rylee Irgens.
“I was hunting low,” Strietzel said. “I knew she was going to start low and go high, so I just figured to hunt low and that was the pitch I can hit.”
Williston added two more runs in the fifth to build a 4-0 advantage. Strietzel doubled with one out in the frame and scored on an RBI single from Austreim. An error later in the inning allowed Austreim to score from third.
Injuries limited Strietzel to 13 games and 41 at-bats during the regular season, but she has put up big numbers in those games. She hit .526 with a pair of home runs and 16 RBIs.
“Morgan’s been filling a void for us,” Williston coach Jesse Stundal said. “She’s missed some games this year with an injury early on so she doesn’t have quite the at-bats, but she has a hot bat every time she’s in the box. Today it showed and even with the wind, she was hitting balls deep into the outfield and moving runners around the bases. She had a great day.”
The Hawks (23-9) found a bit of success against Thomas in the fifth inning, recording three of their four hits in the frame. Leah Holten delivered a one-out RBI single to center, plating Austi Brant to get Horace on the board. But Thomas regrouped and struck out Whitney Nystrom and got McKenna Mohs to pop out in foul territory to catcher Alli Wilcox.
“We’re just staying up,” Strietzel said. “Teams are going to hit against us. We’re going to hit. We have to stay on top of it and stay together.”
Thomas took a perfect game into the fifth before Brandt singled with one out. She allowed four base runners all game.
“We knew it was going to be a tough battle today, but we had a game plan for them,” Stundal said. “We’ve watched quite a bit of their games and Alana hit her spots we asked her to hit and she made it hard on their batters. That’s all we can ask and sometimes that four runs is going to be enough.”
Carriere allowed four runs – two earned – on six hits over seven innings. She struck out seven.
Williston returns to the state championship game for the second time in as many years and in as many attempts after winning its first title last year in its first ever trip to the state tournament. It hasn’t always been easy carrying the weight of being the defending state champions on their backs, Stundal said.
“We’ve talked about that a lot this year,” Stundal said. “That ‘defending state’ title is a great thing until you’re everybody’s Super Bowl. It’s been great seeing these girls battle and work through it. We’ve been beaten a few times this year where we thought we maybe should have won, but it’s a resilient group and they really work hard for each other.”
The Coyotes will see a family face in Dickinson when the two battle for the state championship at noon on Saturday, May 30, at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex. The Mavericks have won two of three matchups with the Coyotes this season, including a 5-3 victory in the WDA Tournament championship.
For Thomas, she’s hoping Saturday’s game ends with her 31st Dr. Pepper of the season, which would be the sweetest of them all.
“We’re on a big stage right now, especially since we’re in back to back title games, but I believe in my girls that we’ll do great,” Thomas said.
DICKINSON 4, MANDAN 3
Dickinson was three outs away from seeing its dream of winning another state title end prematurely in the semifinal round against Mandan. The Mavericks entered the bottom of the seventh inning trailing by a pair of runs after surrendering two runs in the top half of the frame, but scored three to earn a walkoff 4-3 victory over the Braves and secure their spot in the title game.
With the game tied 1-1 entering the final inning of regulation, the Braves (18-12) took their first lead of the contest on a two-out RBI double by Hadley Harris to center field, allowing Taylor Arnegard to score. After an intentional walk to Kaebry Weekes put runners on first and second, Aubrey Karsky singled home Harris with a shot to right field.
All three of Mandan’s hits in the inning came with two outs.
Down to their final three outs, Dickinson (30-3) quickly loaded the bases with no outs. Heather Tibor, Tayon Henke and Mayzie Koffler all singled. Gabriella Sobolik was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to force in a run. Mandan threw out Emily Sayler at the plate on a fielder’s choice to shortstop Jorja Wandler to briefly maintain the lead. But Hali Henke tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Koffler to tag and score from third.
Reagan McMahen delivered the heroics, sending a 1-0 pitch through the left side of the infield and into left, bringing in Sobolik from second for the game-winning run. It was Dickinson’s first walk-off victory this season and just the second one-run game the Mavericks have played in 33 contests.
Kyndall Peterson picked up the win in the circle for Dickinson. She tossed all seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking four.
The Mavericks took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Tibor drew a walk with the bases loaded. Henke, McMahen and Myah Merry had all singled prior to Tibor’s at-bat to load the bases.
The Braves came right back in the fifth with a run of their own. Arnegard tripled to lead off the inning and scored on an RBI ground out from Harris.
The Mavericks will be making their eighth appearance in the state title game and fifth in six years. They are 3-4 in previous championship contests, but have won three of their last four.
Mandan will play West Fargo Horace for third place following the conclusion of the championship game.
Fargo Davies and Bismarck Legacy will play for fifth after both won their elimination games on Friday. The Eagles defeated West Fargo, 5-2, scoring four runs in the top of the seven to complete the comeback. The Sabers bested Fargo Shanley, 10-6, as Riley Ingemansen tripled twice and drove in a pair of runs.
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