Post 2 and Bombers schedules complete
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- The Fargo American Legion has completed scheduling for the 2002 season. Post 2 has 61 games slated for its regular season and the Bombers have 56 on the docket.
Post 2 will return for the second time in two years to the College World Series tournament in Omaha, Neb., and will return to the Gopher Classic in Minneapolis for the first time since the Jerry Harter coaching era. Fargo again will co-host the Fargo-Moorhead Invitational and play in the Terry Jablonsky Classic in Dickinson, N.D., plus play in the God Bless America tournament in Fargo.
The Bombers will be in a larger section this year after an off-season Class B realignment. The B squad will play its section tournament in Mayville, N.D., and must win that tournament to advance to the state tournament. There are eight sections now, compared to the old format of eight regions divided into districts. The Bombers will host their own tournament in June, play in the God Bless America tournament in Fargo, and play a tournament in Valley City, N.D.
Fargo Post 2
May
31--MINOT, 5:30 p.m. (2)
June
1--BISMARCK, 3 p.m. (2)
5--MANDAN, 5:30 p.m. (2)
10--@ Jamestown, 5:30 p.m. (2)
11--GRAND FORKS, 5:30 p.m. (2)
14--@ Omaha CWS Tournament, TBA
15--@ Omaha CWS Tournament, TBA
16--@ Omaha CWS Tournament, TBA
18--BARNESVILLE, 5:30 p.m. (2)
19--@ Wahpeton, 5:30 p.m. (2)
20--LAS VEGAS, 5:30 p.m. (2)
21--@ Fargo God Bless America Tournament, TBA
22--@ Fargo God Bless America Tournament, TBA
23--@ Fargo God Bless America Tournament, TBA
26--WEST FARGO, 7:30 p.m. (1)
27--@ West Fargo, 7:30 p.m. (1)
28--FARGO-MOORHEAD INVITATIONAL, TBA
29--FARGO-MOORHEAD INVITATIONAL, TBA
30--FARGO-MOORHEAD INVITATIONAL, TBA
July
4--@ Dickinson Terry Jablonsky Classic, TBA
5--@ Dickinson Terry Jablonsky Classic, TBA
6--@ Dickinson Terry Jablonsky Classic, TBA
7--@ Dickinson Terry Jablonsky Classic, TBA
9--WAHPETON, 5:30 p.m. (2)
10--MOORHEAD, 7 p.m. (1)
12--@ Minneapolis Gopher Classic, TBA
13--@ Minneapolis Gopher Classic, TBA
14--@ Minneapolis Gopher Classic, TBA
15--@ Minneapolis Gopher Classic, TBA
16--@ Minneapolis Gopher Classic, TBA
17--WEST FARGO, 7:30 p.m. (1)
19--@ West Fargo, 7:30 p.m. (1)
23--@ Grand Forks, 5:30 p.m. (2)
24--@ Moorhead, 5:30 p.m. (2)
25--JAMESTOWN, 5:30 p.m. (2)
26--@ Bismarck, 5:30 p.m. (2)
27--@ Mandan, 5:30 p.m. (2)
28--@ Minot, 1 p.m. (2)
August
2-4--East Division Tournament at Jamestown, N.D.
7-11--Class A State Tournament at Devils Lake, N.D.
14-18--Central Plains Regional at Williston, N.D.
23-27--Legion World Series at Danville, Va.
Fargo Bombers
June
4--COOPERSTOWN, 6 p.m. (2)
7--HOPE-FINLEY, 6 p.m. (2)
9--MAYVILLE-PORTLAND, 2 p.m. (2)
11--@ Hatton, 6 p.m. (2)
13--FARGO BOMBERS TOURNAMENT, TBA
14--FARGO BOMBERS TOURNAMENT, TBA
15--FARGO BOMBERS TOURNAMENT, TBA
17--@ Thompson, 6:30 p.m. (2)
19--VALLEY CITY, 5:30 p.m. (2)
20--@ Hillsboro, 5 p.m. (2)
21--@ Fargo God Bless America Tournament, TBA
22--@ Fargo God Bless America Tournament, TBA
23--@ Fargo God Bless America Tournament, TBA
24--@ Moorhead Golds, 7:30 p.m. (1)
25--LARIMORE, 6 p.m. (2)
26--WEST FARGO ACES, 5 p.m. (1)
27--@ West Fargo Aces, 5 p.m. (1)
28--@ Valley City Tournament, TBA
29--@ Valley City Tournament, TBA
30--@ Valley City Tournament, TBA
July
1--@ Casselton, 5 p.m. (2)
3--@ Larimore, 5:30 p.m. (2)
6--GARDNER, 6 p.m. (2)
10--MOORHEAD GOLDS, 4:30 p.m. (1)
11--HATTON, 6 p.m. (2)
12--@ Hope-Finley, 5 p.m. (2)
17--WEST FARGO ACES, 5 p.m. (1)
18--CASSELTON, 6 p.m. (2)
19--@ Valley City, 5:30 p.m. (2)
20--LANGDON, 2 p.m. (2)
22--@ Gardner, 5 p.m. (2)
23--THOMPSON, 6 p.m. (2)
29--Section 3 Play-Ins, TBA
31--Section 3 Tournament at Mayville, N.D.
August
1-4--Section Tournament at Mayville, N.D.
7-11--Class B State Tournament at Langdon, N.D.
Fargo to open Friday with Minot
FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- The 2002 Gilbert C. Grafton Post No. 2 American Legion Baseball season kicks off Friday with a doubleheader against the defending Class A state champion Minot Vistas at Jack Williams Stadium. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
Fargo was 42-21 last year and finished third in the state tournament after winning the Eastern Division tournament title. Post 2 lost ace left-hander Zach Bertschi, but returns a wealth of talented 18-year-olds, including catcher Matt Rau and the North Dakota Class A high school state tournament MVP, Reid Kittelson. Two outstanding 16-year-old lefties, Doug Sylvester and Jake Laber from Fargo North, have made Fargo's 18-man roster.
Minot finished with over 50 wins last year en route to the North Dakota title and a runner-up finish in the Central Plains Regional. The Vistas were led by ace right-hander Phil Shirek, who moved on to the University of Nebraska but left behind his 16-year-old brother as a projected starter.
Post 2 follows up Friday's doubleheader with a 3 p.m. twinbill Saturday against the Bismarck Governors.
Fargo sweeps Minot to open season
FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2002
By Ryan Perreault
Special to The Forum
FARGO, N.D. -- Fridays season-opening American Legion baseball doubleheader was almost perfect for both Fargo Post 2 coach Bill Ibach and Minot Vistas skipper Todd Larson.
But Ibachs squad emerged with 6-5 and 5-1 wins over the defending North Dakota Class A state champions under sunny skies at Jack Williams Stadium.
Post 2 played its entire 18-man roster in the twinbill. Yet, the Vistas, who were playing five men short due to the Class B state high school tournament, nearly emerged with a split.
But with runners on first and second, Fargo pitcher Jeremy Flaig got Josh Evenson to foul out to catcher Matt Rau and preserve the win for reliever Scott Van Dyk.
Van Dyk, who came on in the fifth inning for 16-year-old starter Jake Laber, struggled from the start. He walked the first batter he faced and later issued a bases-loaded walk as the Vistas tallied three runs to go ahead 5-4 after 4½ innings. Van Dyk had seven three-ball counts in less than three innings of work.
"I was kind of nervous at first," the southpaw said.
"He doesnt really know how good his stuff is," Ibach said. "Sometimes he doesnt have confidence out there."
Fargo rebounded quickly, though. First baseman Scott Ebert led off the bottom of the fifth with a double down the left-field line and later tied the game when he scored on Justin Phillips infield ground out.
Rau singled home left fielder Ross Olson in the sixth with the eventual game-winning run.
"We can hit the ball with most teams," Fargo third baseman Reid Kittelson said, "and we have some good pitching."
Flaig, who tossed only three pitches in gaining the last out of the first game, started the nightcap and allowed just one run on back-to-back doubles in four innings of work. Bryan Flach surrendered just one hit the rest of the way in getting the save.
"We always seem to start the summer kind of slow in Legion ball," Larson said. "We knew Fargo would be a top-notch team
it was a good way to start the season."
Minot (0-2) plays a 1 p.m. doubleheader at West Fargo today and Fargo (2-0) hosts Bismarck for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
Kittelson, the Class A high school state tournament MVP, finished the twinbill 3-for-6 with a double and a pair of runs scored, and Olson went 3-for-3 with a double, two stolen bases and two runs to lead Post 2 in the first game.
Minot catcher Nathan Smesrud was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI walk in Game 1.
Despite dropping two games with his undermanned squad, Larson was still happy.
"What a beautiful night to open the season," he said.
Minot 000 230 0 -- 5 6 1
Fargo 210 111 x -- 6 12 3
Dodd, Bodell (6) and Smesrud. Laber, Van Dyk (5), Flaig (7) and Rau. W--Van Dyk (1-0). L--Dodd (0-1). S--Flaig (1).
Minot 001 000 0 -- 1 3 1
Fargo 104 000 x -- 5 13 0
Deutsch, Frye (6) and Grina. Flaig, Flach (5) and Ouren. W--Flaig (1-0). L--Deutsch (0-1). S--Flach (1).
Post 2 sweeps Bismarck
SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2002
Tom Linster and Scott Van Dyk each had three hits in Saturdays second game as Fargo Post 2 swept the Bismarck Governors 10-8, 13-3 in Class A American Legion baseball at Jack Williams Stadium.
Linster was 3-for-3 with a pair of triples and three RBI, and Van Dyk was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Jay Clark chipped in a two-run double and an RBI single.
Doug Sylvester was 3-for-4 for Post 2 in the first game and Mitch Kary was 2-for-3.
Fargo (4-0) hosts the Mandan Chiefs at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Bismarck dropped to 0-2.
Bismarck 032 030 0 -- 8 5 4
Fargo 421 120 x -- 10 10 1
Bird Horse, Mayer (5) and Pritschet. Kittelson, Solum (4), Phillips (7) and Rau, Ouren (4). W--Solum (1-0). L--Bird Horse (0-1). S--Phillips (1). HR--Fargo, Solum (1).
Bismarck 100 011 -- 3 7 1
Fargo 030 253 -- 13 15 0
Heimeyer, Roller (5) and Nen. Arnold, Sylvester (6) and Ouren. W--Arnold (1-0). L--Heimeyer (0-1).
Clark, Laber fire shutouts; Post 2 sweeps Chiefs
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Fargo Shanley product Jay Clark and 16-year-old Fargo North product Jake Laber fired back-to-back shutouts as Fargo Post 2 swept a Class A American Legion baseball doubleheader from Mandan 2-0 and 9-0 Wednesday at Jack Williams Stadium.
Clark allowed three hits over seven innings to earn his first shutout of the season. Laber tossed a one-hitter in the nightcap.
Post 2 (6-0) plays a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader at Jamestown, N.D., on Monday.
Bombers win Section 3 opener
FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Shortstop Brett Gustafson doubled home Andrew Knoll and Brandon Cattanach in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap a 6-5 come-from-behind victory for the Fargo Bombers on Friday in their Section 3 opener against Hope-Finley at Jack Williams Stadium. Hope-Finley won the five-inning nightcap 4-2.
The Bombers were down to their last out before Knoll and Cattanach hit back-to-back singles to set up Gustafson's frozen rope to right-center field.
Gustafson pitched six innings but did not factor in the decison. Bombers reliever Chris Althoff pitched a scoreless seventh and was credited with the win, which upped his record to 1-0. The Wolverines' Tony Champion went the distance and dropped to 0-1 on the year.
Knoll was 4-for-4 for the B squad with three runs scored, a double, triple and two RBIs. Cattanach was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored, and Gustafson finished 2-for-4. Hope-Finley's Joel Mitchell was 3-for-4 with a run, double and two RBIs.
The Wolverines' Josh Barker blasted a two-run double in the top of the fifth to win the second game for Hope-Finley. Lead-off pinch hitter Ryan Dodd walked and Nathan Erbstoesser re-entered and scored on Mitchell's sac fly three batters later. After Champion fouled out to catcher Joe Mathern, Barker sent an 0-1 pitch to the outfield to plate Jeff Hashbarger and Brady Burchill.
Anthony Wyatt and Todd McDonald both went 1-for-2 for the B squad in the nightcap, and Barker finished 1-for-2 for the Wolverines. Mitchell got a complete-game win to up his record to 1-0, and McDonald took the loss for Fargo, his first of the year.
The Bombers (3-1) are now 1-0 in Section 3, and the Wolverines (3-3) are 2-1. The Bombers continue section play on Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against last year's District 3 champion, Mayville-Portland, a favorite in the expanded Section 3 this year. Only Sunday's first game will count toward league standings. Both games of the twinbill are scheduled for seven innings at Jack Williams Stadium.
Hope-Finley 102 002 0 -- 5 8 1
Bombers 100 030 2 -- 6 10 3
Champion and Burchill. Gustafson, Althoff (7) and Gillund. W--Althoff (1-0). L--Champion (0-1).
Hope-Finley 000 13 -- 4 4 2
Bombers 002 00 -- 2 3 2
Mitchell and Kainz. McDonald and Mathern. W--Mitchell (1-0). L--McDonald (0-1).
Kittelson, Van Dyk help Post 2 to second place
SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2002
OMAHA, Neb. -- Reid Kittelson scattered eight hits in seven innings and Scott Van Dyk roped a two-run homer to lead Fargo Post 2 to a 9-3 win over the Omaha Blackstone Ravens on Sunday in the Blackstone Foundation College World Series Tournament at Sandlot Ridge. Fargo, now 11-4 overall, finished second in the tournament with a 3-2 record.
Fargo opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning when Doug Sylvester tripled home Reid Arnold and Matt Sommerfeld singled in Sylvester. Post 2 plated three more in the fourth, including a sacrifice fly by Arnold and a Jake Laber RBI single, which proved to be the game-winning hit.
Kittleson's complete game upped his record to 2-0. He struck out four and walked four, and all three runs allowed were earned.
Van Dyk's homer was his first of the year. He finished 3-for-4, and Sylvester finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Scott Ebert was 2-for-4 with an RBI double.
Fargo hosts Barnesville, Minn., for a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday at Jack Williams Stadium before returning to Eastern Division action Wednesday night at Wahpeton, N.D.
Omaha Blackstone 000 100 2 -- 3 8 2
Fargo 002 304 x -- 9 13 0
Castagnoli, Iloff (5), Saathoff (6) and Coppi. Kittelson and Rau. W--Kittelson (2-0). L--Castagnoli. HR--Fargo, Van Dyk (1).
Thursday's results
Fargo 6, White Bear Lake, Minn. 5
White Bear Lake 040 010 0 -- 5 6 0
Fargo 013 002 x -- 6 8 2
Anderson and Kaup. Arnold, Phillips (7) and Rau. W--Arnold (2-0). L--Anderson (1-1). S--Phillips (2). HR--White Bear Lake, Dahl; Fargo, Flach (1).
Friday's results
Fargo 2, Omaha Skutt 0
Fargo 000 100 1 -- 2 8 1
Omaha Skutt 000 000 0 -- 0 3 3
Clark, Laber (4) and Ouren. Smith and Martz. W--Laber (2-1). L--Smith (2-2).
Littleton, Colo. 9, Fargo 6
Fargo 031 100 1 -- 6 6 3
Littleton 013 023 x -- 9 10 4
Sylvester, Pederson (5) and Rau. Hunter, Amider (6) and Whinery. W--Hunter. L--Sylvester (0-1). S--Amider. HR--Fargo, Flach (2); Littleton, Murray.
Saturday's results
Wichita, Kan. 10, Fargo 5
Wichita 014 104 --10 13 2
Fargo 000 122 -- 5 9 0
Simon and McMahon. Van Dyk, Flaig (4) and Ouren. W--Simon. L--Van Dyk (2-1). HR--Wichita, Robison; Fargo, Linster (1). Game called after six complete innings due to 2-hour time limit.
Flaig breaks slump; Fargo routs Barnesville
TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Jeremy Flaig was 4-for-4 with six RBIs to lead Fargo Post 2 to a 16-0 drubbing of Barnesville in the first game of an American Legion baseball doubleheader Tuesday at Jack Williams Stadium. Fargo picked up five first-inning runs in the nightcap en route to a 5-1 win.
Flaig was mired in a 6-for-25 slump, including a 1-for-13 effort in four of Fargo's five games at the Blackstone Foundation College World Series tournament in Omaha, Neb., last weekend. He collected a two-run single in the bottom of the first in Tuesday's first game as Post 2 went up 6-0, then added a pair of run-scoring singles and a two-run double.
Fargo's Tom Linster was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the first contest, and Clay Solum, who missed more than a week of action due to an all-star football game, returned to the lineup to earn a complete-game win on the mound and hoist his record to 2-0.
Post 2 got five runs on three walks, two errors, a hit and a hit batter in the first inning of the nightcap, and held on for a 5-1 win. Fargo mustered just one hit in the final five frames, but Nate Pederson allowed Barnesville just one run while scattering eight hits for his first win of the year.
Fargo (13-4) takes a 2-2 Eastern Division record into Wednesday night's doubleheader at Wahpeton, N.D. Game time between Post 2 and Post 20 is slated for 5:30 p.m. at John Randall Field.
Fargo was slated to return home Thursday for a doubleheader against Las Vegas, but that matchup is canceled due to the Nevada team's late cancellation of its trip to North Dakota. Post 2 is attempting to schedule another game for that night.
Barnesville 000 00 -- 0 2 6
Fargo 625 3x -- 16 11 2
Johnson and Cox. Solum and Rau. W--Solum (2-0). L--Johnson.
Barnesville 010 000 0 -- 1 8 2
Fargo 500 000 x -- 5 2 1
Cox, Carr (6) and Mason. Pederson and Ouren. W--Pederson (1-0). L--Cox.
Post 2 holds off Fargo Mudhens in exhibition play
THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Five Fargo Post 2 players combined to pitch nine innings and Post 2 got timely superb defense to hold off the Fargo Mudhens 5-4 in exhibition baseball action Thursday at Jack Williams Stadium before an estimated crowd of more than 200 on Horace Mann Neighborhood Night.
With the game-tying run at first base and two out in the top of the ninth, Post 2 third baseman Jeremy Flaig dived, backhanded a one-hopper off the bat of Ryan Perreault, and threw a strike to first base to take away a sure double and clinch the win.
But Flaig had already been outdone midway though the game, when Post 2 center fielder Doug Sylvester took away a would-be triple from Mudhens shortstop Ryan Nelson. The 16-year-old Sylvester ran more than 100 feet toward right-center field, dived away from the infield on his stomach, and hauled in Nelson's 385-foot drive to end a Mudhens rally.
Post 2 avenged an early 1-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning off Mudhens starter Matt Simley on a series of seeing-eye hits. But Post 2 went quiet through the middle stages of the game.
Mudhens reliever Ryan Perreault tossed three innings of no-hit ball, hampered only by a porous defense that allowed three baserunners and allowed Post 2 to plate an unearned run and go up 4-2 after five complete.
Perreault was lifted in favor of Jake Hendricks for the bottom of the eighth. Hendricks promptly issued a pair of hits and Post 2 scored its fifth run of the game. Up 5-2, the run looked like insurance only, but it proved to be much needed.
The Mudhens scored twice in the top of the ninth. Mike Lorz reached first base and immediately stole second. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an errant throw by Post 2 catcher Derek Ouren that found center field. A second wild pitch plated another run to narrow the gap to 5-4, but Ouren gunned down Chad Ransom, who was attempting to go first-to-third on the play, for the inning's second out.
Sylvester, Post 2's fourth pitcher, eventually issued a walk to Brett Weigel and gave way to fellow left-hander Scott Van Dyk, who was credited with the save after retiring Perreault, the only batter he faced.
Post 2 improved to 16-4 overall and extended its winning streak to six games heading into this weekend's God Bless America Invitational. Post 2 opens tournament play Friday at 3 p.m. at Jack Williams Stadium with Blaine, Minn., and faces Detroit Lakes, Minn., at 8 p.m. in the nightcap. Post 2 will continue Eastern Division action Wednesday and Thursday next week against the West Fargo Patriots both nights before delving into the eight-team Fargo-Moorhead Invitational next Friday through Sunday.
The Mudhens will compete this weekend in the amateur division of the God Bless America Invitational, which features more than 70 teams from tee-ball to Legion to amateur. The Mudhens return to league play Monday night with a split doubleheader against Grand Forks and the Moorhead Brewers beginning at 6 p.m. at Tharaldson Park's Helling Field.
The Fargo Mudhens ballclub boasts more than a dozen Post 2 alumni, some of which play or played college baseball, including North Central Conference stars Perreault (North Dakota State) and Kirk Halvorson (Minnesota State, Mankato), and Lorz and Nelson, who both advanced to World Series play with their collegiate teams, Mayville State and St. Thomas (Minn.), respectively.
Post 2 scheduled the Mudhens on late notice in place of the Las Vegas Durango Legion Blazers, who withdrew from a Wednesday doubleheader at West Fargo and Thursday's scheduled twinbill against Post 2 at Jack Williams. Las Vegas was also slated to participate in the God Bless America Invitational, but the team's travel agent went out of business, forcing the team to cancel its entire trip.
Mudhens 101 000 002 -- 4
Fargo 300 010 01x -- 5
Simley, Perreault (5), Hendricks (8) and Lorz. Phillips, Pederson (4), Clark (6), Sylvester (8), Van Dyk (9) and Rau, Ouren (5). W--Phillips. L--Simley. S--Van Dyk.
Post 2 plays home-and-home with W. Fargo; Enters F-M Invite
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- After a second-place finish in last weekend's God Bless America Tournament, the Fargo Post 2 baseball team enters another busy week. Fargo hosts West Fargo on Wednesday and plays at West Fargo on Thursday before co-hosting the power-loaded Fargo-Moorhead Invitational.
Post 2 returns to Eastern Division play with the home-and-home series against West Fargo this week. Game time with the Patriots both nights is set for 7:30 p.m. The teams' 16-year-olds squads will square off prior to each game. The Fargo Bombers and West Fargo Aces start at 5 p.m. both nights at the same sites.
The Fargo-Moorhead Invitational will begin Friday with 5 p.m. doubleheaders at Fargo's Jack Williams Stadium and Moorhead's Matson Field. Post 2 won the tournament last year, upsetting Minnesota power Tri-City Red in the process with a 1-0 win fueled by pitcher Zach Bertschi's shutout and Ross Olson's walk-off home run.
The field for this year's tournament has expanded from six to eight teams and features pool play instead of round-robin play. Joining Fargo and Moorhead will be Omaha (Neb.) Northwest, Sioux Falls (S.D.) West, Eau Claire (Wis.), and Minnesota foes Bloomington, Excelsior and Tri-City Red. The tournament championship is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sunday at Jack Williams Stadium.
Fargo sweeps tournament openers
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Doug Sylvester's RBI single in the second inning lifted Fargo Post 2 to a 4-0 win over Bloomington Gold in Friday's nightcap at Jack Williams Stadium on the first day of the Fargo-Moorhead Invitational American Legion baseball tournament. Post 2 edged Omaha Northwest 2-1 earlier in the evening.
Sylvester plated Justin Phillips, who finished 2-for-3 in the ballgame. Sylvester finished 1-for-4 and Reid Kittelson was 1-for-2 with a double and a run. Fargo's Bryan Flach pitched all seven innings and struck out three in the win.
Post 2 scored two runs on a pair of singles and three Omaha Northwest errors and held on for the win. Fargo's Ross Olson was 2-for-3 and Matt Sommerfeld and Kittelson each hit safely.
Fargo plays Excelsior, which defeated Bloomington Gold 3-0 early Friday, at 8 p.m. Saturday at Jack Williams Stadium.
Omaha Northwest 000 010 0 -- 1 4 5
Fargo 002 000 x -- 2 4 2
Boone and Shearek. Laber and Rau. W--Laber. L--Boone.
Bloomington Gold 000 000 0 -- 0 2 0
Fargo 010 003 x -- 4 6 2
Boehler, Perkins (6) and Jansen. Flach and Ouren. W--Flach. L--Boehler.
Other scores
Excelsior 3, Bloomington Gold 0
Fargo rallies past No. 1-ranked Excelsior
SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2000
FARGO, N.D. -- Shortstop Reid Kittelson doubled on a 3-2, two-out pitch to score three runners and propel Fargo Post 2 to a 9-5 win over Excelsior Post 259 on Saturday at Jack Williams Stadium on the second day of the Fargo-Moorhead Invitational American Legion baseball tournament.
Excelsior, the top-ranked Division I team in Minnesota by Ball Diamond News and the sixth-ranked team in the nation by USA Sports Rankings, ran out to a 5-0 lead after an inning-and-a-half, but never plated another run.
Fargo scored twice in the second and third, and Kittelson's three-run double gave Fargo a 7-5 lead after four frames.
Bryan Flach drove in Fargo's first two runs with a double to left-center field in the second. He finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a sacrifice fly. Fargo first baseman Reid Arnold collected a pair of doubles and scored three times.
Post 2, now 24-6 overall and 3-0 in pool play in the tournament, plays at noon Sunday against Eau Claire, Wis., for a berth in the championship game. The winner will play in the championship game against the Excelsior/Tri-City Red winner at 7:30 p.m. at Jack Williams Stadium. The loser will play the Excelsior/Tri-City Red loser in the third-place game at 5 p.m.
The fifth-place game will be played at Moorhead's Matson Field at 7:30 p.m. between the Omaha Northwest/Sioux Falls West and Bloomington Gold/Moorhead winners, while the losers of those ballgames will square off for seventh-place at 5 p.m. in Moorhead.
Excelsior 230 000 0 -- 5 4 3
Fargo 022 311 x -- 9 9 1
Metzger, McKenzie (4), Dunsmore (6) and Hammerseng. Clark, Phillips (6) and Rau. W--Clark. L--Metzger. S--Phillips.
Friday's Scores
Excelsior 3, Bloomington Gold 0
Fargo 2, Omaha Northwest 1
Fargo 4, Bloomington Gold 0
Sioux Falls West 11, Tri-City Red 10 (8 inn.)
Eau Claire 16, Moorhead 6 (6 inn.)
Moorhead 16, Sioux Falls West 2 (5 inn.)
Saturday's Scores
Omaha Northwest 10, Bloomington Gold 0 (6 inn.)
Eau Claire 11, Sioux Falls West 10
Excelsior 3, Omaha Northwest 2 (9 inn.)
Tri-City Red 8, Eau Claire 6
Fargo 9, Excelsior 5
Tri-City Red 9, Eau Claire 8 (13 inn.)
Sunday's Games
At Jack Williams Stadium, Fargo
Fargo vs. Eau Claire, noon
Excelsior vs. Tri-City Red, 2:30 p.m.
Losers above, third place, 5 p.m.
Winners above, championship, 7:30 p.m.
At Matson Field, Moorhead
Omaha Northwest vs. Sioux Falls West, noon
Bloomington Gold vs. Moorhead, 2:30 p.m.
Losers above, seventh place, 5 p.m.
Winners above, fifth place, 7:30 p.m.
Fargo rides two-game skid into three-game homestand
SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- The Fargo Post 2 American Legion baseball team returns from its longest break of the year for an Eastern Division home doubleheader Tuesday with Wahpeton Post 20. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m. at Jack Williams Stadium.
Fargo carries a two-game losing streak into Tuesday's twinight doubleheader after losses to Eau Claire (Wis.) and Tri-City Red (Minn.) last Sunday in the Fargo-Moorhead Invitational. Post 2 did not play as originally scheduled in Dickinson's Terry Jablonsky Classic July 4-7.
Fargo (24-8 overall, 6-2 Eastern Division) is already 2-0 against Wahpeton this year after sweeping a doubleheader at John Randall Field on June 19 by scores of 6-0 and 8-6.
Post 2's short homestand continues Wednesday when Fargo tangles with the crosstown rival Moorhead Blues at 7 p.m. Fargo is 0-1 against the Blues this year after a one-run loss in the championship game of the God Bless America Tournament.
The Fargo Post 2 vs. Moorhead Blues game will be preceded by the Fargo Bombers and Moorhead Golds at 4:30 p.m.
Flach homers to seal Fargo sweep of Wahpeton
TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Bryan Flach hit the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth inning over the right-field wall to give Fargo Post 2 a 3-2 comeback win over Wahpeton and complete a doubleheader and season-series sweep of Post 20. Fargo won Tuesday's first game at Jack Williams Stadium 15-3 in six innings.
Fargo scratched a run across in the bottom of the seventh in the nightcap to force extra innings. Post 2 improved to 26-8 overall and 8-2 in the Eastern Division with the wins, and Fargo took the season series from Wahpeton 4-0.
Fargo hosts crosstown rival Moorhead at 7 p.m. Wednesday for a single nine-inning ballgame. Post 2 and the Blues will be preceded by the Fargo Bombers (Post 2's Class B 16-year-olds team) and the Moorhead Golds (Moorhead's 16-and-under VFW team) at 4:30 p.m.
Fargo edges Lakeville, falls to Hopkins in Gopher Classic
FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2002
ANOKA, Minn. -- Reid Kittelson carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning as Fargo claimed a 1-0 win in eight innings over Lakeville, but Post 2 fell 4-2 to Hopkins in its nightcap on the first day of the Gopher Classic. Hopkins pitcher Nate Melek fanned 11 Fargo batters in gaining the win.
Fargo 000 000 01 -- 1 5 1
Lakeville 000 000 00 -- 0 1 1
Kittelson and Rau. Englund, Gindorff (6) and Arlt. W--Kittelson. L--Gindorff.
Hopkins 300 100 0 -- 4 4 2
Fargo 002 000 0 -- 2 5 1
Melek and Hawes. Laber and Ouren, Olson (6). W--Melek. L--Laber.
Post 2 erupts early to thump West Fargo
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Fargo's first four batters reached base and Post 2 scored four first-inning runs in an 8-1 Eastern Division American Legion baseball win Wednesday over the West Fargo Patriots at Jack Williams Stadium.
Fargo right-hander Reid Kittelson went the distance for Post 2, improving his record to 6-2 by striking out six Patriots and allowing just one base on balls. He was 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, while his battery mate, Matt Rau, collected a pair of hits for Fargo (31-10).
West Fargo dropped to 14-25 on the year. The Patriots host the Dickinson Roughriders for two games on Thursday night at 5:30 before playing host to Fargo on Friday in the second ballgame of the teams' second home-and-home series. Friday's first pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Friday's game will be preceded by the Fargo Bombers and West Fargo Aces. West Fargo prevailed in Wednesday's contest at Jack Williams Stadium by a score of 4-2.
West Fargo 000 100 0 -- 1 6 1
Fargo 421 100 x -- 8 13 0
Hanes and Driscoll. Kittelson and Rau. W--Kittelson (6-2). L--Hanes (2-3).
Rau's homer lifts Fargo past West Fargo
FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2002
WEST FARGO, N.D. -- Matt Rau's solo home run in the fourth inning put Fargo ahead of West Fargo 2-1, and Post 2 got a game-ending double play to clinch the Eastern Division win Friday in American Legion baseball at Veterans Memorial Field.
The Patriots put two runners on with back-to-back singles from Tyler Roehl and Jimmy Hoy to start the bottom of the seventh inning, but a failed sacrifice bunt retired Roehl at third, and Fargo turned a 1-6-3 double play -- from relief pitcher Justin Phillips to shortstop Mitch Kary to first baseman Scott Van Dyk -- to end the game.
Fargo scratched across a run in the first for an early lead. Kary led off the game with a hit and later scored as West Fargo turned a double play.
West Fargo tied the game in the bottom of the first inning when catcher Adam Driscoll roped a single to the wall in left-center field to score shortstop Josh Jackson.
Fargo improved to 32-10 and completed a four-game sweep of the Patriots (14-28) this season. Post 2 is off until Tuesday, when Fargo hits the road for an Eastern Division doubleheader against the Grand Forks Royals at Kraft Field. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
The Grand Forks double-dip is just the beginning of a six-day plate of baseball for Post 2. Fargo plays a twinbill Wednesday night at Moorhead before returning to Jack Williams Stadium for its home finale Thursday with the Jamestown Eagles. Then Fargo heads west to play doubleheaders at Bismarck, Mandan and Minot on July 26-28, respectively.
Fargo 100 100 0 -- 2 5 2
West Fargo 100 000 0 -- 1 5 1
Flach, Phillips (7) and Rau. Scott and Driscoll. W--Flach (4-0). L--Scott (3-3). S--Phillips (8). HR--Fargo, Rau (1).
Fargo gets Eastern Division regular-season title, top seed
THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Fargo erupted for six runs in the fourth inning of Thursday's second Eastern Division game against Jamestown and rolled to a 13-1, five-inning win over the Eagles at Jack Williams Stadium. Fargo won the first ballgame 4-3 and the sweep ensured Post 2 the regular-season division title and the top seed in the Eastern Division Tournament at Jamestown.
Jamestown (37-10, 11-3 Eastern Division) took an early 2-0 lead in the first game on a Ryan Stark RBI single and a double steal. Danny White singled home Cody Waleri in the second for a 3-0 lead, but Fargo (38-10, 14-2) came back.
Jeremy Flaig and Matt Rau reached with consecutive singles to lead off the bottom of the second and Flaig scored on an RBI hit by Ross Olson. Then Reid Kittelson plated two runs on an infield error in the third and Rau singled in Kittelson with the eventual game-winning run.
Bryan Flach went all seven innings for Post 2 in the opener, allowing three runs (all earned) and scattering 13 hits. He struck out five and walked none.
Eight of Fargo's nine batters had hits in Game 2 and the team scored in all four trips to the plate in the nightcap.
After Jamestown's Nick Johnson tied the second game in the top of the second inning with an RBI groundout, Fargo took the lead for good on the strength of Doug Sylvester's RBI single and Matt Sommerfeld's three-run double to left-center field.
Sylvester was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs in the second game, and catcher Derek Ouren was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a double and a run.
Post 2 takes to the road Friday, facing Bismarck in the first of three consecutive doubleheaders on its western swing. Fargo is at Mandan on Saturday and Minot on Sunday to close the regular season.
Fargo's first postseason game is Aug. 3 in the second round of the Eastern Division Tournament. Post 2 will face the winner of the Aug. 2 game between the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds.
Bombers fall in tourney opener; Post 2 plays Saturday
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2002
MAYVILLE, N.D. -- The No. 5-seeded Fargo Bombers lost 5-4 to fourth-seeded Casselton on Wednesday in the opening round of the Class B, Section 3 Tournament at Al Meyer Sports Complex.
The B squad battled back from a 5-2 deficit and nearly had the tying run at third base with one out, but the runner, Andrew Jagim, was called out on a close play after tagging on a fly ball to right field.
The Bombers will play a loser-out contest Thursday against the loser of the Central Valley-Hillsboro vs. Mayville-Portland game.
This is the second straight year that Mayville has been the sight of postseason play for the Bombers. Last year, the B squad dropped its opening game to Mayville-Portland before falling to a late Casselton rally in the second round.
The Bombers club has now lost four consecutive postseason games, dating back to the 2000 Class B state tournament at Wahpeton.
The winner of the Section 3 Tournament will meet seven other section winners at the Class B state tournament Aug. 7-11 at Langdon.
Later this week, Fargo's A squad will return to action with postseason ball of its own. Post 2 carries the top-seed -- and a three-game losing streak -- into Saturday's second-round Eastern Division Tournament contest at Jamestown's Jack Brown Stadium.
Fargo's regular-season league championship earned Post 2 a bye and a shot at the winner of Friday's game between Wahpeton and Grand Forks. Post 2 plays at 1 p.m. on Saturday after second-seeded host Jamestown plays Friday's winner of West Fargo, the No. 3 seed, and Valley City, the tournament's lowest seed by default due to Post 60's non-membership in the Eastern Division.
The top four finishing teams in the six-team Eastern Division Tournament will advance to the Class A state tournament Aug. 7-11 in Devils Lake.
The Class A state champion will advance to the Central Plains Regional in Williston the following weekend. Should the Williston Keybirds advance to and win the state tournament, the state runners-up would advance to the regional because of the Keybirds' automatic entry to the regional as host.
Class B
Section 3 Tournament
At Al Meyer Sports Complex, Mayville
Games Wednesday, July 31
First Round
Casselton 5, Fargo Bombers 4
Hope-Finley vs. West Fargo Aces, 1 p.m.
Thompson vs. Larimore, 3:30 p.m.
Mayville-Portland vs. Central Valley-Hillsboro, 6:30 p.m.
Class A
Eastern Division Tournament
At Jack Brown Stadium, Jamestown
Games Friday, Aug. 2
Game 1: West Fargo vs. Valley City, 5 p.m.
Game 2: Wahpeton vs. Grand Forks, 8 p.m.
Games Saturday, Aug. 3
Game 3: Jamestown vs. Game 1 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 4: Fargo vs. Game 2 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 5: Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m.
Games Sunday, Aug. 4
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, Third Place, 1 p.m.
Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, Championship, 4 p.m.
New, Old Rules:
The North Dakota American Legion Baseball Class A postseason rulebook will revert to an old look beginning this weekend. After shortening games to seven innings after the 1998 season, nine-inning games will return this year. The 10-run rule is still in effect, but in or after the seventh inning. The re-entry rule for starters has been eliminated, and the designated hitter rule follows the American League's interpretation and is for the pitcher only. The American Legion Baseball Department of North Dakota has chosen this format in order to be consistent with regional- and national-level playing rules, despite differences in the regular season.
Homers not enough; Post 2 falls to Jamestown in title game
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2002
JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- Despite connecting for three home runs and rapping out 11 total hits, top-seeded Fargo Post 2 fell 9-6 to the second-seeded Jamestown Eagles in the championship game of the Eastern Division Tournament on Sunday at Jack Brown Stadium.
Jamestown claimed the top seed from the East for the Class A state tournament, which begins Wednesday at Devils Lake. The Eagles (44-11) will face the host Storm (3-32) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Fargo (42-14) takes the second seed to state and will face Bismarck (29-20) at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Jamestown, the visiting team for Sunday's championship, scratched across a run in the top of the first without the benefit of a hit against Fargo starter Jake Laber. A pop-fly home run by Reid Kittelson to right-center field in the bottom of the inning tied the game, but Laber's struggles continued through the early innings.
Jeremy Flaig was brought on in relief of Laber in a three-run fourth inning. Post 2 cut the margin to 4-2 after the fourth, then tallied four runs in the fifth to go up 6-4.
But three singles, two errors and a hit batter in the top of the seventh helped Jamestown regain the four runs and take a 9-6 lead.
Fargo brought the tying run to the plate in both the eighth and ninth innings but could not score.
Jamestown 100 301 400 -- 9 9 1
Fargo 100 140 000 -- 6 11 4
White, Stark (6) and Waleri. Laber, Flaig (4), Flach (8) and Rau. W--Stark (7-3). L--Flaig (5-4). HR--Jamestown, White (2); Fargo, Kittelson (7), Rau (3), Flaig (6).
Pitching, hitting combine at state; Post 2 still unbeaten
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2002
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. -- One day after Fargo Post 2 right-hander Reid Kittelson fired a complete-game shutout at the Bismarck Governors, Fargo's bats launched seven home runs to paste a 13-2 loss on Valley City Post 60 and advance Post 2 to Friday's battle of unbeatens in the North Dakota Class A state American Legion baseball tournament.
Post 2 (44-14) will face the defending state champion Minot Vistas on Friday at 7 p.m. at Devils Lake Legion Field for the right to advance to Saturday's semifinal round. The championship is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., with the second championship slated for 4 p.m., if necessary.
Kittelson faced just two batters over the minimum in his nine-inning effort Wednesday in Fargo's 4-0 win over the Governors. Then Ross Olson blasted three homers Thursday, Clay Solum added two, and Matt Rau and Scott Van Dyk each hit one as Post 2 cruised past upstart Valley City, which qualified for the Class A state tournament after playing a Class B schedule most of the season and entering the Eastern Division Tournament as the automatic sixth seed.
Fargo takes a 2-2 series record into Friday's matchup with Minot, the only other undefeated team in the tournament through two days. Post 2 swept a doubleheader from the Vistas in the season opener for both teams May 31 at Jack Williams Stadium. Minot took two at home from Fargo only five days ago.
The Vistas topped West Fargo 13-6 in Wednesday's opening round and edged Eastern Division champion Jamestown 7-6 in 10 innings Thursday to advance to Friday's winners' bracket game.
Post 2 nips Minot, gains berth in state championship
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2002
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. -- Fargo Post 2 battled back from a one-run deficit to edge the defending state champion Minot Vistas 2-1 on Friday in the winners' bracket of the North Dakota Class A state American Legion baseball tournament at Devils Lake Legion Field.
Fargo (45-14) is assured a spot in Sunday's championship game. But first Fargo will play the Jamestown Eagles, who topped Post 2 last Sunday in the Eastern Division Tournament championship, on Saturday at 4 p.m. Valley City and Minot will play a loser-out game at 1 p.m. Saturday to advance to the title game. Fargo is the lone unbeaten team remaining in the tournament.
Fargo has not won a state championship since 1992, when Post 2 went on to win the Central Plains Regional as well and qualify for the American Legion Baseball World Series that Fargo hosted at Jack Williams Stadium.
Jamestown forces winner-take-all final
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2002
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. -- Jamestown beat Fargo Post 2 in Saturday's semifinal round 12-9 to force a three-team, loser-out championship series Sunday in the North Dakota Class A state American Legion baseball tournament at Devils Lake Legion Field.
Jamestown (47-12) will play at 1 p.m. Sunday against Minot (44-23), which beat Valley City 19-5 on Saturday, for the right to face Fargo (45-15) in the title game at 4 p.m. The winner of the second game will face Appleton, Wis., in the first round of pool play in the Central Plains Regional, which begins Thursday at Aafedt Stadium in Williston, N.D.
Jamestown tops Fargo for title, goes to regional; Schutt MVP
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 2002
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. -- The Jamestown Eagles beat Fargo Post 2 on Sunday 4-1 at Devils Lake Legion Field to capture the North Dakota Class A American Legion Baseball state championship, the Jack Williams Award. The Eagles earned a spot in the Central Plains Regional, which begins Thursday in Williston, N.D. Fargo ended its season 45-16 overall as the Eastern Division Tournament runner-up and the regular-season division champion.
Jamestown's win Sunday was the Eagles' third in a row over Fargo, dating back to the Eastern Division Tournament championship game at Jamestown's Jack Brown Stadium. Post 2 finished 3-4 against the 10-man Eagles squad this year.
The Eagles battled back from a second-round loss to the Minot Vistas to claim the state title -- Jamestown's seventh overall and the club's first since 1998. Jamestown handed Fargo its first loss of the tournament on Saturday and eliminated Minot with a 6-3 win in Sunday's first game before downing Fargo in the nightcap.
Eagles pitcher/third baseman Jason Schutt was named the tournament's most valuable player on the heels of cracking three home runs Sunday, including a pair of solo shots against Fargo ace Reid Kittelson, and pitching a complete-game six-hitter against the Vistas. Schutt upped his pitching record to 8-3 with Sunday's victory and bumped his homer total to 11 with the three round-trippers.
Jamestown will face Appleton, Wis., in the first round of National Division pool play in the Central Plains Regional on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Aafedt Stadium in Williston. Jamestown and Appleton are pooled with Overland Park, Kan., and the South Dakota state champions. The American Division features a team from Omaha, Neb., the Minnesota and Iowa state champions, and the host Williston Keybirds.
North Dakota Class A State Tournament Pairings
At Devils Lake Legion Field
Games Wednesday
Game 1: Valley City 5, Williston 0
Game 2: Minot 13, West Fargo 6
Game 3: Fargo 4, Bismarck 0
Game 4: Jamestown 13, Devils Lake 1
Games Thursday
Game 5: Bismarck 9, Williston 6, Williston eliminated
Game 6: Devils Lake 6, West Fargo 2, West Fargo eliminated
Game 7: Fargo 13, Valley City 2
Game 8: Minot 7, Jamestown 6 (10 inn.)
Games Friday
Game 9: Valley City 14, Devils Lake 9, Devils Lake eliminated
Game 10: Jamestown 7, Bismarck 2, Bismarck eliminated
Game 11: Fargo 2, Minot 1
Games Saturday
Game 12: Minot 19, Valley City 5, Valley City eliminated
Game 13: Jamestown 12, Fargo 9
Games Sunday
Game 14: Jamestown 6, Minot 3, Minot eliminated
Game 15: Jamestown 4, Fargo 1, Championship
The Jamestown Eagles advance to the Central Plains Regional at Aafedt Stadium in Williston, N.D., next weekend. The Williston Keybirds, despite being eliminated from the state tournament, are an automatic entry to the regional as the host team.
Post 2 assistant Bryant named head coach at Fargo South
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Fargo Post 2 assistant baseball coach Donn Bryant Jr. has been named the new head coach at Fargo South High School. Bryant replaced Roger Demers, who has been the Bruins' only coach since the program's 1995 inception as a club team at the school.
Donny Bryant has been an assistant coach in the Fargo Legion program since 1993. He started his career as an assistant with the Fargo Bombers and then took the head Bombers job for one year. He worked from 1996-2000 as the Bombers assistant under Bill Ibach, and the 2002 season was his second as Ibach's assistant with the Post 2 squad.
Three Post 2 players capture awards; Kittelson named MVP
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2002
FARGO, N.D. -- Three different players received awards at the annual year-end Fargo American Legion Baseball banquet held Sunday night at the Post 2 reception hall.
Post 2 pitching ace and infielder Reid Kittelson garnered the evening's top honor as the Most Valuable Player for the state runners-up. Jeremy Flaig, playing his first year with Post 2 as an 18-year-old, took home Rookie of the Year honors. Sixteen-year-old speedster Doug Sylvester was named the squad's Mr. Hustle.
All three of the Post 2 honorees are from Fargo North High School. The Spartans were state Class A champions in the spring behind a state tournament MVP effort from Kittelson, who also was named the Spartans' team MVP. The trio helped Post 2 to a 45-16 record and second place finishes in the Eastern Division tournament and Class A state tournament.