MANDAN, N.D. - Another day, another dramatic finish for Fargo South at the state Class A baseball tournament on Saturday.
Dustin Haugen raced home on a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Bruins scored twice to beat Bismarck 6-5 in the third-place game.
Haugen reached base when Bismarck reliever and losing pitcher Alex Deyle chose to throw to third on a sacrifice bunt, but pinch-hitter David Ernst beat the throw.
Ernst scored and Haugen went to third on Matt Wawers bloop single. Haugen scored when Bismarck catcher Sam Ingemansen mishandled a high Deyle fastball to Tyler Kellen.
It was the third Fargo South game determined in the seventh inning. The Bruins scored three with two outs in the seventh to beat Williston 5-4 in the first round.
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Against Bismarck Century in the semifinals, the Patriots scored the winning run in a 5-4 game in the seventh.
"It was ugly, but it was satisfying," Fargo South coach Donn Bryant said. "It was fun to be part of a game like that. It was just a fun game and we played a lot of guys. We played some seniors that hadn't got a chance to play and deserved to."
In addition to getting the win, Lawley went 2-for-3 with a double and run batted in.
Bismarck struck first with a run in the first.
South was hitless until the fourth inning. Kellen singled and with two out Kris Haarstad homered to left, his first of the season. Haarstad was batting fifth after batting ninth the first two games.
"I like how Kris Haarstad hit the ball," Bryant said. "He had been hitting the ball solidly the last two games, nice line drives."
Bismarck scored to tie it in the fifth. Austin Zorn walked, went to second on a wild pitch and stole third. He came home of a groundout to first by Deyle.
South went back on top
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4-3 in the sixth. It got the tying run on a sacrifice bunt that would have hit Kellen had he not got a bat on it. Ingemansen fielded the ball and threw wildly to first. Wawers, who had walked, came all the way home to score, and Kellen went to third on a throwing error to the plate. He later scored on Parker Lawley's double.
Lawley, who came on in the seventh inning in relief of Leo O'Day, got the win after throwing two-thirds scoreless innings. O'Day had relieved Bryce Venaas to start the sixth. He gave up three runs on three hits and made a throwing error as Bismarck took the lead in its final at-bat.
Ernst pinch-hit to lead off the seventh for the Bruins and singled to right. He went to second on a passed ball and went to third on Haugen's bunt.
Matt Achter was walked intentionally to load the bases and Wawers followed with his Texas Leaguer behind short. Haugen dashed home on the first pitch to Kellen.
Mike Hausauer had three of Bismarck's seven hits. Jon Feist and Ingemansen had two apiece.
B 100 010 3- 5 7 3
FS 000 202 2- 6 6 3
Richter, Deyle (7) and Ingemansen. Venaas, O'Day (6) Lawley (7) and Burke. W-Lawley. L-Deyle. HR-FS, Haarstad.
