Fargo North's sweep through the Halvor Johnson Invitational was best described numerically - 3-for-3 - because the supposedly struggling Spartans collected 34 hits in the process.
The Spartans followed a 6-4 victory Saturday morning against Grand Rapids, which entered the tournament unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in Minnesota Class 3A, with a14-7 victory at Matson Field against host Moorhead, which received votes in this week's 3A poll.
"Except for the last five games, we've been really struggling, I mean really struggling (offensively)," said North coach Jeff Fiechtner, whose team has key Eastern Dakota Conference games against Fargo South and Grand Forks Central on Monday and Tuesday before hosting the Fargo-Moorhead Eicholtz Invitational next weekend. "As a team, we haven't even been batting .300. But our kids are starting to realize with the hitting they have to put the time in, and that's coming around."
Even when the Spartans(15-6) weren't hitting, they were effective. Against the Spuds, North plated its first eight runs on just three hits, scoring three times on wild pitches, once on a passed ball and once on a throwing error while taking advantage of 13 walks.
The offense got back on track in the seventh inning, scoring six runs on five hits. And it was a good thing, too, because Moorhead likewise sent 10 to the plate, scoring five runs on five hits.
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"We came through," Spartans senior Tom Ebert said. "Our defense and pitching was always there. The hitting was (previously) kind of questionable."
Fargo North 221 012 6-14 8 4
Moorhead 000 200 5- 7 8 2
Kragness and Shockman. Stoltman, Stone (2), Swenson (6) and Weiss. W-Kragness (2-3). L-Stoltman (0-2).
Technically, it was a walk-off homer, but Tony Emmerich practically ran to his car after parking a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left field with no outs to give Moorhead (5-6) two runs and a second last at-bat victory in as many days.
He had a prom date to catch.
"I was just trying to get a hit," the junior center fielder insisted when asked if the formal event was motivation to end the game in regulation.
The Rebels (7-4) were trying to get their first win of the tournament and seemed to be on their way when freshman catcher Taylor Yliniemi gave them a 6-5 lead with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. But Emmerich's blast sealed a second consecutive one-run loss.
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"We could have gone 2-1," D-G-F coach Sean Syverson said.
D-G-F 030 020 1- 6 8 3
Moorhead 030 200 2- 7 10 2
Sofolosky, Gable (6) and Yliniemi. Van Dyke and Bormann. W-Van Dyke (1-0). L-Gable (0-1). HR-Moorhead, Emmerich (2).
Ebert threw a complete game and was "as good as I've seen him," according to Fiechtner in improving to 7-0 on the season. The 6-foot-5 right-hander also had three hits with two RBIs to help North hand Grand Rapids (10-2) its second loss in as many days despite leaving 10 runners on base.
The Spartans' Tanner Bombenger went 4-for-4 and scored two runs, while Andy Fiske finished with two hits and two runs.
Grand Rapids 000 202 0- 4 5 0
Fargo North 201 120 x- 6 14 3
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Magner and Shaw. Ebert and Bergeron. W-Ebert (7-0). L-Magner.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Terry Vandrovec at (701) 241-5548
