The Warriors picked up two wins in the 2019 Okarche Festival last week, including one on Thursday and one on Friday during the two-day event.
Okarche dropped the first game to Class B No. 4 Vici 6-2 in extra innings.
The Warriors held a 2-0 lead going into the top of the seventh inning before the Indians tied it up with two runs on two walks and a two RBI double. Vici then scored four runs in the top of the eighth on three walks, two errors and two hits to seal the win.
Carson Jacobs and Carson Bautstert scored the team’s two runs on a balk and a wild pitch. Okarche was held to just two hits, singles by Jayton Crider and Christian Estep.
The Warriors bounced back to knock off Cement 14-1 in the second game of the festival.
Okarche scored four runs in the first inning on a double by Bryce Reese and singles by Nick Baustert Jacobs. Preston Hawk and Estep reached on walks and Carson Baustert reached on a hit-by-pitch.
After a scoreless second inning, the Warriors tacked on ten runs in the third inning.
Estep and Carson Baustert doubled in the inning while Reese, Crider, Highfill and Hawk each singled. The team batted around twice to finish off the win.
Okarche battled in the third game of the festival, knocking off Fargo 3-2.
The Warriors were held scoreless through the first three innings, trailing 2-0 before cracking the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Carson Baustert got things going with a double before an RBI single by Hawk to cut the lead to one run.
Okarche grabbed the lead in the sixth inning. Nick Baustert started the rally with a one-out single before scoring on a single by Jacobs to tie the game 2-2. Jacobs later scored a a knock by Hawk for a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.
The Warriors fell 6-3 to No. 11 Canute in the final game of the weekend.
Okarche scored three runs in the bottom of he fourth inning, responding to a four-run top half by Canute.
Jacobs and Reese led off with back-to-back walks before a one-out double by Carson Baustert. Crider followed with an RBI groundout to cut Canute’s lead to one run. Canute tacked on one run in the sixth and one more in the seventh to seal the victory.
“It’s kind of been the story of our season,” Okarche coach Mark Framel said. “We hang in there for 5-6 innings against some good teams and just kind of fall off at the end. A lot of it has to do with depth and depth on the mound and then some youth at the end of the lineup and on the bench.
“But we’re battling. I think that we’re really anxious to start proving that we can finish these games. They don’t show much fear, timidness and want to come out and play seven innings. It shows a lot about our kids and their character.”
The Warriors return to action Friday at Fargo before returning home to host Lookeba Tuesday at 5 p.m.
