The game started out slowly for the Diamond Devils and it looked like it was going to be another battle to the end with the Mallards. Mound actually had better scoring opportunities in the first two innings but the Devil’s pitcher Adam Gregg was able to get out of both situations unscathed.

 

The Diamond Devils were able to score the first run of the game in the fourth inning. KC Johnson walked to open the inning and took third on a two base throwing error from an attempted pickoff. After two deep fly outs by Brad Mazer and Andrew Engebretson that would have been home runs in any other Northstar League park, Adam Gregg picked up the RBI with a single.

 

The Devils would score again in the sixth when Andrew Engebretson, who would not get cheated in this at bat, smashed a home run to the deepest part of the park. After an out, the Devils loaded the bases on three straight walks. In the next at bat, Craig Hawkinson drove in two runs with a hard hit to left. The Diamond Devils scored the forth and final run of the inning on a RBI single by Matt Goodwald.

 

The strangest play of the day came in the next inning. Brad Mazer reached first base when the Mound third baseman made a stop of a hard hit ball and did a summersault before making a throw over to first. Brad would have been out but the ball was misplayed by the first baseman.

 

The next three runs were scored by the Devils as a result of hustle and small ball. The Devil’s Andrew Engebretson would reach base on a fielder’s choice and then steal second and third. Brandon Schliinz sacrificed in Andrew with a deep fly ball to right field. In the eighth inning the Devils scored two runs on a single, a sacrifice bunt, two more singles and another sacrifice fly. The final two runs were scored by the Devils as a result of misplays by the Mallards: an error, a walk, a balk and another error.

 

Three Devil pitchers combined to shutout the Mallards. Adam Gregg pitched the first seven innings allowing no runs on the three hits; six strikeouts and one walk on 97 pitches. Jay Homuth pitched the eighth inning facing four batters striking out two and walking one. Paul Kunz pitched the final inning, walking two and striking out two.