As has been the case all season, the Hi-Liners doubles unit propelled them to an early advantage, taking all three matches from the Mustangs. Seniors Abby Martineck and Breck Sufficool reunited for senior day, as they bounced back from their Invitational Loss last Saturday to defeat the previously undefeated Mustangs team of Alyssa Sommerfeld and Shireen Durrani in straight sets. Kailee Neilson and Georgia Zaun dominated their matchup, only dropping three games in their straight-sets win. At the same time, senior Alyssa Thomsen teamed up with eighth grader Skye Neilson to finish the doubles sweep with a pair of tight set wins (7-5, 7-6).

With the sweep in doubles, the Hi-Liners only needed a pair of wins in singles to clinch the EDC Championship. Valley City would surrender the first match of singles play by default after Sufficool pulled out with an injury. Head Coach Matt Neilson said, “We believed it was the right time to try her in the singles line-up again after dealing with some medical issues. However, Breck was strong and wise beyond her years, and she let us know after doubles that she shouldn’t do singles and defaulted the match.”

The proceeding five matches would see both sides exchanging wins, with neither side being able to run away from the other. The depth of the Hi-Liner squad would be tested after Abby Martineck fell in singles #3 to pull the Mustangs within striking distance of Valley City. Hi-Liner sophomore Georgia Zaun would be matched up with Sheyenne senior Sofia Layfield, with Zaun getting the best of Layfield early on, which paved the way for a straight-sets win.

With the win by Zaun and leading 4-3 overall, the Hi-Liners needed a win by either Kailee or Skye Neilson to win the championship. Both Valley City underclassmen would shine in their wins, with Kailee Neilson winning over Sommerfeld and coming up with clutch winners when pressed. Meanwhile, Skye Neilson took five set points to win the first set over Arni Banerjee but pulled away in the second by attacking and coming to the net, winning the match on an overhead smash.

With the win, the Hi-Liners secured their second consecutive EDC Regular Season Championship regardless of the outcome against the Wahpeton Huskies on Thursday. Coach Neilson gave his final thoughts on the match, saying, “The Mustangs were hoping to come into our house and win the championship this season, but we came to play. It has been an amazing run these last three years with this core group of players.”

The next matchup for the Hi-Liners will be Thursday in Wahpeton against the Huskies with the EDC regular season coming to a close afterwards.

Results: Valley City Listed First

Valley City 6

WFS 3

Singles:

1. Breck Sufficool lost to Sarea Gu in a walkover

2. Kailee Nielson defeated Alyssa Sommerfeld 6-3, 6-1

3. Abby Martineck lost to Shireen Durrani 6-0, 6-2

4. Georgia Zaun defeated Sofie Layfield 6-3, 6-4

5. Skye Nielson defeated Arni Banerjee 6-4, 6-3

6. Ella Olson lost to Anna Mauch 6-4, 6-0

Doubles:

1. Sufficool/Martineck defeated Sommerfeld/Durrani 7-5, 6-3

2. K. Nielson/Zaun defeated Gu/Layfield 6-1, 6-2

3. S. Nielson/Alyssa Thomsen defeated Mauch/Bre Heilman 7-5, 7-6(1)

Photos provided by Brent Thomsen

STATE QUALIFIERS
100-Meters – Morgan Larson
1600-Meters – Greta Goven
Long Jump – Layni Bakalar

PLACE WINNERS – TOP 8
1 – 100-Meters – Morgan Larson
1 – 100-Meters – Parker Jacobson
1 – 1600-Meters – Greta Goven
1 – 4×200 – Jayden Suhr, Derek Shape, Isaac Norby, Parker Jacobson
1 – 4×800 – Brynn Lueck, Cadence Fetsch, Greta Goven, Reagan Berg
1 – 800-Meters – Reagan Berg
1 – Long Jump – Layni Bakalar
1 – Pole Vault – Kadie Kocka
2 – 300 Hurdles – Isaac Norby
2 – 4×100 – Layni Bakalar, Kadie Kocka, Laityn Didier, Morgan Larson
3 – 100 Hurdles – Aaden Stanton Ring
3 – Javelin – Zach Sykora
4 – Javelin – Jovi Borg
5 – 800-Meters – Brynn Lueck
5 – Discus – Scot Rohde
7 – 200-Meters – Jayden Suhr
7 – High Jump – Dacota Potratz
8 – 1600-Meters – Tricia Pfennig
8 – 200-Meters – Derek Shape
8 – 400-Meter – Cadence Fetsch
8 – Javelin – Scot Rohde
8 – Shot Put – Dylan Hunt

After Maara Kutz led off the first with a home run and Lauren Hendrickson added a solo shot in the fourth, Carrington erupted in the fifth.  They scored nine runs on seven hits, including two triples in the inning by Isabel Wendel in blowing the game open.

In the sixth, they ended it as four walks helped push across the two runs needed for the mercy-rule win.

Carrington now shifts the focus to the first home playoff game in program history, Thursday at 5pm vs Larimore with the winner traveling to Grafton on Saturday at 1pm for a matchup with the Spoilers.  Should Carrington be that team, coverage on KDAK The Cardinal would begin at 12:45 PM on Saturday.

The Blue Jays clinched a state berth for the second straight season Tuesday with a 4-0 win over Dickinson at the Dickinson State Athletic Complex.

Amelia Newman scored twice, including in the 10th minute, just moments after Briella Martin gave Jamestown (10-1-2, 10-1-2 WDA) a 1-0 lead with a penalty kick goal.

Reese Christ scored in the 53rd minute and Newman scored her second goal 20 minutes later.

Olivia Sorlie made one save in net as the Blue Jays earned their 12th shutout of the season.

Jamestown will play its final home game of the regular season Friday against first-place Minot, the only team to have beaten the Blue Jays so far this season.

Valley City was led on the mound by Senior Ethan Miller, who saved his best pitching performance of the season for his last game at Charlie Brown Memorial Field. After both teams exchanged scoreless first innings, a leadoff double by the Knights followed by a wild pitch would set up Central to take the lead after a groundout to first base. That leadoff double would be one of only two hits Miller allowed in the game.

Valley City staged a comeback in the third inning, tying the game after Corbyn Powell’s two-out single drove in Miller, who had walked earlier in the inning. The Hi-Liners then seized the lead in the fourth, capitalizing on a walk and a pair of singles to drive in Will Schwehr, with Bodi Haglund delivering the RBI. From the fifth inning onwards, the Knights didn’t record any hits, as Miller’s dominance on the mound continued, walking only three batters and striking out nine in his seven innings of work.

The top of the seventh would see the Knights draw a lead-off walk to give them some life. But after a pop-out by Central’s Noah Morkve, the Knights would get caught gambling as Corbyn Powell threw out a stealing Jaxon Washburn for a big second out. The game appeared to be over after a 6-3 putout, but a late catcher interference call would give the Knights one last opportunity. But Miller would regroup and force a routine flyout to left field to end the ballgame as the Hi-Liners picked up their first win since April 9th.

The Hi-Liners will wrap up their regular season on Thursday against the Devils Lake Firebirds at 5:00 PM. The game can be heard on 1490 AM/ 96.3 FM KOVC.

Jamestown won its fifth straight conference game with a 6-3 win over Bismarck in the first game of a doubleheader, but the Demons came back for an 8-3 win in the second game at Jack Brown Stadium.

Game 1: Jamestown 6, Bismarck 3

Kaiden Hakanson had a sacrifice fly and RBI single for the Blue Jays (6-9, 6-7 WDA).

Adam Sortland (2-2) won his second straight start, allowing just three hits and striking out four.

Thomas Newman, Brody Wolff and Braxton Perkins also drove in run.

Game 2: Bismarck 8, Jamestown 3

Aidan Rakowski hit a two-run triple and pitched a complete game for Bismarck.

Jaxon Kolpin drove in two runs for Jamestown (6-10, 6-8).  Newman was four-for-four.  Bennett Goehner drove in the other run for the Blue Jays.

Jamestown will play at Williston in a doubleheader on Thursday.  A sweep would clinch a sixth-place finish for the Blue Jays and have them avoid playing in a play-in game on Monday.