Cards improve to 3-0; Shipman homers again in win over V-D-A

Instead of largely taking what they wanted in their first two blowout wins of the spring baseball campaign, the Carrington Cardinals were merely content to accept what the Velva/Drake-Anamoose Aggies offered them last Monday.

The Cards finished with just four hits in a 10-3 nonregion victory in Velva, but benefited from 16 total free baserunners via nine walks and seven errors.

In the win, junior shortstop Grady Shipman hit his second home run of the spring, a first inning solo shot, and scored twice on the afternoon along with Max Whitman, who also had one of the four hits.

Ethan Roller had a double and drove in a run against V-D-A, and starting pitcher Kael Kovar had the other hit and RBI.

On the hill, Kovar went three innings with four hits allowed, two runs (both earned), a pair of walks and five strikeouts. Josh Bickett went three frames in relief, and Hudson Schmitz came on in the seventh.

Just one Aggie player gave the Cardinal pitchers and defense fits, and that was Hank Bodine. The sophomore center fielder had a two-run home run in the first inning, along with a triple and single in three at-bats, finishing just a double short of the cycle.

Velva starter Reggie Bruner pitched well for the first three innings, striking out six and giving up just the home run to Shipman, but the Aggie relief corps struggled after his stint.

Over the next 2 1/3 innings, relievers Jack Passa and Camden Clark struggled with control (six combined walks) and defensive miscues behind them. When their stints ended, the Cards had nine runs, five of those earned.

For the Aggies, Cooper Kittelson, Patrick Effertz and Preston Kraft had the other three hits, and Reese Steffen stole two bases.

Carrington gets back to action today (May 1) in LaMoure, to face the two-time defending State Class B runner-up and perennial Region 3 contender Loboes beginning at 5 p.m.

Nonregion Baseball

Carrington 10,

Velva/Drake-Anamoose 3

at Velva

Cgtn. 100 323 1 - 10 4 0

V-D-A 200 001 0 - 3 6 7

Kael Kovar, Josh Bickett (4), Hudson Schmitz (7) and Corbin Clifton; Reggie Bruner, Jack Passa (4), Camden Clark (5), Mason Kraft (6) and Logan Vincent, Bruner (4). W - Kovar. L - Passa.

Carrington: Kovar 1-3, SB, run, RBI; 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Max Whitman 1-3, 2 runs; Grady Shipman 1-4, HR, 2 runs, RBI; Ethan Roller 1-4, double; Owen Hagel and Clifton run, RBI; Bickett, Schmitz and Jake Otto run.

V-D-A: Hank Bodine 3-3, HR, triple, run, 2 RBI; Bruner 3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K; SB, 2 runs; Cooper Kittelson 1-2; Patrick Effertz 1-3; Preston Kraft 1-4; Reese Steffen 2 SB.