Broncos rally to defeat Nordics in conference action
FELCH — The Bark River-Harris Broncos saved their best offensive inning for last here Friday as they rallied past Felch North Dickinson 4-3 in a Skyline Central Conference baseball game.
BR-H trailed 2-0 after six innings before scoring four times in the seventh.
“These games are fun, but only when you win,” BR-H coach Mick Reynolds, a 1992 North Dickinson graduate, said after the regular-season finale. “It almost went the other way. We’re hoping this will give us momentum going into the post-season. Bark River-Harris and North Dickinson have a joint baseball program in the summer. The kids know each other well.”
Freshman Caleb Davis scored the Broncos’ first run on a fielder’s choice.
A two-run double to leftfield by junior Dane Schmitt sent the Broncos ahead 3-2 and before they concluded their scoring on a throwing error.
“We stayed confident,” he said. “We never gave up. This is a good win heading into the (Division 4) district. They had won eight games in a row, but we had been hitting the ball good and making plays on defense.”
Two Broncos also got hit by a pitch in the seventh before hanging in the bottom of the inning.
The Nordics got within a run on Trent Kramer’s double to center with two out in the seventh before Smith struck out the final batter.
North Dickinson scored its first run on Mason Florenski’s single to right-center in the fourth frame prior to senior Ty King scoring its second run on an error in the fifth.
“This is a big win,” Reynolds said. “It’s always nice to come up here and steal one. We’re young. We have no seniors, but have a lot of potential.”
Schmitt got the win in relief of junior Kaleb Desilets, who fanned the first four hitters he faced.
Desilets whiffed nine, walked three and allowed two runs on two hits through five frames.
Schmitt stuck out four, walked two and gave up a run on two hits in two innings of relief.
The Broncos collected nine hits, including two each by junior Gabe Spear and freshman Carter Pach. Florenski led the Nordics with a pair.
Luke Grunlund absorbed the loss in relief of Jason Graham, who struck out three, walked none and allowed six hits through five frames. Grunlund allowed four runs on two hits and fanned two.
Both teams enter district play Friday. The Broncos (9-12) face Stephenson at Norway. The Nordics travel to Bessemer to meet Ewen-Trout Creek.

