The Linton Babe Ruth team improved to 8-5 on the season by splitting a doubleheader with the Bismarck Marshals in Bismarck on June 25.

Linton 2 Bismarck 0

Kelsey Larson fired a 2-hitter as Linton blanked Bismarck, 2-0, in the opening game of a doubleheader.

Linton picked up the first of its 2 unearned runs in the top of the first inning, when Tyler Jacob led off with a single, moved to second on a walk to David Schuetz, and then scored on an error off the bat of Larson. That would prove to be enough for Larson, who retired the first 10 batters he faced, and allowed just one base runner over the first four frames.

Larson’s only trouble came in the bottom of the 5th, when he gave up a single and walked two to load the bases after retiring the first two batters in the frame. However, he got Alex Bray to ground out to third to end the threat, and then he retired the side in order in each of the final two innings to preserve the shutout victory.

Larson allowed 2 hits and walked 2, while striking out 5 in 7 innings. Alex Grothe allowed 2 unearned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts in 7 innings while taking the loss.

Jacob reached base 3 times and scored both of Linton’s runs, while Nolan Meidinger and Travis Baumiller also collected hits for Linton. Andrew Solberg and Taylor Dansal picked up Bismarck’s 2 hits in the game.

Bismarck 14 Linton 4

(6 innings)

Bismarck scored 8 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the night cap (14-4) by 10-run rule, and salvaged a split of the doubleheader.

Linton scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning, but Bismarck used a 6-run rally in the bottom of the 2nd to take the lead (6-3) for good. Linton got just one more run, and that came on Tanner Purintun’s RBI double in the top of the 3rd, and neither team scored again until Bismarck scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 6th to end the game.

Andrew Bell picked up the victory for Bismarck, while Nolan Meidinger took the loss for Linton. Levi Roemmich also pitched for Linton, but he did not figure in the decision.

Kelsey Larson (2 runs, RBI) and Purintun (2 RBI) each had a pair of hits, while Roemmich (run) picked up the only hit for Linton. Bell (2 runs, 4 RBI) and Austin Hilzendeger (2 runs, 2 RBI) had 2 hits apiece for Bismarck.