WHITESTOWN, Ind. (KFGO) – For the Fargo baseball community, Friday marked history.
Team North Dakota, which is made up of the Fargo Little League 12U All-Stars, beat Team South Dakota in the Little League Midwest Region Championship, which aired on ESPN, to secure a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. They will wear and represent the Midwest in the World Series.
North Dakota was one of seven states that have never represented the Midwest at the LLWS.
William Korbl started off the scoring for Team North Dakota in the first inning smashing a two-run triple to score Cash Martinez and Jackson Molden. Korbl then scored on a wild pitch.
North Dakota put up another run in the second with Hudson Yaeger hitting an RBI single and driving in Collin Hanson.
South Dakota wouldn’t go down without a fight in the third with Harrison Nickles doubling and scoring two runs. Carter Chapman singled followed by a double from Jacob McCloskey to tie the game 4-4.
North Dakota would answer by driving in five runs in the fifth inning to go up 9-4. A Reese Evenson triple sent home Reed Holman and Brody Holmes, and Evenson also scored on the throw to home. Blaise Ostrom then hit a bases-loaded single to score two more runners.
South Dakota answered right back in the bottom of the fifth. Harrison Nickles drove in two more runs with his second double of the game. Carter Chapman and Ryan Henry also drove in runs to cut North Dakota’s lead to 9-7.
In the final inning, North Dakota’s reliever Mason Sinner came in to close out the historic win for Fargo.
MORE INFO ABOUT THE LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES:
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. The Series was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania; while the postal address of the organization is in Williamsport, the Series itself is played at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Volunteer Stadium at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport.
Initially, only teams from the United States competed in the Series, but it has since become a worldwide tournament. The tournament has gained popular renown, especially in the United States, where games from the Series and even from regional tournaments are broadcast on ESPN.
Currently, the Little League World Series consists of 20 teams: 10 from the United States, and 10 from other countries.
Little League World Series Complex in Williamsport, PA (Credit: Little League Baseball)
