LANGDON, N.D.-This season finale turned out much better for Thompson.
Thompson completed a 5-0 run in the North Dakota Class B American Legion baseball tournament with a 5-2 win against Carrington in the championship game Sunday.
It was the second straight state Legion title for Thompson. In between, however, most of the Legion players were on the Thompson team that finished second in the Class B state high school baseball tournament this spring.
"It's a little redemption,'' Thompson pitcher-infielder Cadyn Schwabe said. "That (high school tournament) wasn't a lot of fun. You hate the feeling of second place.''
Tyler Hegg was the standout for Thompson, getting two hits, driving in a run and striking out nine batters while allowing two runs (one unearned) to get the pitching win.
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"It was my last game with Thompson,'' said Hegg, the state tournament most valuable player who plans to play baseball at University of Minnesota-Crookston. ''I really wanted to go out with a win. It was pretty emotional.''
Carrington left one runner on base in every inning, five of them in scoring position.
"The guys on base are always on your mind,'' Hegg said. "You just have to concentrate on the batter and go after him. But I wasn't nervous. I just wanted to throw strikes. I had good defense behind me.''
That defense was highlighted in the top of the third inning.
With Zach Johnson on first base, Carrington's Lucas Geiszler doubled to the right-field fence. But right fielder Nick Reck hustled after the ball and threw to first baseman Clay Odenbach, whose relay throw to catcher Trey Larimer was in time to tag a sliding Johnson out at the plate.
"That play was spot on,'' Thompson coach Brady Schwab said. "Nick picked it off the fence and made a perfect throw, and our relay guy (Odenbach) made a perfect throw.''
Said Carrington coach Tim Ranum: "We hit the ball. But Thompson is just a good team. They had an inning-ending double play (in the second), and a heckuva relay throw. Not too many Class B teams make that play. That was a big momentum thing.''
Thompson took a 1-0 lead on Jacob Dick's run-scoring single in the second inning. After the Reck-to-Odenbach-to-Larimer play ended the top of the third inning, Thompson scored three times in the bottom of the inning highlighted by a Hegg run-scoring single.
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That was more than enough for Hegg, with Marcus Hughes finishing the final inning when Hegg was approaching his maximum pitch count.
Carrington scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings sandwiched around a two-run Thompson sixth.
"Ty was pretty lights out,'' Schwab said. "It was one of his better outings this year.''
The result was a title after Thompson came up a win short in the spring.
"A lot of these kids were on the high school team,'' Schwab said. "To end the season with a win leaves a much better taste in your mouth.''
