Thompson's Kyle Odenbach homers to spark Tommies over North Star at state baseball
Jun. 2—FARGO — In the bottom of the first inning, Thompson first baseman Kyle Odenbach saw a curveball from North Star pitcher Dane Hagler.
Odenbach launched the pitch just foul, deep over the right-field fence.
Odenbach saw a curveball on the next pitch, too. This time, he didn't miss.
The senior mashed his first home run of the season deep over the right-field fence to ignite a five-run first inning en route to a 13-3 win over North Star in the quarterfinals of the North Dakota Class B state baseball tournament at Newman Outdoor Field.
The game was shortened to six innings due to the 10-run rule.
"He threw me two curveballs right next to each other," said Odenbach, who has signed to play at Bismarck State College next season. "That second one, I knew what it looked like from the pitch before."
Not only was it Odenbach's first home run of the season, but it was the Tommies' first bomb of the year.
"I was seeing the ball well today," he said. "Our shortened season, it was hard to get out to see the ball. We're finally seeing the ball well late in the season."
No. 2 seed Thompson moves on to face the winner of Central Cass and Des Lacs-Burlington at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The Tommies are set up well for the final two games of the tournament. Thompson used No. 3 pitcher Connor Welsh to start the game.
"Everyone has their own philosophy on it," Thompson coach Nate Soulis said of his rotation decision. "In my mind, we're playing to win the tournament. I really trusted Connor to go out and do his thing. He's solid for us."
Welsh threw 76 pitches and left in the fourth inning with a 6-2 lead.
"Coach put some trust in me today, but it wasn't all me today," Welsh said. "The defense made some plays for me, throwing out guys at second and making diving plays. It always makes it easier to pitch when the defense has your back."
The Tommies finished the game throwing Reece Berberich, so Thompson has yet to throw top two arms Odenbach and Tyler Cunningham.
"What benefits us the most is our pitching," Odenbach said. "We're deep. Getting through today with Connor and not showing me or Tyler puts us in a good spot for the next two games."
The Tommies jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first against North Star, a young senior-less team, playing in its ninth game of the year due to a cold, wet spring.
Welsh started the first with a single and stole second. Tom Schumacher and Cunningham followed by reaching on errors before Odenbach hit his home run.
Ryan Strande followed with a double and Brayden Wolfgram hit a triple as Thompson sent all nine batters to the plate in the first.
North Star's best offensive threat came in the second inning, which was the only frame the Bearcats sent more than four batters to the plate in an inning.
North Star catcher Garrett Westlind hit a two-run single to right field to score Parker Simon and Jack Ahlberg.
But the Tommies tacked on three runs in the fourth, highlighted by Schumacher stealing home and Cunningham scoring on a balk.
Thompson then ended the game in the sixth when Welsh hit a walkoff, two-run single for the final margin.
Thompson 13,
North Star 3
NOR 020 001 — 3 3 5
THO 510 304 — 13 8 0
WP — Connor Welsh; LP — Dane Hagler
Highlights — T: Welsh 2x5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, Kyle Odenbach 2x3, HR, Ryan Strande 1x3, 2B, Brayden Wolfgram 2x3, 3B; NS: Garrett Westlind 1x2, 2 RBIs, Zach Jorde 1x2, Parker Simon 1x1
