LaMoure starting pitcher Nick Tollefson allowed only one run in seven innings of work in opening round action at the State Class B Legion Tournament at Townsend Field in LaMoure. LaMoure picked up a 3-1 victory over West Fargo. (Mark Potts/VCTR) 

By Mark Potts
Valley City Times-Record

Now this is Legion baseball.
Day one of the State Class B Legion Tournament at Townsend Field in LaMoure turned out to be a classic as the final three games were decided by a total of four runs, two of them in the last at bat.
Beulah kicked off the tournament with a 7-0 victory over Harvey before the action really got started. Minot and Makoti played a 12-inning thriller in the second afternoon game with Minot coming out on top 3-2. James Knoll crossed the plate in the bottom of the seventh for Casselton as they pulled out a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Grafton in the first evening game.
In the nightcap LaMoure rode the energy from their home crowd and a brilliant pitching performance by Nick Tollefson to a 3-1 victory over West Fargo.
Casselton and Beulah now meet Thursday at 5 p.m. in the first semifinal while LaMoure and Minot will play at 7:30 p.m. in the second semifinal. Harvey and Grafton play at noon and Makoti faces West Fargo at 2:30 p.m.

LaMoure 3, West Fargo 1
Experience paid off for LaMoure as 18-year-old Nick Tollefson and 19-year-old Jared Pederson came up big for Post 19 in their 3-1 victory over West Fargo.
Tollefson gave up only one run in his seven innings of work on the mound while Pedersen sparked the offense and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning.
Tollefson had a no-hitter through four innings but still trailed 1-0 thanks to three walks and an error in the first inning.
“For awhile there I was thinking ‘Geez, we’re gonna give up one run and lose the game,’” said LaMoure coach J.R. Thielges. “If you’d told me before the game we’d only give up one run, I’d have taken it.”
Fortunately for LaMoure the offense woke up in the fifth inning. Cole Gentzkow led the inning off and reached first after being hit by West Fargo pitcher Matt Strahm. Pedersen then came to the plate and, after fouling off a number of pitches on a full count, came through with a base hit through the left side.
“He was throwing me a lot of curves,” said Pedersen of the at bat. “I was waiting for a fastball down the plate…so I was just trying to foul off the bad ones.”
Pedersen’s battle energized the crowd and the LaMoure offense. Chad Limesand dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Gentzkow and Pedersen into scoring position before Ben Holen singled home Gentzkow with a line drive to right center. After Tollefson struck out, Ben Watkins singled home Pedersen for the go-ahead run.
West Fargo loaded the bases in the fifth inning on two LaMoure errors but Tollefson struck out Bryce Jorgenson to end the threat, pumping his fist as he walked off the mound.
Pedersen then doubled home Gaige Dunn with a double in the sixth for an insurance run. Pedersen finished the night 3-3 with one run scored and one RBI while Watkins went 2-4 with an RBI.
“Jared really came through for us today,” said Tollefson. “He really battled up there.”
“It’s nice to have those 19-year-olds come back and play,” Thielges said of Pedersen.
Tollefson gave up only the one run on four hits while walking three batters and striking out six. All of Tollefson’s walks came in his shaky first inning.
“I’ve faced them twice this year,” said Tollefson. “The first time they were swinging at curveballs so I came back with curveballs that first inning, but I couldn’t get them to swing at anything so I realized I had to go fastball.”
LaMoure now faces Minot Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the winner’s bracket. Thielges said Ben Holen will get the start on the mound.

For full story, see Thursday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record.