Aug. 17 -- JAMESTOWN -- The Wahpeton Wahppers had a big sixth inning and that allowed them to get a 5-3 win over the Tolna Trojans in the championship game of the 2025 North Dakota AA Amateur Baseball State Tournament on Sunday, Aug. 17, at Jack Brown Stadium.
"It's pretty exciting, pretty nice. (The) first year, taking home the state championship it's a good feeling," Wahppers second basemen Trace King said.
The Wahppers opened the scoring in the third inning when Cade Kappes hit a triple to score a run and take a 1-0 lead. The visitors added one more in the frame to take a 2-0 lead. The Trojans responded in the bottom of the third with a run to bring it to within one run at 2-1. The Trojans kept it up in the bottom of the fourth when they scored on a passed ball to make it 2-2 and then took a 3-2 lead on a Logan Lund single.
"Our team chemistry is really good from college people and a bunch of Watson guys coming together and just staying up when we're down," King said.
The Wahppers took a commanding lead in the sixth inning when they loaded the bases for Trace King who hit a double down the right field line to make it 4-3. They added one more in the frame to go up 5-3.
"(I) saw that first pitch coming in and decided to take a swing at it and connected," King said.
King finished the day going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run. He was one of two players on the Wahppers to record two hits alongside Caden Kappes who went 2-for-4. The Trojans also had two players get two hits: Jon Lund and Cooper Lawrence.
On the mound, the Wahppers used three pitchers, Skyler Bladow, Cooper Klosterman and Nick Zach, with the trio combining to pitch all seven innings giving up three runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking one. On the other side, the Trojans' Jon Lund pitched a complete game giving up five runs on 10 hits while striking out four and not walking anybody.