BISMARCK - Genoa Central scored 10 runs in the sixth inning as the Dragons broke the game open late to knock off the Rison Wildcats, 12-0, in the first round of the Class 3A Region 4 Tournament at Bismarck.The loss ends the season for Rison, which entered the regional tournament as the no. 2 seed from the 8-3A conference. The Wildcats finish the year with a 8-11 overall record, winning six of their final eight games.Despite the final score, the ‘Cats were within striking distance until the late explosion by the Dragons, which came in as the no. 3 seed from the 7-3A conference. After three scoreless innings, Genoa Central plated the game’s first two runs when the Dragons drove in a lead-off error with a single and added one more with a two-out hit for the 2–0 lead.Junior pitcher Noah Matheson, who started for Rison, shook off the fourth inning by retiring Genoa Central in order in the top of the fifth. However, he began to run into trouble starting the sixth.The Dragons’ first two batters walked to start the frame and the next reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Trent Lach then lined a double into left that cleared the bases to suddenly give Genoa a 5-0 lead.After a ground out for the first out, another Dragon single made it 6-0 before a fielder’s choice resulted in the second out.Genoa Central kept the frame alive with a walk, a hit, a walk, a double, an error and a single, resulting in six more runs to push the lead to 12-0 and end the game on the 10-run rule after the ‘Cats batted in the bottom of the sixth.Rison had an opportunity to take the lead in the second inning when Brayden Terry singled to start the inning, and after a ground out for the first out, Easton Billings walked and Brody Howard was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, a strikeout and fielder’s choice left all three runners stranded.The ‘Cats had a baserunner reach on a walk in each of the...
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