The Otters played 4 pool play games over Saturday and Sunday. In the first game, The Otters beat Moorhead UBS Financial 5-0. The Otters wasted no time by jumping on the board in the first with Nolan Felstul tripling and scoring. In the fourth, the Otters scored 4 runs with Caleb Fronning (1b), Felstul (1b), Brody Krein (2b), and Kadyn Zender (1b) all getting hits and coming around to score. Josh Horgen and Zender each pitched 3 strong innings against Moorhead and combined to pitch a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts.

In the second game, the Otters took down the Blaine Bluehawks 5-3. Krein, Felstul, and Fronning all toed the rubber for the Otters and kept the Bluehawks in check. The Otters use the same formula in game 2 as in game 1 by scoring in the first inning. Fronning and Felstul both singled and scored with Krein scoring Felstul with a double. In the second, the Otters tacked on two more with Levi Budke (BB) and Kellen Funkhouser (1b) both getting on base and coming around to score on Benett Thielke’s single. The Otters wrapped up the scoring in the fifth with Thielke singling and coming around to score on a Felstul single.

The Otters returned to Fargo to face West Fargo HuHot early on Sunday morning and came away with the win 13-3. Josh Horgen pitched five strong innings to earn the win. In the first, Fronning singled and came around to score. West Fargo scored 2 runs in the top of the second and the Otters were facing their first deficit of the tournament. The young Otters responded in a big way by scoring 11 runs in the second. Jacob Jenc (1b and 2 runs), John Abrahams (BB), Hunter Welle (1b) Funkhouser (1b), Thielke, Fronning (BB), Felstul (1b), Krein (1b), Zender (1b), and Horgen (3b) all came around to score in the second. The Otters ended the game in the fifth with Jenc singling and coming around to score the last run on Abrahams’ single.

In the fourth and final game, the Otters played hard and ended up losing to Fargo Dynasty 4-3 in extra innings. Krein and Felstul combined to pitch against Fargo Dynasty and both pitched well in the losing effort. For the first time all tournament, the Otters were held scoreless in the first. In the second, the bats picked up with Horgen singling and scoring and Jenc scoring. In the third, the Otters added their last run when Fronning reached base and scored on Felstul’s single.

Hitting leaders for the tournament were Felstul and Krein with 7 hits each, Fronning, Zender, Horgen, Jenc, and Thielke with 3 hits each, Welle and Funkhouser with 2 hits each and Abrahams with 1 hit.

“Each player contributed to the tournament win,” said coach Chad Felstul. “Every player either got a timely hit, scored a key run, or played solid defense in the field and I am proud of the way our players battled in this tournament,” added Felstul.

The 11u Otters wrap up their season with a doubleheader against Moorhead on Thursday at Grotto Park at 5:30.