ONE DIVISION UNSETTLED

For the first half of the 2014 BARB campaign, the Casselton Horned Toads struggled to stay in hailing distance of the St. Francis Kansans. A nearly three-month long hot streak, however, took Landon Bolt’s charges to the brink of clinching on September 26.

On June 30, Casselton was 49-32 and trailing St. Francis by 11 games after the Kansans sped to a 60-21 record in the first half. While Scott Hatfield has been agonizing over his team’s “collapse” (42-36 with three games to play in the second half of the season), the Horned Toads have been almost as hot as St. Francis in the first half. A 56-23 record since July 1 brought them to a final series at home against the Brownsville Cutters.

Rookie sensation Tanner Roark (14-6, 2.50 ERA) took the hill with his team’s magic number at 2. His opponents, the Cutters, were fighting the ’62 Mets (or ’03 Boise Brawlers) for a record in futility at 40-119.

John Danks, the Brownsville starter, lasted just four-plus innings. He allowed four of his five runs in the first, when Edwin Encarnacion blasted a three-run homer after Justin Upton’s RBI double.

If St. Francis fans were watching, all hope drained out after the Cutters stranded two in the top of the third. Roark finished six innings, allowing three hits and striking out six against one walk. Nick Vincent and Craig Stammen completed the 8-0 victory.

The Kansans were playing host as well, but they had to face the Carolina Wildcats, who were already knocked out of postseason contention despite their 94 wins. Scott Kazmir was in control for his entire six innings, giving up only one hit and one walk as his team built an early lead.

Jon Niese only lasted 2 2/3 as his arm stiffened up during an hour-plus rain delay. He might not have been long for the contest anyway, as he gave up three runs on five hits in the outing.

Carolina held the 3-run advantage into the sixth inning, when Pat Neshek, who had come on for the last out of the fifth, fell apart. After striking out Adam Jones, Neshek gave up a solo homer to Nelson Cruz. Joe Mauer and Jose Altuve singled and doubled, respectively, and Dee Gordon stung a single to right to score both.

Carolina eventually added a final run and four relievers finished off the Kansans in a two-hit combined masterpiece.

The Wildcat win officially clinched the Central division for Casselton, as the Horned Toads are three games up with two to play.

It also means Casselton, with 105 wins, will be the top seed in the BARB playoffs. St. Francis is the wild card, and because the two are from the same division they won’t play each other in the first round. Casselton will play the East winner (Worcester and Frostbite Falls are tied with two games to play) and West champion Yuma gets St. Francis.