- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Oakes Today
By the People, for the People
Tornados Hold Off Late Bulldog Surge; Start Season With Win
Oakes Tornados edge Sargent County Bulldogs in close season opener
Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:08pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Oakes Tornados began their season with a 6-5 win over the Sargent County Bulldogs in a close game played on a rare warm March evening. Oakes jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Bulldogs rallied late, scoring 5 runs over the final three innings before the Tornados held on for the victory.
Why it matters
This was the first game for both teams as separate programs after previously being a co-op, making this an important early-season matchup as they look to establish their own identities and build momentum for the rest of the year.
The details
Oakes pitcher Zade Heier had a strong start, striking out a career-high 9 batters over 3.1 innings. The Tornados built a 6-1 lead by the 4th inning, but the Bulldogs chipped away, scoring 2 runs in the 5th, 1 in the 6th, and 1 in the 7th to make it a one-run game before Oakes closed it out.
- The game was played on March 30, 2026.
- Oakes and Sargent County were previously a co-op team but are now separate programs.
The players
Zade Heier
The Oakes pitcher got the win, striking out a career-high 9 batters over 3.1 innings.
Harry Neustel
The Sargent County starting pitcher struck out 7 batters over 4 innings of work.
Jaxson Gebhardt
The Oakes pitcher came in to record the save in the 7th inning.
Braxton Erickson-Wyckoff
The Sargent County player hit a double and scored a run in the loss.
Anthony Ferderer
The Sargent County player had 2 hits, including stealing home, and drove in a run.
What’s next
The Tornados are scheduled to play the Enderlin Eagles on Thursday, April 2nd, but the game is expected to be postponed due to weather. Fans can tune in to KDDR the Tornado for all the latest Tornado Baseball news.
The takeaway
This close season-opening win for the Oakes Tornados sets them up well as they look to establish their own identity separate from their previous co-op with the Sargent County Bulldogs. The game highlighted the competitive nature of this local rivalry as both teams aim to make their mark in the new season.
