Riverland Community College came up just short on Friday afternoon, falling 2-1 to Minnesota North College-Rainy River in a tightly contested matchup in Sioux Falls, SD.

The contest featured strong pitching and solid defensive play from both sides, as runs were at a premium throughout. Riverland broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning, taking advantage of a Rainy River error to plate its lone run of the game and grab a 1-0 lead.

Rainy River responded in the sixth inning, using an RBI single to even the score at 1-1. The game remained deadlocked until the eighth, when Minnesota North College-Rainy River strung together timely hitting to push across the go-ahead run.

Riverland threatened late but was unable to capitalize, finishing the game with five hits. Freshman 1B Carson Gehrke (Oregon, WI) led the offensive effort with a 2-for-3 performance, while sophomore 2B Raul Martinez (Santa Isabel, PR) , freshman utility Austin Swenson (Adams, MN), and freshman catcher Ethan Mott (Rockford, IL) each added a hit.

On the mound, Riverland received a strong outing from sophomore pitcher Riley Jax (Adams, MN), who tossed 7.2 innings, allowing two runs while striking out five. Sophomore pitcher Khalil Fernandez (Arecibo, PR) provided relief out of the bullpen to close out the eighth inning.

Minnesota North College-Rainy River totaled 11 hits in the game, highlighted by a four-hit performance. Preston Dyok earned the win on the mound with a complete-game effort, limiting Riverland to just one unearned run.