By Merchants beat writer, Billy Bumbomber

Fargo, ND - For the third time in four games the Merchants only manage to have nine players show up to the ballpark. 

“It has been a pretty poor showing so far this year, but I suppose that’s what happens when you lose five regulars from last year’s state championship team,” stated Wednesday’s starting pitcher Brandon Baumgartner.

The first two times the Merchants only had nine players they won, however, tonight would not produce the same result. 

The Mayville Redcaps brought half the town of Mayville to Fargo and scored all eight of their runs with two outs to beat the M’s 8-5.

Baumgartner struggled to get out of innings on the mound, highlighted by Mayville’s three runs on five straight hits with two outs in the sixth to break open a 3-2 game at the time. 

The M’s got two back in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 6-4 game but Mayville tacked on two more runs off Merchant reliever Preston Jensen with a two out, two run homer in the eighth. 

The Merchants scored one in the bottom of the 9th but that was it. Bryan Erstad continued to demolish the ball at the plate collecting two hits including his team leading fourth home run of the season. Andrew Hill and Beau Brunsvold each added two hits.

The M’s (4-2) will take on the Moorhead Mudcats Wednesday at No Name Name Field.