HIGHLIGHTS: Wahpeton Post 20 Wins Border Battle Behind Aiden Hajek’s No-Hitter

AIDEN HAJEK TOSSES NO-HITTER FOR POST 20 IN THE ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY BORDER BATTLE BETWEEN WAHPETON POST 20 AND BRECKENRIDGE POST 53.

WAHPETON, N.D. (KVRR) –There are few traditions quite like it: The Border battle on the Fourth of July between Wahpeton Post 20 and Breckenridge Post 53. Each year since 2003 the two legion programs meet for game under the lights with fireworks to follow. In 2024 the game was rained out, and with rain in the forecast Friday, the teams decided to move the game to 3 P.M. and postpone the fireworks to Saturday.

The afternoon battle at John Randall Field saw history. Wahpeton’s bats were alive in the first inning plating two runs before adding two more in the fourth inning. Carter Hockert executed a suicide squeeze to score the fourth run. Breckenridge Post 53 got out of a bases loaded jam with just one out after Post 20 tried to replicate the squeeze. Riley Kappes made a grab in front of the mound and ran to third for an unassisted double play to end the frame.

Aiden Hajek on the mound for Post 20 dominated. By the end of the game, he did not allow a single hit. Hajek picked up outs via strikeout and had multiple successful pick-offs at first base, including the game-ending out.

Wahpeton Post 20 won 4-0 in the end, securing bragging rights in the region.

“You know, we got a big rivalry with them and a couple of them might be my buddies, but when it comes to this game, I got to be a bulldog on the mound,” said Hajek who tossed his first career no-hitter Friday. “It’s like a state championship game…you got to get the win, so I figured I’d be a bulldog on the mound.”

Though the fireworks had to be postponed, the game was able to be played, something Wahpeton Post 20 head coach Chris Kappes is grateful for.

“Iit’s a great event for Breckenridge and Wahpeton,” said Kappes. “We started this game in 2003 and we’ve had it ever since, until last summer it got rained out, first time we had a rain out. And then this summer, we’re looking at back-to-back years, so we had to bump it up a little bit, which unfortunately takes a little bit away from the festivities, but you got the traveling trophy. It’s the bragging rights between the two towns. You know, a lot of these guys are buddies. They hang out with each other. They’ve been teammates in different sports growing up, things like that. But this game, you know, they get between the lines, and it’s a big deal. You want to win the ball game. It doesn’t mean anything conference-wise to either team, but it brings a fun atmosphere with a good crowd that these guys can play in, and then hopefully both teams can take a little something from it going forward with their seasons.”

As for the historical no-hitter by Hajek, Kappes says it is the second one in the game’s history.

“I believe it is the second [no-hitter],” said Kappes. “Brock Lingen threw one in, I want to say, 2013. No-hitters do not come around often. To have two on this date is pretty cool stuff.”