Bismarck High right-hander JonHausauer has pitched himself into a box. He's reached a level of perfection where he can't improve.

Statistically, that is.

Hausauer, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound junior, hurled a 7-0 shutout over Century in West Region baseball on Thursday and didn't improve his ERA.

That's right, Hausauer's ERAwent from 0.00 to 0.00. In four starts he's worked 28 innings and given up one run. It was unearned.

BHScoach Troy Olson said each of Hausauer's three pitches is a little bit better than it was last season. But the key is command.

"If you have command of two pitches in high school you can be pretty good," Olson observed. "He's got command of all three (fastball, curve and change)and he's just lights out."

After Hausauer shut Century down in the first game, BHScompleted a sweep. The Demons won the nonconference nightcap 5-2.

Four Century baserunners reached scoring position against Hausauer, who walked one, struck out four and surrendered six hits. He needed only 75 pitches to subdue the Patriots, 51 of them strikes.

"I've just been able to get all three pitches going and throw strikes with all of them at any given time," Hausauer said. "… My changeup is my best pitch.I try to set it up and use it as a strikeout pitch."

Century's best chance against Hausauer was in the first inning. Leadoff man Chris Wenzel singled and eventually reached third base with two out. He died there as Hausauer coaxed a groundout from Nate Schlosser.

Bismarck gave Hausauer more than enough elbow room by breaking a scoreless tie against CHSright-hander Alex Allen in the third. Jake Hruby and J.B.Johnston drilled RBIsingles and Andrew Seeberg doubled in a run as BHSput up a four-spot.

Hruby's' double and Seeberg's RBI single made it 5-0 in the fifth and Hausauer doubled in a run as the Demons put up two in the seventh. Five Century errors made two of Bismarck's runs unearned.

Demons catcher Tyler Johnson, who banged out three hits in the first game, said the four-run third inning was huge with Hausauer on the mound.

"Definitely getting off to a good start was big,"Johnson said. "… Usually with Hausauer on the mound that's enough."

Johnson noted BHSgot going the second time through the batting order. "You get a hang of what he (Allen)is throwing and how he's throwing and you catch on," Johnson said. "He didn't have his best day but we hit him."

The two setbacks snapped Century's four-game winning streak and left the Patriots 5-3 in the West Region and 10-6 overall. Bismarck improved to 13-4, 8-2 in the region. The Demons have won eight straight.

Century must face another red-hot team today. The Patriots play host to Dickinson in a 4:30 twin bill at Municipal Ballpark. The Midgets are on an 11-game tear.

"We'll throw (Zach)Wentz on the hill," Century coach Mike Gustavsson said.

Wentz, who had off-season knee surgery, made his first pitching start of the season on Monday, beating Mandan 6-2.

Gustavsson was more concerned with his team's impatience in the batter's box on Thursday than he was the meager results.

"We're not having very good at-bats. We're swinging like we still have aluminum bats in our hands instead of waiting for a pitch we can drive. … It's like we've gotten in a funk that keeps rolling and we've got to find a way to break out."

3 NOTES:Century played its fifth and sixth games without DustinWenzel, a rotation pitcher and one of the team's top offensive performers. Wenzel dislocated his left shoulder diving into first base on April 24 at Dickinson. He said he's hoping to be back in action May 14 when the Patriots play Minot. … Dickinson, 7-2 in regional play, will end the week with at least nine league victories no matter what happens against Century. The Midgets will pick up two regional forfeits from Turtle Mountain on Saturday. Turtle Mountain won't be able to field a team due to prom commitments.

Bismarck 7, Century 0

Century 000 000 0 - 0 6 5

Bismarck 004 021 x - 7 10 1

Alex Allen, Brady Wolf (5) and Tyler Isakson; Jon Hausauer and Tyler Johnson.W- Hausauer, 4-0. L- Allen, 1-2. HR- None.

Highlights: C -Chris Wenzel 3-for-3;Drew Hausauer 2-for-3, double. B- Johnson 3-for-3; Jake Hruby 2-for-3, double, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB; Andrew Seeberg 2-for-2, double, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 SB; Hausauer 1-for-4, double, 1 R, 1 RBI; 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO.

Bismarck 5, Century 2

Century 200 00 - 2 3 1

Bismarck 103 1x - 5 3 1

Matt Stoehr, EvanKendall (3) and Dave Gendreau; Erik Christianson, Tyler Peterson (5) and Alex Deyle. W - Christianson, 1-1. L- Stoehr, 0-1. Save - Peterson. HR - None.

Highlights: C - Nate Schlosser 1-for-2, 1 RBI; ZachWentz 1-for-1, 1 R, B - Tyler Johnson 1-for-2, 2 R; Darron Olson 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 SB; Jesse Schuchard 1-for-1, 1 RBI; Christianson 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO; Peterson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO.

Records: Century 5-3 West Region, 10-6 overall; Bismarck 8-2, 13-4.