A six-run second inning and a four-run fourth inning is all the Dell Rapids Mudcats needed to earn a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2019 South Dakota Class B State Tournament. Dell Rapids defeated Four Corners by a score of 16-6 in eight innings on Wednesday, August 14th in Mitchell to advance in the tournament.
After Four Corners scored a run in the top of the second inning, Dell Rapids scored six runs on six hits in the bottom of the inning. Grant Olson, Jared Donahue, Josh Roemen, and Nate Henry all had RBI hits in the inning. Four Corners cut the lead to 6-5 by scoring a run in the top of the third inning and three more runs in the top of the fourth. The Mudcats responded with a four-inning of their own in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 10-5. Travis Peters and Olson had RBI hits, and Dell Rapids also scored two more runs on an error.
Johnson drove in another Mudcat run in the top of the sixth inning. Chad Hunt and Mark Houck brought home three more runs for Dell Rapids in the seventh to make the score 14-5. Four Corners scored in the top of the eighth, but the Mudcats scored two more times on an error and RBI hit by Nate Henry to end the game on the 10-run rule.
Eight Mudcat hitters had a multi-hit game. Houck and Roemen both had three hits and two RBIs. Hunt also had three hits with an RBI. Henry and Olson finished with two hits and two RBIs apiece. Peters and Donahue both had two hits and an RBI. Johnson had a hit and RBI. Story finished with two hits in the game. Jordan Johnson pitched four innings giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Andrew Wegner pitched three innings giving up just one hit and two walks with three strikeouts. Austin Henry pitched one inning giving up an earned run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
The Mudcats will play Canova in the quarterfinals on Friday, August 16th. First pitch is scheduled for about 7:30 p.m. in Mitchell.