Having to wait an extra day to start their season due to a weather cancellation, the Dell Rapids 15/16 teener team played their first game of the season on the road in Beresford on Wednesday, June 10th. Dell Rapids wasted no time scoring runs on their way to an 11-6 victory.
Dell Rapids scored a run in each of the first two innings and then scored four times in the top of the third innings for an early 6-0 lead. Beresford got on the board in the bottom of the third, but was limited to just one run as Dell Rapids lead 6-1 after three innings of play. Dell Rapids added two more runs after CJ Smith and Joe Rechtenbaugh scored in the top of the fourth inning. Beresford made a rally in the bottom of the inning scoring four times to pull within three at 8-5. Dell Rapids would again add two more runs in the top of the fifth inning to push the lead back to five at 10-5. Each team added another run in the sixth inning as Dell Rapids held on for the win.
Brayden Pankonen finished the game with three hits and two runs scored. CJ Smith finished with two hits. Caleb Kittleson had a double. Landon Ruesink, Aiden Boechler, and Dylan Mathis all had hits in the game as well.
Ruesink pitched the first 2 1/3 innings giving up one unearned run on no hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Smith pitched one inning giving up four runs, all earned, on two hits with two walks and a strikeout. Pankonen pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up no runs on one hit while striking out two. Brady Larson pitched the final two innings giving up an earned run on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.
Dell Rapids (1-0) will host Chancellor on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and then host Vermillion in two games on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. All three games will be at Rickeman Field.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
| Dell Rapids | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 1 | |
| Beresford | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 |