On one of the nicest nights of the spring thus far, Dell Rapids and Howard put together a last-minute, make-up game on Wednesday, April 11th. Already missing games early in the season, the two teams met at Ronken Field on the campus of Augustana University in Sioux Falls.
Dell Rapids scored right away in the top of the first inning. After a sacrifice by Jay Holm to move Carter Gullickson to second base, Jake Steineke doubled to right filed to drive in the first run of the game. Matt Gillogly followed with an RBI single to drive home Steineke for an early 2-0 lead. Dell Rapids scored another run in the second inning when Eddie Price scored on an error to make it 3-0.
The top of the fourth inning is where Dell Rapids did most of the damage. Holm and Steineke both scored on errors early in the inning. Gillogly and Keegan Miller scored after Jeffrey Schuch put a ball in play and reached on an error. Gabe Skonseng also reached on an error with Schuch scoring on the play. Gullickson hit a fly ball to right field and reached on another Howard error scoring Price and Skonseng. Gillogly drove in two more runs with a double to right field to give Dell Rapids a 12-0 lead. Howard was able to score two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Neither team would score in the fifth inning, and the game ended on the 10-run rule.
Gillogly finished the night 2-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Holm, Steineke, Elijah Story, and Price all collected hits in the game. Gullickson, Holm, Steineke, and Price all scored two times in the game as well.
Story pitched a strong four innings giving up two earned runs on two hits while striking out 11 batters and only walking one. Price closed out the game pitching the final inning by striking out all three batters.
Dell Rapids is 2-0 early in the season. The schedule has a home game against Oldham-Ramona/Rutland on Friday, April 13th, a JV tournament in Lennox on Saturday, April 14th, and a trip to Redfield on Sunday, April 15th, all weather permitting.