The defending State B Legion champions had their season come to an end at the 2019 South Dakota Class B Legion State Tournament on Saturday, August 3rd. Dell Rapids lost their opening round game against Lennox on Friday, August 2nd, and then dropped their second game to Beresford on Saturday.
Dell Rapids opened the state tournament against the host team Lennox on Friday and lost a 5-4 game in nine innings. Dell Rapids got on the board first with a lead-off home run by Eddie Price to centerfield in the top of the second inning. Jake Rechtenbaugh followed with a double and later scored on an RBI single by Brandon Geraets to give Dell Rapids a 2-0 lead. The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the third. Lennox scored four times on three hits in the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Dell Rapids got a run back in the top of the sixth inning. Price started the inning with a single, and Geraets drove him home with a double to cut the lead to 4-3. Dell Rapids tied the game in the seventh. Keegan Miller drew a one-out walk, and Carter Gullickson followed with an RBI double to tie the game. The score remained tied 4-4 until the bottom of the ninth inning. Lennox loaded the bases with one out, and Jay Kirchner singled home the winning run.
Price and Geraets both had two hits in the game. Geraets had two RBIs, while Price had one. Gullickson also had a hit and an RBI. Rechtenbaugh and Ty Wood each had a hit as well. Price pitched the first 2 1/3 innings giving up four earned runs on three hits with six walks and two strikeouts. Jake Steineke pitched the final six innings allowing an unearned run on three hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.
After having to wait a few hours due to rain delays, Dell Rapids faced an elimination game against Beresford on Saturday afternoon. Beresford scored five runs in the first five innings and handed Dell Rapids a 5-1 loss. Beresford scored a run in the first, a run in the third, and three runs in the fifth for a 5-0 lead. Dell Rapids scored their lone run in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI double by Miller.
Gullickson finished the game with three hits. Miller had a hit and RBI. Price and Mason Goeken also had hits in the game. Jon Wilhelmsen pitched six innings giving up five runs, four earned, on six hits with five walks and three strikeouts.
Dell Rapids finishes their 2019 season with a 24-9 record and a Region 2B Championship.