The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team lost a tough, extra-inning game to West Central in the semifinals of the Region 3A tournament on Tuesday, July 25th. They were able to rebound and get a win over Madison White immediately afterwards to put them into the championship game.
West Central 7, Dell Rapids 6
Dell Rapids built a 6-0 lead in the first game of the night. Cooper Frost had an RBI single in the top of the second. Talan Millage had an RBI sacrifice fly, and Mason Stubbe had an RBI single to build a 3-0 lead. Quinn Carr added an RBI single, and Frost had an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. The sixth run came in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Lincoln Fersdahl.
West Central slowly started to chip away at the lead starting in the bottom of the fourth inning. They got two runs in that inning and two more in the bottom of the fifth. West Central pulled with in a run, 6-5, with a run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and two runners run, West Central got a game-tying hit. The second runner was thrown out at the plate to end the seventh to force extra innings. West Central, however, got the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Fersdahl had three hits, one a double, and an RBI. Sutton Williams also finished with three hits. Stubbe had two hits, one a double, and an RBI. Carr also had two hits and an RBI. Frost finished with a hit and two RBIs. Tad Tjaden and Luke Schoolmeester both had a hit. Millage finished with an RBI.
Carr pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Konrad Richeal pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Dell Rapids 14, Madison 4
Madison scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning for a quick 3-0 lead, but Dell Rapids rebounded to score the next 11 and eventually won 14-4 in five innings to put them into the championship game for a rematch with West Central.
Dell Rapids had a big six-run bottom of the second inning and then added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Madison got one more run in the top of the fifth. Dell Rapids then scored three more times in the bottom of the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.
Stubbe finished with three hits, one a double. Fersdahl had three hits, one a double, and three RBIs. Williams had two hits, one a triple, and an RBI. Cole Ruesink had a hit and two RBIs. Carr added a triple and an RBI. Tjaden also had a single. Fersdahl pitched four innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on two hits and five walks with eight strikeouts. Frost pitched one inning and allowed one hit.
Dell Rapids Qualifies for State
Because there are only four regions, Region 3A will send both teams in the championship game to the state tournament. Dell Rapids and West Central will play in state regardless of the outcome of the championship game. The region championship is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m. If Dell Rapids wins, the two teams will play again immediately following the first game.