The Dell Rapids High School club baseball team continued their hot play as of late with a big win in Salem on Sunday, April 25th. Dell Rapids scored eight runs in the first two innings on their way to a 13-4 victory over McCook Central/Montrose. This was the third win in a row for Dell Rapids and fifth in their last six games.
An error by the MCM defense on the first batter of the game put Landon Ruesink on base for Dell Rapids. He moved to second on a groundout by Jack Henry. Ruesink stole third during Austin Henry’s at-bat, and A. Henry was eventually hit by a pitch. Kaeden Eastman hit an RBI groundout to the shortstop for the second out, but it brought home Ruesink. It looked as if MCM might get out of an early jam by only allowing one run.
Dell Rapids, however, was just getting started. Another hit batter, followed by three straight singles and a walk, and Dell Rapids all of the sudden had three more runs for a total of four in the inning. Will Jaton drove home two, and Treyse Eastman drove home the fourth run, and Dell Rapids led 4-0 after the top of the first inning was complete.
Dell Rapids continued to pound the ball in the second inning. J. Henry started things with a triple. K. Eastman had a two-run single, Aiden Boechler had an RBI triple, and Jaton had an RBI sacrifice fly as Dell Rapids scored four more times in the top of the second inning. MCM did pick up three runs off Dell Rapids starter Ruesink before relief pitcher Brady Larson shut the door limiting the damage.
K. Eastman had another RBI groundout in the top of the third inning to push the Dell Rapids lead to 9-3. Dell Rapids had another four-run inning in the top of the fifth. CJ Smith stole home for the 10th run of the game. K. Eastman drove home two more with a single to left field and then later scored on an error to make the score 13-3. MCM did score a run in the bottom of the fifth to stay out of the 10-run rule, which was also the final run scored in the game.
Ten different Dell Rapids players got a hit in the game. Boechler and J. Henry both had a triple, and Smith had a double. K. Eastman had two hits. Ruesink, A. Henry, Jaton, T. Eastman, Dylan Mathis, and Tyler Tjaden all had singles. E. Eastman drove home five runs in the game. Jaton had three RBIs. Boechler and T. Eastman both had one RBI.
Ruesink started the game on the mound giving up three earned runs on no hits with four walks and a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Larson earned the win pitching 5 2/3 very effective innings giving up one earned run on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Larson threw just 79 pitches, 53 of those for strikes.
Dell Rapids improves to 7-4 on the season. They will host Yankton in a varsity only double-header on Monday, April 26th.
