Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media, Author at Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Mudcats Win Back-to-Back Titles

August 14, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Mudcats repeated as the South Dakota Class B Amateur Baseball champions with three more wins in the State B Tournament in Mitchell Friday, August 12th through Sunday, August 14th. Dell Rapids claimed wins over Dimock-Emery, Winner/Colome, and Garretson.

Dell Rapids Mudcats 2, Dimock-Emery Raptors 1

The Mudcats needed extra innings, but got the 2-1 win over the Raptors on Friday to advance to the semifinals. Dell Rapids broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Dalton Lehnen. Dimock-Emery tied the game in the bottom of the inning. The two teams stayed locked at 1-1 until the top of the 10th. Ty Hoglund had a two-out RBI single scoring Trevor Freudenthal to give the Mudcats a 2-1 lead. The Raptors got a two-out walk in the bottom of the 10th, but Lehnen got a strikeout to end the game.

Lehnen had two hits and an RBI. Hoglund finished with a hit and an RBI. Weston Hanson had two hits. Mark Abrahamson, Kris Regas, and Grant Olson all had a single. Lehnen pitched all 10 innings allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts.

Dell Rapids Mudcats 7, Winner/Colome 2

Dell Rapids earned a trip to the title game after a 7-2 win over the Pheasants on Saturday. The Mudcats built a 5-0 lead over the first two innings. Lehnen had an RBI double in the top of the first inning after a two-out triple by Hanson for an early 1-0 lead. Dell Rapids then added four more runs in the top of the second. Olson had an RBI single, Dalton Allen followed with a two-run double, and Hoglund had an RBI double to push the lead to 5-0.

Winner/Colome got one run in the bottom of the second inning and one more in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 5-2. Dell Rapids put the game away with two runs in the top of the ninth. Chad Hunt had an RBI single and then later scored on a wild pitch.

Hoglund finished with two hits, one a double, and an RBI. Hanson also had two hits, including a triple. Allen had a double and two RBIs. Lehnen finished with a double and an RBI. Hunt and Olson each added a single with an RBI. Travis Peters also had a hit. Regas pitched nine innings and allowed two earned runs on eight hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

Dell Rapids Mudcats 5, Garretson 2

A four-run sixth inning was key to the Mudcats victory in the championship game against the Blue Jays on Sunday. Garretson broke a 0-0 tie with two runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the first lead of the game.

Dell Rapids, however, scored four times in the bottom of the sixth. Lehnen had a two-run single to cut the lead in half. Hanson followed with an RBI ground ball and then scored on a ball in play by Freudenthal. Dell Rapids added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Hunt scored Olson on an RBI single for a 5-2 advantage.

Lehnen finished with two hits and two RBIs. Hunt also had two hits and an RBI. Freudenthal added a single and RBI. Hoglund, Regas, and Olson all had a single. Hanson added an RBI. Allen pitched four innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with six strikeouts. Lehnen pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed six hits with six strikeouts. Regas pitched 2/3 of an inning.

Lehnen was named the tournament MVP.

Mudcats Reach State B Quarterfinals

August 9, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Mudcats have kept their 2022 season alive by winning two games at the 2022 South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association Class B Tournament in Mitchell. They defeated Northville in their first game 7-0 on Saturday, August 6th. The Mudcats then got an 8-6 win over Larchwood on Tuesday, August 9th.

Dell Rapids Mudcats 7, Northville 0

The Mudcats scored in four innings and held Northville to just two hits in their 7-0 opening round victory on Saturday. Neither team scored in the first inning, and the Mudcats broke the scoreless tie with a run in the top of the second. Weston Hanson reached on an error that scored Kris Regas.

Two more runs came home in the top of the third. Regas had an RBI ground out, and Trevor Freudenthal drew a bases loaded walk. The Mudcats got two more runs in the top of the fifth. Travis Peters had an RBI single, and Hanson had an RBI sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead. The score remained 5-0 until the top of the ninth. Frudenthal had an RBI double, and Logan Stone had an RBI ground out.

Freudenthal had two hits, one a double, and two RBIs. Chad Hunt also had two hits. Peters finished with a hit and an RBI. Grant Olson finished with a single. Regas, Hanson, and Stone all had one RBI. Dalton Allen pitched six innings and allowed one hit and three walks with five strikeouts. Dalton Lehnen pitched three innings and allowed one hit with seven strikeouts.

Dell Rapids Mudcats 8, Larchwood 6

The Mudcats scored the first seven runs of the game and then held off Larchwood as they scored the final five runs of the game. Dell Rapids advanced to the quarterfinals with an 8-6 win on Tuesday night.

Mark Abrahamson reached on an error that scored Ty Hoglund, and Hanson had an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. Abrahamson launched a three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning to push the lead to 5-0. Stone scored on a wild pitch, and Freudenthal had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-0 lead.

Larchwood got one run in the top of the sixth inning, and the Mudcats responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Lehnen had an RBI sacrifice fly scoring Hunt for an 8-1 score. Larchwood then put together a five-run rally. They scored four times in the top of the seventh inning and one more in the top of the eighth to make the score 8-6. Larchwood had runners on second and third with one out in the top of the ninth, but Lehnen struck out the next two batters to save the game.

Abrahamson finished with a home run and three RBIs. Hanson and Freudenthal both had a single and an RBI. Hoglund and Hunt each finished with a single. Lehnen added an RBI. Regas pitched seven innings and allowed five runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts. John Spaeth pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed an earned run on four hits with three strikeouts. Lehnen got the final two outs on strikeouts to earn the save.

Fourth Place Finish for West Central 16U at State

August 7, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The West Central 16U baseball team finished 1-2 at the 2022 South Dakota VFW Class A State Tournament and finished fourth. The tournament was hosted by Dakota Valley in North Sioux City Friday, August 5th through Sunday, August 7th.

West Central 10, Flandreau 0

West Central earned a shutout win over Flandreau in the opening round of the tournament on Friday. After a scoreless first inning, West Central got on the board in the bottom of the second. Cain Grocott had an RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead.

The big inning game in the bottom of the third. Jesse Jost had an RBI single. Landen Holewa followed with an RBI bunt single, and then Hayes Cain scored on an error to make the score 4-0. Holewa later scored on a passed ball, and Grocott had an RBI single for a 6-0 lead. West Central then scored four more times in the bottom of the sixth. Holewa had a bases loaded walk, Will Nester had an RBI single, and Jost and Holewa scored on wild pitches to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Jost had two hits and an RBI. Holewa finished with a hit and three RBIs. Grocott had a hit and two RBIs. Nester added a single and RBI. Keaton Vessells, Maison Schuldt, Jack Sebert, and Jonathan Murray all had singles as well. Sebert pitched four innings and allowed two hits with four strikeouts. Cade Vanderwoude pitched two innings and allowed a walk with three strikeouts.

Tea 10, West Central 1

Tea got all 10 of their runs before West Central could score in the semi-final round on Saturday. The first run came in the top of the second, and Tea led 1-0 after three innings of play. They then had a five-run fourth inning. Tea got two more runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

West Central’s lone run came in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single by Jost.

Jost had two of the five hits and also an RBI. Sebert, Carter Evans, and Karson Vessells all had a single. Ke. Vessells pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits and four walks with eight strikeouts. Cyrus Maras pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Alex Siemonsma pitched 2/3 of an inning.

Dell Rapids 11, West Central 3

Dell Rapids scored three runs in the top of the first inning for an early 3-0 lead in the third/fourth place game on Sunday. They added another run in the top of the third. West Central cut the lead in half with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Nester scored on a wild pitch, and Schuldt had an RBI sacrifice to the pitcher for a 4-2 score.

After Dell Rapids scored one run in the top of the fifth, they delivered the big blow in the top of the sixth. Dell Rapids scored six times to push the lead to 11-2. Jost scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh for West Central’s final run of the tournament.

Nester finished with two of the team’s four hits. Schuldt had a single and an RBI, and Ke. Vessells had a single. Schuldt pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed four hits, three earned, on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Holewa pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs, all unearned, on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Sebert pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two hits with two strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 16U Finishes Third at State A Tournement

August 7, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team brought home third place at the 2022 South Dakota VFW Class A State Tournament hosted by Dakota Valley in North Sioux City Friday, August 5th through Sunday, August 7th.

Dell Rapids 8, Volga 0

Dell Rapids slowly pulled away from Volga for an 8-0 win in the opening round of the state tournament on Friday. Talan Millage drove home the first run with an RBI ground out in the top of the second inning. Mason Stubbe started the third with a triple and then scored on an RBI ground out by Tad Tjaden for a 2-0 lead.

Dell Rapids then got three runs in the top of the fifth. Lincoln Fersdahl had an RBI sacrifice fly, and Sutton Williams had a two-run single for a 5-0 lead. Stubbe had an RBI single in the top of the sixth. Cooper Frost added an RBI single in the top of the seventh, and Fersdahl scored the eighth run on a wild pitch.

Stubbe had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Frost also had two hits and an RBI. Williams finished with a single and two RBIs. Tjaden and Millage each had a single and RBI. Cole Ruesink had two hits. Luke Schoolmeester added a single, and Fersdahl had an RBI. Millage pitched all seven innings and allowed nine hits and one walk with eight strikeouts.

Wagner 5, Dell Rapids 0

Dell Rapids met Wagner in the semi-finals on Saturday, but was held to just four hits in the game in a 5-0 win for Wagner. Wagner scored four times in the bottom of the second inning, and the score remained 4-0 until the sixth. They would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Fersdahl had two hits for Dell Rapids. Quinn Carr had a double, and Williams added a single. Tjaden pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, but only one earned, on five hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts. Konrad Richeal pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed a hit and a walk.

Dell Rapids 11, West Central 3

A big sixth inning for Dell Rapids helped them to an 11-2 win over West Central on Sunday to take third place in the state tournament.

Dell Rapids did score three times right away in the top of the first inning. Frost had a two-run single, and Williams scored on a balk for an early 3-0 lead. Millage added an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the third to push the lead to 4-0. West Central cut the lead in half, 4-2, with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Fersdahl had an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning, and then Dell Rapids added six more runs in the top the sixth. Tjaden had an RBI double, Micah Pickard scored on a wild pitch, and Ruesink had an RBI single for an 8-2 lead. Frost added two more RBIs with a single, and Millage had an RBI single for the sixth run of the inning. West Central got one run in the bottom of the seventh.

Ruesink finished with three hits and an RBI. Frost had two hits and four RBIs. Millage added two hits and two RBIs. Tjaden had a double and RBI. Fersdahl also had a hit and an RBI. Schoolmeester had two hits. Williams, Grady Lamer, and Pickard all collected a hit.

Carr pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and five walks with four strikeouts. Fersdahl pitched three innings and allowed an earned run on a hit and seven walks with three strikeouts. Richeal pitched the final 2/3 of an inning allowing one hit and recording a strikeout.

Gamecock Offense Held in Check in State Tournament Loss

August 7, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Humboldt/Hartford Gamecocks had their season end after just one game at the State B tournament on Friday, August 5th. The Dimock/Emery Raptors held the Gamecocks to just four hits and then had two big innings in a 13-0 win.

The Raptors got one run in the top of the second and led 1-0 after three innings of play. Dimock/Emery then had a four-run top of the fourth and added six more runs in the top of the fifth to make it an 11-0 lead at that point. The Raptors had two more runs in the top of the sixth.

Broc Haldeman had two of the four hits for the Gamecocks. Cam Quigley and Chad Morrison each had a hit as well. Brandon McKnight pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits with a strikeout. Drew Maras pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed six runs, four earned, on four hits and a walk with one strikeout. Landry Knight and Micah Warrington both pitched an inning and each gave up a hit.

The Gamecocks finished the 2022 season as the Cornbelt League regular season champions and District 4B champions.

State Tournament Run Ends for Dell Rapids Legion

July 31, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The state tournament run for the Dell Rapids legion baseball team came to an end on Sunday, July 31st. Host team Gregory built a big lead Dell Rapids could not overcome in a 10-3 victory.

Gregory struck early and often in the first four innings. They scored three times in the top of the first, two in the second, one run in the third, and two more in the top of the fourth for a 8-0 lead. Dell Rapids finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Joe Rechtenbaugh had an RBI single. Gregory added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Dell Rapids got two in the bottom of the sixth. Both Brayden Pankonen and Jack Henry had an RBI sacrifice fly in the inning.

Rechtenbaugh finished with two singles and an RBI. Mason Stubbe also had two hits. Pankonen and Henry both had a single and an RBI. Dylan Mathis and Aiden Boechler each added a single.

Treyse Eastman pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Rechtenbaugh pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed an unearned run on two walks and a strikeout. Will Jaton pitched four innings and allowed five runs, two earned, on nine hits and four walks with a strikeout. Mathis also pitched an inning without allowing a hit.

Dell Rapids finishes the season with an overall record of 22-12.

Joe Hanisch Hits for Cycle, Gamecocks Win District 4B Title

July 30, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Humboldt/Hartford Gamecocks led for most of the game, but had to rally in the eighth inning for an 11-7 win over the Canova Gang in the District 4B Championship game in Dell Rapids on Saturday, July 30th.

The Gamecocks jumped ahead early with three runs in the bottom of the first. Joe Hanisch had an RBi single, and Broc Haldeman followed with a two-run single. Canova tied the game with three runs in the top of the third, but the Gamecocks quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Hanisch had a solo home run to center field to make the score 4-3.

Devon Garry also hit a home run, a two-run shot to left field, in the bottom of the fourth inning to push the Gamecock lead to 6-3. Canova cut the lead to 6-5 with a two-run top of the fifth. The score remained 6-5 until the top of the eighth. The Gang took their first lead, 7-6, with a two-run top of the eighth.

Humboldt/Hartford answered with a five-run bottom of the eighth. Brandon McKnight had an RBI ground ball to tie the game 7-7 and then later scored on an error. Clayton Hanisch scored on a wild pitch to make the score 9-7. Cam Quigley had an RBI single, and Chad Morrison scored the final run on a passed ball.

J. Hanisch had a big night with five hits, hitting for the cycle with two singles, a double, triple, and home run, and also had two RBIs. Haldeman had four hits, one a double, and two RBIs. Garry had two hits, one a home run, and an RBI. Quigley also had two hits and an RBI. McKnight finished with a single and RBI. Morrison had two hits, one a double. Adam Hentges added a single.

Five different players took to the mound for the Gamecocks. Micah Warrington pitched three innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits and a walk. Drew Maras pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed three hits and a walk. Landry Knight pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on a hit and four walks with a strikeout. Noah Vettrus also pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed two hits with two strikeouts. Quigley threw 1/3 of an inning and allowed two earned runs on two hits.

Haldeman was named the tournament’s MVP and Batting Champion.

PBR Misses State Tournament, Drops Final Two Games in Districts

July 30, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Dell Rapids PBR missed qualifying for the state tournament after dropping their final two games of the District 4B tournament in Dell Rapids. PBR fell to Lennox 14-1 on Friday, July 29th and then loss to the Salem Cubs in the “Last Chance” game on Saturday, July 30th.

Lennox Alpacas 14, Dell Rapids PBR 1

Lennox built a 6-0 in the first three innings before taking the game 14-1 in seven innings on Friday. PBR got their lone run in the top of the fourth inning. Teagan Schlimgen scored on a passed ball to make the score 6-1 at that point. Lennox then scored five times in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the bottom of the sixth.

Riley Calhoon had two hits. Schlimgen finished with a triple and a run scored. Tanner Solberg also had a hit. Grant Sweeter took the loss pitching four innings allowing 11 runs, five earned, on 11 hits and three walks. Tim Wilhelmsen pitched two innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits with one strikeout.

Salem Cubs 7, Dell Rapid PBR 3

Salem built a 7-0 lead in the first six innings of play on Saturday. Dell Rapids tried to put together a rally in the later innings. Calhoon had an RBI fielder’s choice ground ball that scored Conner Spindler in the top of the seventh. PBR added two more in the eighth. Schlimgen had a two-run home run to center field, but PBR was unable to score again in the game.

Spindler finished with two hits. Schlimgen had a home run an two RBIs. Riley Hoffman, Sweeter, Solberg, and Trey Randel all had singles. Calhoon had an RBI. Randel pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and six walks with five strikeouts. Hoffman pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed two hits while recording three strikeouts.

Hartford/Humboldt Legion Season Comes to End

July 30, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Hartford/Humboldt legion baseball season came to an end at the hands of Dell Rapids at the 2022 South Dakota Class B Legion State Tournament in Gregory on Saturday, July 30th. Dell Rapids scored 13 times in the top of third on their way to a 20-4 victory.

Dell Rapids scored four times in the top of the first inning and never railed in the game. Hartford/Humboldt got three runs back in the bottom of the first. Deuce Sherrard scored on a passed ball, and Loren Jacobson and Braden Herr both had an RBI ground out. After a scoreless second inning, Dell Rapids then scored 13 runs in the third. Derek Renken had an RBI ground out in bottom of the fourth before Dell Rapids scored three more times in the top of the fifth.

Sherrard and Bennett Sebert both had a double. Jack Linneman, Logan Maras, and Connor Siemonsma all had a single. Renken, Herr, and Jacobson each had an RBI. Sebert pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Andrew Zimmer pitched two innings and allowed eight runs, four earned, on four hits and five walks with a strikeout. Owen Heath pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed four earned runs on a hit and three walks with a strikeout. Renken allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks.

Dell Rapids Legion Wins Big over Hartford/Humboldt, Avoids Elimination

July 30, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

In the first elimination game of the 2022 South Dakota Class B Legion State Tournament, Dell Rapids had a 13-run inning and defeated Hartford/Humboldt 20-4 on Saturday, July 30th.

Dell Rapids took advantage of three walks to start the game in the top of the first inning. Will Jaton had an RBI single, Jack Henry scored on a wild pitch, and Aiden Boechler had a two-run single to give Dell Rapids a 4-0 lead. Haratford/Humboldt scored three times in the bottom of the first. Neither team scored in the second, and Dell Rapids continued to lead 4-3.

Then Dell Rapids exploded in the top of the third, scoring 13 times. Dell Rapids had eight hits and six walks in the inning as they had 17 at bats in the inning. Hartford/Humboldt scored one run in the bottom of the fourth only to see Dell Rapids score three more times in the top of the fifth.

Boechler had three hits, two doubles, and four RBIs in the game. Brayden Pankonen, Jaton, and CJ Smith all had two hits and three RBIs each. Dylan Mathis also had two hits with two RBIs. Treyse Eastman added two hits. Braden Fersdahl finished with a double. Henry had two RBIs, and Mason Stubbe had one RBI. Tad Tjaden pitched all five innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

Dell Rapids will play about 3:30 on Sunday, July 31st in Gregory.

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