The Baltic 14U baseball team qualified for the 2025 South Dakota VFW Charlie Division State Tournament with two wins over Salem in a best-of-three series. The state tournament will be held in Volga August 8th through 10th.
Baltic 5, Salem 3
A fast start helped Baltic to a win in the first game of the series. They scored a run in the bottom of the first and four more in the bottom of the second for a 5-0 lead. Salem tried to chip away at the lead throughout the game. They scored two times in the third and once in the fourth to make the score 5-3. Neither team had a major threat to score again until the top of the seventh. Salem loaded the bases with one out, but a foul pop out and a line out to first base ended the game.
Maddex Klein had a hit and an RBI. Oliver Nedved and Braden Breece each had a hit. Laken Kortemeyer pitched four innings and allowed three runs, all unearned, on one hit and seven walks with five strikeouts. Brody Hansen pitched two innings and allowed two hits with a strikeout. Nedved threw one inning and walked one batter.
Baltic 11, Salem 5
In the second game of the series, Baltic had to come from behind to take the win. Neither team scored in the first two innings. Baltic scored a run in the top of the third inning, but Salem scored three times in the bottom of the inning for a 3-1 lead. Salem added another run in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 4-1. Baltic rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth to go back in front 5-4. Salem responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game 5-5. The game remained tied going into the seventh inning. Baltic erupted for six runs in the top of the inning to clinch the win.
Michael Grunewaldt had two hits with an RBI. Nedved finished with a hit and two RBIs. Hansen and Hayden Sundermann both had a single and an RBI. Klein had two RBIs. Braden Breece and Ayden Oschner each had one RBI. Hansen pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Nedved pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks with one strikeout.
