Dell Rapids 16U scored five times in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift them to an 11-9 victory over Dakota Valley at home on Wednesday, July 7th.

Dakota Valley scored two times in the top of the first inning, but Dell Rapids responded with two of their own in the bottom of the inning.  Brayden Pankonen had an RBI double, and Will Jaton had an RBI single to tie the game.  Dakota Valley got another run in the top of the third, but Dell Rapids took the lead in the bottom of the inning.  Jaton, CJ Smith, and Joe Rechtenbaugh all had RBI singles to give Dell Rapids a 5-3 lead after three innings of play.

Dakota Valley put the pressure on Dell Rapids in the top of the fifth inning.  They scored five times to take an 8-5 lead.  Smith had an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 8-6.  Dakota Valley got another run in the top of the sixth to put them back in front by three at 9-6.

Dell Rapids then had their big inning.  John Mortrude had a two-run single.  Mortude then scored on an error to tie the game 9-9.  Pankonen had an RBI single to give Dell Rapids the lead again, and then Dylan Mathis had an RBI single to make a two-run advantage, 11-9, heading into the final inning.  Pankonen got three straight outs to save the victory.

Pankonen had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs.  Jaton and Smith both had two hits and two RBIs.  Mortrude had a hit and two RBIs.  Mathis and Rechtenbaugh both had a hit and RBI.

Jaton pitched five innings allowing eight rights, even earned, on six hits with five walks and seven strikeouts.  Smith allowed an earned run on three hits.  Pankonen pitched two innings giving up just one hit with three strikeouts.

Dell Rapids broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the third inning and cruised to an 8-1 victory in Baltic on Thursday, July 1st.

Aiden Boechler plated the first run with an RBI double in the top of the third.  Dylan Mathis scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth to give Dell Rapids a 2-0 lead.  Three more runs scored in the top of the fifth.  Brayden Pankonen had a two-run double, and Will Jaton had a sacrifice bunt scoring Pankonen.

CJ Smith scored on a passed ball in the top of the sixth to add another run to the Dell Rapids lead.  Baltic got their lone run in the bottom of the sixth when Cooper Goehring scored on an error.  Dell Rapids then added two more runs in the top of the seventh.  Pankonen had an RBI single, and Mathis had an RBI ground out.

Pankonen was a perfect 4-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs.  Boechler had two hits, including a double, and an RBI.  Mathis also had two hits, one a double, and an RBI.  Jaton had a hit and an RBI.  Smith added a double, and Braden Fersdahl also had a hit.

Pankonen pitched six innings allowing an unearned run on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.  Jaton pitched the final inning walking two and striking out one.

The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team split two games played on back-to-back nights.

Dell Rapids scored 14 straight runs on their way to a 19-4 win over the Tea Bolts in Tea on Monday, June 28th.  Dell Rapids had a four-run top of the first inning, added three more in the top of the third, and then scored seven times in the top of the fourth to lead 14-0.  Tea score four times in their half of the fourth inning, but Dell Rapids scored five more in the top of the fifth before the game ended on the 10-run rule.

Aiden Boechler had two hits, a double and triple, and three RBIs.  Will Jaton had two hits and an RBI.  Even Nelson had a double and three RBIs.  Kade Kremer, Jace Entringer, CJ Smith, Aiden Geraets, and Sutton Williams all had a hit and RBI.  Dylan Mathis had a double.  Kamren Koster had a single, and Micah Pickard, Braeden Nirva, and Ethan Kringen all finished with an RBI.

Smith pitched three innings allowing one runs on a hit with two walks and six strikeouts.  Nelson pitched an inning allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits with three walks and a strikeout.  Brayden Pankonen pitched an inning with one strikeout.

Dakota Valley erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh by scoring three teams to get an 8-7 come-from-behind win over Dell Rapids on Tuesday, June 29th.

Dakota Valley scored two times in the bottom of the first to lead 2-0.  Dell Rapids tied the game with two runs in the top of the second inning only to see Dakota Valley get another run in the bottom of the inning.  Dell Rapids tied the game again in the top of the third at 3-3.  The score remained 3-3 until the top of the fifth inning.  Dell Rapids scored three times, but Dakota Valley answered with two runs, and Dell Rapids led 6-5 after five innings.  Dell Rapids scored one more time in the top of the seventh to take a two-run lead, 7-5, into the bottom of the ninth.  The first four batters reached safely for Dakota Valley, two of them scoring, to tie the game 7-7 before an out was recorded.  The winning run was scored with one out on a passed ball to end the game.

Dell Rapids only had three hits in the game.  Kringen had a hit and an RBI.  John Mortrude had a double.  Smith had the other hit.  Mathis and Joe Rechtenbaugh both had an RBI.

Rechtenbaugh pitched four innings allowing three earned runs on two hits with eight walks and a strikeout.  Williams pitched 2 1/3 innings allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits with five walks and a strikeout.