The defending 16U Class A state champions, Beresford, held off a late rally by Tri-Valley for a 10-9 win in an elimination game at the Region 1A tournament in Humboldt on Tuesday, July 27th. The loss suffered by Tri-Valley ended their 2021 season.
Beresford scored four times right away in the top of the first inning, but Tri-Valley had a big first inning as well. Noah Haynes had an RBI single, and Lawson Louiseau had a two-run single to pull Tri-Valley within a run at 4-3. Tri-Valley tied the game in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI ground out by Haynes. Beresford took the lead again in the top of the fourth with two runs. Haynes reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth that also scored Cole Focken, and Tri-Valley trailed 6-5 after five innings.
Beresford took advantage of a walk, hit by pitch, and an error with two outs in the top of the seventh and scored four times to take a 10-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. Tri-Valley put together a rally of their own. Mason Hendrixson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Louiseau drove home a run with a single, Haynes scored on a wild pitch, and then Hendrixson scored on a wild pitch to pull Tri-Valley within a run, 10-9. With two outs and the trying run on third and the winning run on second, Beresford was able to get a pop-up in the infield for the third out to end the game.
Louiseau had three hits and three RBIs. Everett Althoff had three hits. Focken finished with two hits. Haynes had a hit and two RBIs, and Hendrixson had an RBI. Beau Keith pitched an inning allowing four earned runs on two hits with four walks and a strikeout. Haynes pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing six runs, two earned, on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Aidan Heitkamp pitched 1/3 of an inning.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beresford 16U | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Tri-Valley 16U | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 6 |