Dell Rapids won two games on the first day of the Region 2B Legion Baseball Tournament at Rickeman Field on Monday, July 18th. While it wasn’t easy in either game, Dell Rapids will play Volga in the semifinals on Tuesday, July 19th.
Dell Rapids 17, Flandreau 9
Dell Rapids scored nine times in the final two innings to beat Flandreau in the opening game of the tournament. The two teams went back and forth all game long. Dell Rapids scored a run in the top of the first, but Flandreau tied the game in the bottom of the second. A three run top of the third inning gave Dell Rapids a 4-1 advantage. Flandreau responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Dell Rapids then scored four times in the top of the fourth, but once again, Flandreau responded. Flandreau scored three times in their half of the fourth, and Dell Rapids led 8-6 after four innings of play. Dell Rapids was held scoreless in the top of the fifth, and Flandreau took their first lead of the game after three runs in the bottom of the inning. Dell Rapids took control of the game with a seven-run sixth inning, and they would score two more in the top of the seventh.
Joe Rechtenbaugh had three hits and three RBIs. Will Jaton had two hits, one a triple, and two RBIs. CJ Smith and Treyse Eastman both had two hits and an RBI. Austin Harvey finished with a hit and two RBIs. Brayden Pankonen and Landon Ruesink each had a hit and RBI. Mason Stubbe, Braden Fersdahl, and Sutton Williams all added a hit. Jack Henry had an RBI.
Eastman pitched three innings and allowed six earned runs on six hits and four walks with seven strikeouts. Tad Tjaden pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Pankonen pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Dell Rapids 11, Madison 8
Dell Rapids broke an 8-8 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh to advance to the semifinal round. Madison led 2-1 after the first inning. Dell Rapids then scored five times in the top of the second and two more in the third for an 8-2 lead. Madison then rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fourth, two in the fifth, and one more in the sixth to tie the game 8-8.
Ruesink broke the tie with an RBI double. Henry had an RBI ground out that scored Tjaden. Smith then reached on an error that scored Ruesink for the third run of the inning.
Ruesink had three hits, one a double, and three RBIs. Pankonen had two hits. Fersdahl had a triple and two RBIs. Henry had a double and two RBIs. Smith had a single and RBI. Jaton added a double, and Eastman had a single.
Henry pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Pankonen pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on fouor hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Tjaden pitched two innings and allowed a hit and two walks with four strikeouts.