Dell Rapids played a total of eight games at the 2021 South Dakota 14U C Division Fastpitch state tournament at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls and ultimately came home with the state title on Sunday, July 11th.
Dell Rapids played their first game against the Cougars on Friday, July 9th. The Cougars scored two times in the top of the first, but Dell Rapids scored four times in the bottom of the inning for a 4-2 win. The Cougars tied the game in the top of the fifth with two runs, but again Dell Rapids responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning for a 7-4 lead. The Cougars scored twice in the top of the sixth inning, but Dell Rapids hung on for the win. Kya Alderson had a hit with two RBIs. Addy Van’t Hof had a double with an RBI. Abby Timm also had a hit. Alderson pitched six innings allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.
Dell Rapids had an easier win in their second game on Friday. They defeated Elk Point-Jefferson 12-0. Dell Rapids scored in every inning, including seven in the top of the fourth, while holding Elk Point-Jefferson to just two hits. Alderson and Makaylah O’Meara both had two hits, and each had a double, with two RBIs. Kaley Rydell also had two hits and two RBIs. Van’t Hof had a triple and double in the game. Elly Olson had a hit and two RBIs. Aubrey Hubers had a hit and an RBI. Brynlee Kriens had a hit, and Timm had an RBI. Alderson pitched all four innings allowing just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
In the first game on Saturday, July 10th, Dell Rapids got a game-winning RBI single from Timm for a 7-6 win over the Luverne Blaze. The Blaze scored four in the top of the first inning. Dell Rapids countered with three in the bottom of the inning, and then three more in the second for a 6-4 lead. Luverne tied the game with two runs in the third, before Dell Rapids got the win in the bottom of the fourth inning. Alderson had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Olson and Timm both had a hit and an RBI. Van’t Hof and Haley Rydell each had a single. Megan Lebahn had an RBI. Aldereson allowed six runs, but none of them earned, on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
Dell Rapids earned a 10-0 win over Sturgis in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Sturgis was held to just one hit in the game. O’Meara had three hits, including two triples, with three RBIs. Alderson had two hits, one double, with two RBIs. Hubers had two hits and an RBI. Olson had two hits, including a double. Lebahn had a hit and two RBIs. Timm had a hit and an RBI. Van’t Hof and Rydell each had a double, and Kriens also had a hit. Alderson pitched four innings allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.
Dell Rapids suffered their first setback in the semifinals. Tyndall earned a 6-1 over Dell Rapids on Sunday, July 11th. Dell Rapids was held to just four hits in the game. Olson had two hits. Van’t Hof had a triple and an RBI. Lebahn had a single. Alderson allowed six earned runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts.
In their second game on Sunday, Dell Rapids got to play Elk Point-Jefferson for the second time in the tournament. Dell Rapids again got the win, this time 12-3 by scoring nine runs in the final two innings. Alderson had three doubles and three RBIs. Lebahn had three hits and two RBIs. Olson had three hits, two of them doubles. Timm had two hits and two RBIs. Van’t Hof had a double and two RBIs. Kriens had a hit and an RBI. Hubers had a single. Rydell finished with two RBIs. Alderson allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with five strikeouts.
With their second win over Elk Point-Jefferson, Dell Rapids earned a trip to the championship against Tyndall. Both teams scored three runs in the first inning. Tyndall got one run in the top of the second, but Dell Rapids scored two times in the bottom of the second. That’s all the scoring that would be done, and Dell Rapids won 5-4 forcing a second championship game. Van’t Hof had two hits and two RBIs. Lebahn had two hits and an RBI. Alderson had a hit and an RBI. Hubers and Olson both had a hit as well. Alderson gave up four earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Now that both Dell Rapids and Tyndall had one loss in the tournament, the final game of the day on Sunday was the winner-take-all championship game. Dell Rapids scored five runs in the first three innings, and then added two more in the top of the fifth for the 7-4 win for the state title. O’Meara had a home run and two RBIs. Alderson had a double and an RBI. Van’t Hof also had a double and an RBI. Humbers had a triple with an RBI. Kriens had a triple, and Olson had a single. Alderson allowed four earned runs on 11 hits with one walk and four strikeouts.