The Dell Rapids High School baseball team delivered an outstanding performance on both offense and defense to secure a decisive 17-2 victory over the Sturgis Brown to open the season on Wednesday, March 26th.
Dell Rapids scored in every inning of the game. They started with a bases-loaded walk to Cooper Frost in the first inning. Cole Ruesink had an RBI single and later scored on a passed ball in the second inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Jackson Peppe had two RBIs, and Ruesink addd another in the third inning as Dell Rapids scored four times to make the score 7-0.
The offense continued to roll adding two more runs in both the fourth and fifth innings each to push the lead to 11-0. Sturgis was able to put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth making the score 11-2. Dell Rapids put the game away in the top of the sixth with six runs. Thomas LaVoy scored on a wild pitch, Connor Hanson stole home, and Tad Tjaden had an RBI single. Brandon Schmidt drove home two with a triple and then later scored on a wild pitch.
Tjaden had three hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Ruesink had two hits and two RBIs. Schmidt finished with a triple and two RBIs. Peppel had a single and two RBIs. Frost added a hit and an RBI. Drake Eastman, Talan Millage, and Hanson all had one hit each.
Tjaden pitched the first 2 1/3 innings allowing two walks with seven strikeouts. Eastman threw 1 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on a hit and walk with three strikeouts. Ruesink also pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up two hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
