The Dell Rapids High School baseball team finished their trip to the Black Hills with a busy day on Friday, March 28th. Dell Rapids played four games in the day and won all of them in convincing fashion.
In the first game of the day, Dell Rapdis defeated Hot Springs 13-3. Dell Rapids scored four runs in the first inning, but only held a 4-3 lead after three innings of play. They scored nine runs in the final two innings to blow the game open. Drake Eastman had three hits, including a double, and three RBIs. Connor Hanson also had three hits, one a double, and an RBI. Cole Ruesink had two hits, one a home run, and an RBI. Jackson Ahlers pitched four innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits and seven walks with four strikeouts.
Ryan Brandenburg pitched a three-inning, no-hitter in a 26-0 win over Custer. Brandenburg struck out six in the game. Dell Rapids had 10 runs in the first, 12 in the second, and four in the third while belting out 16 hits. Brandon Schmidt had three hits and four RBIs. Ahlers and Jake Heinitz both had three hits and two RBIs each.
Dell Rapids then had two games against Rapid City Christian. In the first game, Tad Tjaden pitched a five-inning, no-hitter in a 13-0 win. He walked one and struck out 10 batters. Dell Rapids scored all their runs in two innings, five in the second and eight in the third. Peppel had three hits and two RBIs. Frost also had three hits and an RBI. Eastman had two doubles and an RBI. Ruesink had a triple and two RBIs.
In the final game of the day, Dell Rapids got a 7-1 win again over Rapid City Christian. The game was tied 1-1 after the first inning. Dell Rapids then scored the next six runs unanswered to finish the trip undefeated. Ruesink pitched five innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts. Millage finished with two hits. Ruesink and Tjaden both had a single and two RBIs. Eastman and Hanson each had a double and an RBI.
