The #1 seeded Dell Rapids high school baseball team earned an opening-round win in the State B Tournament over #8 Sioux Valley on Monday, May 26th in Brookings. Dell Rapids put three runs on the board in the first inning to help them to an 8-2 victory.
Drake Eastman had an RBI bunt single in the opening inning. Tad Tjaden and Ryan Brandenburg both followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Jackson Peppel added an RBI single in the bottom of the second to push the lead to 4-0. Carson Maeschen blasted a double to left field to drive home another run in the bottom of the third making the score 5-0 Dell Rapids.
Sioux Valley got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Dell Rapids got the run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Eastman. Sioux Valley added another run in the top of the sixth to make the score 6-2. Dell Rapids put the game away in the bottom of the sixth. Eastman drew a bases-loaded walk, and Tjaden had an RBI fielder’s choice to make the score 8-2.
Eastman had three hits, two of them doubles, and three RBIs. Cole Ruesink had two hits. Tjaden had a single and two RBIs. Maeschen had a double with an RBI. Peppel and Brandenburg both had a single and an RBI. Connor Hanson also had a hit. Ryan Stubbe pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Talan Millage pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two hits with one strikeout.
Dell Rapids will play the winner of Elk Point-Jefferson and Sioux Falls Christian at 12:00 p.m. at Bob Sheldon Field in Brookings on Tuesday, May 27th. The state championship game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
