Winning the first three games of the 2025 South Dakota American Legion State B Tournament in Milbank put the Dell Rapids Phils in the driver’s seat going into the final days of the tournament. Regardless of the outcome in Monday’s (Aug 4th) game, Dell Rapids was going to be in the championship game. That advantage helped them to claim their second legion title in three years as they defeated Parkston 11-0 on Tuesday, August 5th.
Dakota Valley 14, Dell Rapids 8
On Monday, August 4th, Dell Rapids faced a Dakota Valley team that needed a win to stay in the tournament. Dakota Valley used that drive to help them to a 14-8 win to advance to the final day. Each team scored a run in the first inning. Dakota Valley then scored four times in the top of the second. Dell Rapids responded with three runs to make the score 5-4 after two innings of play. Dakota Valley, however, continued to rally. They added two runs in the third and then had a big six-run fourth inning to make the score 13-4. The Phils scored one time in the bottom of the fifth. Dakota Valley got another run in the top of the sixth. Dell Rapids put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 14-8, but that was not enough.
Cole Ruesink had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs. Jake Heinitz had two hits. Drake Eastman added a double and two RBIs. Connor Hanson had a single with an RBI. Jackson Peppel and Lincoln Fersdahl each had one hit.
The win for Dakota Valley matched them against Parkston in the first game of the day on Tuesday, August 5th, with the winner advancing to the championship game against Dell Rapids. Parkston squeaked out a 1-0 win to advance to the title game.
Dell Rapids 11, Parkston 0
With their ace back on the mound for the title game, Dell Rapids played with all the confidence in the world. After Tad Tjaden set Parkston down in order in the top of the first inning, the offense got to work. Hanson had a two-out, RBI single to give Dell Rapids the lead. Hanson later scored on a passed ball to make the score 2-0. Eastman delivered a three-run double in the bottom of the second to extend the lead to 5-0.
After loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third, Kenny Swason, Ruesink, Eastman, and Tjaden all drew bases-loaded walks, all one after the other, to make the score 9-0. Hanson had an RBI fielder’s choice ground ball, and Peppel added a sacrifice fly to run the score to 11-0. Tjaden continued to shut down Parkston, and the game ended on the 10-run rule in the fifth inning.
Gauge Bunkers finished with two hits. Eastman had a double with four RBIs. Hanson had a single with two RBIs. Ruesink had a hit with an RBI. Fersdahl also ended with a hit. Tjaden, Peppel, and Swanson all had one RBI each. Tjaden pitched all five innings and allowed two hits with no walks and recorded 11 strikeouts.
Extra Awards
Tjaden was named the MVP of the tournament, and Dell Rapids also won the Sportsmanship Award for the tournament.
