The Dell Rapids high school baseball team had their season come to an end in the regionals at Rickeman Field on Tuesday, May 19th. Dell Rapids defeated McCook Central/Montrose in the opening game of the tournament but fell to Lennox in the state-qualifying game.
Dell Rapids 7, McCook Central/Montrose 4
In the first game of the day for Dell Rapids, both teams were locked in a battle through four and a half innings. The score remained 0-0 until the bottom of the fifth. Lincoln LeBrun broke the scoreless tie by scoring on a wild pitch. Drake Eastman had an RBI double, and Gauge Bunkers added an RBI single to put Dell Rapids ahead 3-0. McCook Central/Montrose got a run in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 3-1.
Carson Maeschen had an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead back to three runs, 4-1. AJ Brandenburg had an RBI sacrifice fly. Tommy LaVoy added an RBI fielder’s choice and then later scored on a passed ball to put Dell Rapids ahead 7-1. Those proved to be big insurance runs. McCook Central/Montrose scored three times in the bottom of the inning, but Dell Rapids was able to shut down the rally for the win.
Eastman finished with a double and an RBI. Bunkers, Maeschen, and LaVoy all had a hit and an RBI. Jackson Peppel, Connor Hanson, and LeBrun all had one hit each. Brandenburg ended with an RBI. Owen Bollock pitched six innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Cam Jones pitched one inning and allowed a hit.
Lennox 7, Dell Rapids 4
A big first inning for Lennox was all the momentum they needed as they held off Dell Rapids to advance to the state tournament. Lennox scored four times right away in the top of the first inning. Jackson Peppel put Dell Rapids on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. Lennox got the run back in the top of the third to push the lead back to four, 5-1.
The score remained 5-1 until the top of the seventh. Lennox got two big insurance runs to extend their lead to 7-1. Dell Rapids tried to get a rally going in the bottom of the seventh. Bunkers delivered an RBI single with no one out to make the score 7-3. Maeschen had an RBI double later in the inning to cut the lead to 7-4. Lennox, however, was able to shut down the rally to take the win.
Maeschen had two hits, one a double, and an RBI. Peppel also had two hits with an RBI. Eastman added two singles. Bunkers ended with a single and an RBI. Kenny Swanson and Brandenburg both had one hit each. Bunkers pitched three innings and allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits and two walks with one strikeout. Joe Trumbauer pitched four innings and allowed two earned run on five hits and five walks.
Dell Rapids finished the season with a 23-3 overall record.
