The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team brought home third place at the 2022 South Dakota VFW Class A State Tournament hosted by Dakota Valley in North Sioux City Friday, August 5th through Sunday, August 7th.

Dell Rapids 8, Volga 0

Dell Rapids slowly pulled away from Volga for an 8-0 win in the opening round of the state tournament on Friday.  Talan Millage drove home the first run with an RBI ground out in the top of the second inning.  Mason Stubbe started the third with a triple and then scored on an RBI ground out by Tad Tjaden for a 2-0 lead.

Dell Rapids then got three runs in the top of the fifth.  Lincoln Fersdahl had an RBI sacrifice fly, and Sutton Williams had a two-run single for a 5-0 lead.  Stubbe had an RBI single in the top of the sixth.  Cooper Frost added an RBI single in the top of the seventh, and Fersdahl scored the eighth run on a wild pitch.

Stubbe had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI.  Frost also had two hits and an RBI.  Williams finished with a single and two RBIs.  Tjaden and Millage each had a single and RBI.  Cole Ruesink had two hits.  Luke Schoolmeester added a single, and Fersdahl had an RBI.  Millage pitched all seven innings and allowed nine hits and one walk with eight strikeouts.

Wagner 5, Dell Rapids 0

Dell Rapids met Wagner in the semi-finals on Saturday, but was held to just four hits in the game in a 5-0 win for Wagner.  Wagner scored four times in the bottom of the second inning, and the score remained 4-0 until the sixth.  They would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Fersdahl had two hits for Dell Rapids.  Quinn Carr had a double, and Williams added a single.  Tjaden pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, but only one earned, on five hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts.  Konrad Richeal pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed a hit and a walk.

Dell Rapids 11, West Central 3

A big sixth inning for Dell Rapids helped them to an 11-2 win over West Central on Sunday to take third place in the state tournament.

Dell Rapids did score three times right away in the top of the first inning.  Frost had a two-run single, and Williams scored on a balk for an early 3-0 lead.  Millage added an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the third to push the lead to 4-0.  West Central cut the lead in half, 4-2, with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Fersdahl had an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning, and then Dell Rapids added six more runs in the top the sixth.  Tjaden had an RBI double, Micah Pickard scored on a wild pitch, and Ruesink had an RBI single for an 8-2 lead.  Frost added two more RBIs with a single, and Millage had an RBI single for the sixth run of the inning.  West Central got one run in the bottom of the seventh.

Ruesink finished with three hits and an RBI.  Frost had two hits and four RBIs.  Millage added two hits and two RBIs.  Tjaden had a double and RBI.  Fersdahl also had a hit and an RBI.  Schoolmeester had two hits.  Williams, Grady Lamer, and Pickard all collected a hit.

Carr pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and five walks with four strikeouts.  Fersdahl pitched three innings and allowed an earned run on a hit and seven walks with three strikeouts.  Richeal pitched the final 2/3 of an inning allowing one hit and recording a strikeout.

The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team will enter the 2022 South Dakota VFW Class A 16U State Tournament as the runner-up team from Region 3A.  West Central defeated Dell Rapids 5-1 in the Region 3A Championship on Wednesday, July 27th.

After two scoreless innings, West Central broke through with three runs in the bottom of the third.  Dell Rapids was able to get a run in the top of the fifth.  Cooper Frost had an RBI sacrifice fly to score Sutton Williams.  West Central, however, responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Dell Rapids was held to just two hits in the game.  Williams and Quinn Carr each had a single.  Frost had the lone RBI.  Frost pitched six innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on 11 hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Dell Rapids will play Volga on Friday, August 5th at 5:00 p.m. in the opening round of the state tournament.  The tournament is being hosted by Dakota Valley and held in North Sioux City.

The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team lost a tough, extra-inning game to West Central in the semifinals of the Region 3A tournament on Tuesday, July 25th.  They were able to rebound and get a win over Madison White immediately afterwards to put them into the championship game.

West Central 7, Dell Rapids 6

Dell Rapids built a 6-0 lead in the first game of the night.  Cooper Frost had an RBI single in the top of the second.  Talan Millage had an RBI sacrifice fly, and Mason Stubbe had an RBI single to build a 3-0 lead.  Quinn Carr added an RBI single, and Frost had an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth.  The sixth run came in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Lincoln Fersdahl.

West Central slowly started to chip away at the lead starting in the bottom of the fourth inning.  They got two runs in that inning and two more in the bottom of the fifth.  West Central pulled with in a run, 6-5, with a run in the bottom of the sixth.  With two outs and two runners run, West Central got a game-tying hit.  The second runner was thrown out at the plate to end the seventh to force extra innings.  West Central, however, got the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Fersdahl had three hits, one a double, and an RBI.  Sutton Williams also finished with three hits.  Stubbe had two hits, one a double, and an RBI.  Carr also had two hits and an RBI.  Frost finished with a hit and two RBIs.  Tad Tjaden and Luke Schoolmeester both had a hit.  Millage finished with an RBI.

Carr pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Konrad Richeal pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Dell Rapids 14, Madison 4

Madison scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning for a quick 3-0 lead, but Dell Rapids rebounded to score the next 11 and eventually won 14-4 in five innings to put them into the championship game for a rematch with West Central.

Dell Rapids had a big six-run bottom of the second inning and then added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Madison got one more run in the top of the fifth.  Dell Rapids then scored three more times in the bottom of the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Stubbe finished with three hits, one a double.  Fersdahl had three hits, one a double, and three RBIs.  Williams had two hits, one a triple, and an RBI.  Cole Ruesink had a hit and two RBIs.  Carr added a triple and an RBI.  Tjaden also had a single.  Fersdahl pitched four innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on two hits and five walks with eight strikeouts.  Frost pitched one inning and allowed one hit.

Dell Rapids Qualifies for State

Because there are only four regions, Region 3A will send both teams in the championship game to the state tournament.  Dell Rapids and West Central will play in state regardless of the outcome of the championship game.  The region championship is scheduled for Wednesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m.  If Dell Rapids wins, the two teams will play again immediately following the first game.

Dell Rapids never trailed in their 6-3 win over Madison White at the Region 3A tournament in Humboldt on Monday, July 25th.

Quinn Carr scored the first run on a steal of home in the top of the second inning.  Dell Rapids would add another run in the top of the third.  Micah Pickard had an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0.  Madison cut the lead in half, 2-1, with a run in the bottom of the third.  Dell Rapids continued to lead 2-1 heading into the sixth inning.

Mason Stubbe had a two-out RBI single.  Lincoln Fersdahl was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the very next at bat.  Carr followed that with a bases-loaded walk, and Dell Rapids led 5-1.  Dell Rapids got an insurance run in the top of the seventh.  Stubbe drew a bases-loaded walk for a 6-1 advantage.  Madison got two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally stopped there.

Stubbe had two hits and two RBIs.  Carr and Pickard both had a single and an RBI.  Tad Tjaden, Sutton Williams, and Talan Millage all each had a single.  Fersdahl added an RBI.  Tjaden pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed one earned run on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts.  Fersdahl pitched 2/3 of an inning and struck out two batters.  Konrad Richeal pitched one inning and allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Dell Rapids will play West Central in the regional semifinal at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26th.

Madison Gold scored all of their runs in the first two innings in a 6-2 win over Dell Rapids 16U on Thursday, July 21st.

Madison got three runs in the top of the first inning and three more in the top of the sixth inning.  The score remained 6-0 through the fourth inning.  Dell Rapids got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Lincoln Fersdahl had an RBI single, and Sutton Williams had an RBI, bases loaded walk.  Unfortunately, those were the only two runs in the game for Dell Rapids.

Fersdahl had two hits and an RBI.  Tad Tjaden also had two hits, one a double.  Cooper Frost had a double.  Talan Millage added a single, and Williams finished with an RBI.  Williams pitched three innings and allowed six runs, four earned, on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts.  Frost pitched four innings without allowing a hit with two walks and five strikeouts.

Dell Rapids broke a tie in the top of the eighth inning and took a 7-6 road win over West Central on Monday, July 18th.

Dell Rapids got out to a quick 5-0 lead in the game.  Lincoln Fersdahl had an RBI single in the top of the first.  Sutton Williams had an RBI single in the top of the second inning.  Fersdahl scored on a passed ball in the top of the third, Micah Pickard had an RBI single, and Ian Zellmer had an RBI single.

West Central put together two runs in the bottom of the third to make the score 5-2 after three innings.  Schoolmeester scored another run for Dell Rapids in the top of the fifth, but West Central scored three times in the bottom of the inning.  West Central then tied the game with a run in bottom of the seventh with two outs to force extra innings.

Pickard drew a lead-off walk to start the eighth.  He later stole second and then advanced to third on an error.  The aggressiveness worked as Zellmer drove home Pickard on an ground out for the winning run.

Fersdahl finished with two hits and an RBI.  Zellmer had a single and two RBIs.  Williams and Pickard both had a single and an RBI.  Grady Lamer finished with a hit.  Konrad Richeal pitched 5 innings and allowed four runs, all unearned, on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Fersdahl pitched three innings and allowed two earned runs on two hits and eight walks with five strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 16U split a doubleheader with Volga at home on Thursday, July 14th.  Volga took the first game 11-7, but Dell Rapids won the second game 4-0.

Volga 11, Dell Rapids 7

Two runs in the top of the fifth inning secured an 11-7 win in the first game for Volga.  Both teams scored four runs in the first inning.  After four runs by Volga in the top of the first, Lincoln Fersdahl had an RBI single, and Talan Millage had a three-run double.

Volga got two runs in the top of the third.  Grady Lamer had an RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 6-5.  Volga scored three more times in the top of the fourth.  Dell Rapids responded with two in the bottom of the inning.  Sutton Williams had a two-run double to make it a 9-7 game.  Volga, however, got two runs in the top of the fifth.

Lamer had two hits and an RBI.  Quinn Carr also had two hits.  Millage finished with a double and three RBIs.  Williams also had a double with two RBIs.  Fersdahl finished with a single and RBI.  Cooper Frost and Luke Schoolmeester both had a single.  Carr pitched  3 1/3 innings and allowed nine earned runs on eight hits and six walks wiht six strikeouts.  Frost pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed two unearned runs on four walks.  Millage pitched 1/3 of an inning.

Dell Rapids 4, Volga 0

Dell Rapids earned the five-hit shutout in the second game as the visiting team.  Millage had an RBI single in the top of the second to start they scoring.  They added three more runs in the top of the third.  Tad Tjaden had a two-run single, and Frost had an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.

Tjaden had a hit and two RBIs.  Frost and Millage both had a single and an RBI.  Williams, Ethan Kringen, and Lamer all had a single.  Millage pitched all five innings and allowed five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The Dell Rapids 16U baseball team made the long trek across the state to Spearfish and played four games between Friday, July 8th and Sunday, July 10th.  Dell Rapids finished the weekend 2-2.

Spearfish Post 164 16U 4, Dell Rapids 3

Spearfish scored four times in the bottom of the third and earned a 4-3 win over Dell Rapids on Friday.

Quinn Carr had an RBI single in the top of the second to give Dell Rapids a 1-0 lead.  Lincoln Fersdahl added an RBI single in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead.  Spearfish then had their four-run bottom of the third inning.  Dell Rapids got one more run in the top of the fourth when Carr scored on a wild pitch.

Carr and Fersdahl both had a hit and RBI.  Tad Tjaden and Luke Schoolmeester both had two hits each.  Talan Millage also had a hit.  Fersdahl pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on three hits and six walks with nine strikeouts.  Tjaden pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed three walks with four strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 17, Post 320 Shooters 4

Dell Rapids only scored in three innings, but had an eight-run third, two-run fourth, and seven-run sixth in their 17-4 win over Post 320 on Saturday.  Post 320 had a run in the third, two in the fourth, and one in the fifth.  Dell Rapids never trailed in the game and finished with 17 total hits.

Cole Ruesink had three hits and two RBIs.  Cooper Frost had three hits and an RBI.  Fersdahl also had three hits.  Tjaden had two hits, one a triple, with four RBIs.  Millage finished with two hits, one a double, and two RBIs.  Carr had a double and three RBIs.  Stubbe also added a double and three RBIs.  Micah Pickard had a single and an RBi, and Schoolmeester finished with a single.

Carr pitched four innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts.  Ruesink pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed an earned run on a hit and two walks.  Frost pitched 1/3 of an inning.

Dell Rapids 16, Post 320 Risers 8

Dell Rapids had another big game, this time against Post 320 Risers, also on Saturday.  They scored in every inning while having a total of 15 hits.  Dell Rapids scored four times in the bottom of the first and two more in the bottom of the second for a 6-0 lead.  The Risers scored four runs in the top of the third, with Dell Rapids added another in the bottom of the inning.

Post 320 Risers tied the game, 7-7, in the top of the fourth with three runs.  Dell Rapids broke the tie with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.  After the Risers scored a run in the top of the fifth, Dell Rapids ended the game with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Frost had three hits, one a double, with three RBIs.  Stubbe also finished with three hits, one a double, and an RBI.  Carr added two hits and two RBIs.  Ruesink had two hits, one a double, and an RBI.  Tjaden had two hits.  Fersdahl had a triple with three RBIs.  Ethan Kringen added a single and three RBIs.  Micah Pickard added a double and two RBIs.

Frost pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on a hit and five walks with four strikeouts.  Millage pitched two innings and allowed four unearned runs with two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Ruesink pitched 2/3 of an inning and had one strikeout.

Spearfish Post 164 16U 11, Dell Rapids 6

Dell Rapids met Spearfish again on Sunday, but Spearfish won again, this time 11-6.  Dell Rapids had a run in the top of the first, but Spearfish had three runs in the bottom of the inning.  The lead was cut to 3-2 after Dell Rapids scored a run in the top of the second.  They then took the lead with three runs in the top of the third.  Spearfish took the lead for good in the bottom of the third with five runs.

Both teams got a run in the fourth inning.  Spearfish added two more in the bottom of the sixth.

Tjaden had three singles and three RBIs.  Frost finished with two hits and two RBIs.  Millage also had two hits, one a double.  Schoolmeester had a single and an RBI.  Fersdahl had a triple.  Stubbe and Konrad Richeal both had a hit.  Richeal pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.  Tjaden pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed eight runs, five earned, on two hits and 10 walks with five strikeouts.

A nine-run fourth inning helped Dell Rapids 16U to a 13-6 win over Tea on Thursday, June 30th.

Tea took the first lead with a two-run bottom of the fourth inning, but Dell Rapids tied the game with two runs in the top of the second.  Luke Schoolmeester had an RBI single, and Cooper Frost followed with an RBI triple.  Dell Rapids then broke the 2-2 tie with their nine-run fourth inning.  Cole Ruesink had a two-run single.  Sutton Williams added an RBI single.  Quinn Carr followed with a three-run double.  Talan Millage brought home a run with a single, and Konrad Richeal and Ruesink both had a bases-loaded walk to give Dell Rapids an 11-2 lead.

Frost had an RBI single in the the top of the fifth to push the lead to 12-2.  Tea got a run in the bottom of the inning to avoid the 10-run rule.  Ruesink had an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth.  Tea added three more runs in the bottom of the inning.

Frost had three hits, including a triple, and two RBIs.  Carr had two hits, one a double, and three RBIs.  Williams and Millage both had two hits and an RBI.  Ruesink finished with a hit and four RBIs.  Schoolmeester and Richeal both had a single and RBI.  Ethan Kringen had two hits, and Lincoln Fersdahl and Micah Pickard both had a hit.

Ruesink pitched three innings and allowed three runs, none earned, on a hit and three strikeouts.  Fersdahl pitched three innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts.  Frost pitched an inning and allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Tea Gold took the lead in the bottom of the first and led the whole rest of the game in a 14-4 win over Dell Rapids 16U on Tuesday, June 28th.

Dell Rapids got two runs right away in the top of the first.  Tad Tjaden scored on an error, and Sutton Williams drew a bases-loaded walk for an early 2-0 lead.  Tea, however, scored four times in the bottom of the first.  The score was still 4-2 through three innings of play.

Tea then had a six-run bottom of the fourth to push the lead to 10-2.  Dell Rapids got another two runs in the top of the fifth.  Micah Pickard had an RBI triple, and Luke Schoolmeester followed with an RBI single.  Tea added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Pickard had a triple and an RBI.  Schoolmeester also had a hit and an RBI.  Williams finished with an RBI.  Cole Ruesink and Mason Stubbe both had a single.  Quinn Carr pitched three innings and allowed four earned runs on four hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.  Talan Millage pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed two unearned runs on three hits with a strikeout.  Stubbe pitched 1/3 of an inning and allowed four earned runs on a hit and three walks.  Konrad Richeal allowed four earned runs on a hit and five walks.