The seven game winning streak for Dell Rapids legion baseball was snapped in Redfield on Saturday, July 9th.  Redfield won the first game, but Dell Rapids took the second game of the double-header.

Redfield 11, Dell Rapids 6

Dell Rapids fell behind early as Redfield scored five runs in the first two innings.  Jack Henry scored the first run for Dell Rapids on a passed ball in the top of the third.  Redfield got two more runs in the bottom of the inning for a 7-1 lead.

Braden Fersdahl had an RBI single in the top of the fourth, but Redfield responded with a run in the bottom of the inning.  Dell Rapids cut the lead to 8-5 with a three-run fifth.  Treyse Eastman had a two-run double and then scored on a steal of home.  Redfield got all three runs back in the bottom of the sixth.  Will Jaton scored on a double-play ground ball in the top of the seventh.

Landon Ruesink had three hits.  Henry had two hits, one a double.  Joe Rechtenbaugh also had two hits.  Eastman had a double and two RBIs.  Fersdahl had a single and RBI.  CJ Smith and Austin Harvey both had a hit.  Ruesink pitched three innings and allowed seven runs, five earned, on six hits and five walks with five strikeouts.  Dylan Mathis pitched three innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks.

Dell Rapids 7, Redfield 6

A two-run eighth inning was the difference in a 7-6 win in the second game for Dell Rapids.  They got out to an early 3-0 lead after three innings.  Rechtenbaugh had an RBI double in the top of the second.  Ruesink had an RBI ground out, and Mathis had an RBI single in the top of the third.

Redfield cut the lead to 3-1 with a run in the bottom of the fifth.  Each team scored a run in the sixth inning.  Smith had an RBI single for Dell Rapids.  The lead grew to 5-2 in the top of the seventh when Eastman had an RBI single.  Redfield tied the game, 5-5, with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Dell Rapids got two runs in the top of the eighth.  Ruesink had an RBi single, and Henry followed with an RBI single as well for a 7-5 lead.  Redfield scored a run in the bottom of the eighth after a double and error, but the next three batters were retired in order to end the game.

Ruesink had two hits and two RBIs.  Henry. had two hits and one RBI.  Jaton had two hits as well, one a double.  Fersdahl finished with two singles.  Rechtenbaugh finished with a double and RBI.  Smith, Mathis, and Eastman all had a single and RBI.  Harvey added a single.

Eastman pitched five innings and allowed an earned run on one hit and eight walks with six strikeouts.  Jaton pitched three innings and allowed five runs, one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts.

The Dell Rapids Legion baseball team won their seventh game in a row on Thursday, July 7th.  Dell Rapids got a 14-5 road win at Flandreau, using a seven-run fourth in the victory.

Flandreau took the early lead, 3-0, in the bottom of the first inning.  Dell Rapids got one run back in the top of the second.  Austin Harvey had an RBI single.  Dell Rapids took the lead with their seven-run fourth inning.  CJ Smith had an RBI single and then later scored on a wild pitch. Sutton Williams stole home.  Lincoln Fersdahl scored on an error, and then Jack Henry had a two-run single.  Dylan Mathis drove home the final run of the inning on a ground out.

Dell Rapids pushed the lead to 11-1 after a three-run fifth.  Treyse Eastman had a two-run double and then scored on an error.  Flandreau scored a run in the bottom of the fifth.  They got one more run in the sixth inning to make the score 11-5.  Dell Rapids got three more runs in the top of the seventh.  Smith had a two-run double, and Drake Eastman had an RBI single.

Henry had four hits, two of them doubles, and two RBIs.  Smith had three hits, one a double, and three RBIs.  T. Eastman had two hits, one a double, and two RBIs.  D. Eastman and Harvey both had two hits and an RBI.  Mathis added a single and RBI.   Joe Rechtenbaugh finished with a double.  Will Jaton and Sutton Williams each had a hit.

Rechtenbaugh pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, three earned, on a hit and five walks with seven strikeouts.  Mathis pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed a hit and a walk.

Dell Rapids Legion won their sixth straight game, this time a 1-0 win in Vermillion on Wednesday, July 6th.

Jack Henry and Ben Burbach went toe-to-toe on the pitcher’s mound for six innings.  Burbach pitched all seven innings for Vermillion allowing just one earned run on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts.  Henry pitched six innings of no-hit baseball with five walks and nine strikeouts.

The lone run for Dell Rapids game in the top of the fifth inning.  Brayden Pankonen started the inning with a single to center field.  Pankonen later stole second and then moved to third base on a passed ball.  With one out in the inning, Henry delivered a double to left field that scored Pankonen.

Pankonen earned the save by pitching the seventh inning.  He allowed a one-out single to Burbach.  Burbach advanced to second on a balk with two outs, but Pankonen got the final out on a fly ball to center field.

Pankonen had two hits, one a double.  Henry had a double and an RBI.  CJ Smith and Treyse Eastman both had singles in the game.

The Dell Rapids legion baseball team earned their fifth straight win with a 10-5 victory over Hartford/Humboldt on Wednesday, June 29th.

Hartford/Humboldt scored four of their first runs in the top of the first inning.  Dell Rapids responded with three runs in the bottom of the first.  Aiden Boechler had a bases-loaded RBI walk, Landon Ruesink scored on a wild pitch, and CJ Smith had an RBI ground out.  Both teams got a run in the second inning, and Hartford/Humboldt led 5-4 after two innings of play.

Will Jaton scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the third to tie the game 5-5.  Dell Rapids took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Sutton Williams scored on an error on a ground ball by Jack Henry.  Cole Ruesink also scored on an error for a 7-5 lead.  Dell Rapids then added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Henry scored on a passed ball, Smith had an RBI single, and Treyse Eastman added an RBI double.

Smith had two hits and two RBIs.  Henry had a triple and an RBI.  Eastman finished with a double and RBI.  Ruesink and Jaton both had a single and an RBI.  Mason Stubbe added a double.  Joe Rechtenbaugh had a hit, and Boechler had an RBI.

Henry pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on a hit and five walks with four strikeouts.  Eastman earned the win pitching 5 2/3 innings allowing one earned run on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

Playing in their sixth game in four days, Dell Rapids won their fourth straight game with an 11-1 victory over Volga on Monday, June 27th.

Aiden Boechler scored the first run of the game on an error in the bottom of the second inning.  CJ Smith followed with an RBI ground out for an early 2-0 lead.  Dell Rapids added three more runs in the bottom of the third.  Mason Stubbe scored on an error, Landon Ruesink had an RBI triple, and Dylan Mathis added an RBI ground out to push the lead to 5-0.

Volga got their run in the top of the fourth inning, but Dell Rapids plated six runs in the bottom of the fourth, all with two outs.  Sutton Williams had a two run single. Ruesink had an RBI double.  Jack Henry brought home two with a single, and Mathis added an RBI triple in the inning.

Ruesink had a triple and double with two RBIs.  Mathis had a triple and two RBIs.  Henry and Williams both had a hit and two RBIs.  Stubbe had two doubles.  Brayden Pankonen and Joe Rechtenbaugh each had a single.  Smith finished with an RBI.

Pankonen pitched all five innings and allowed one earned run on six hits with two strikeouts.

Dell Rapids played five games in three days at a tournament in Humboldt and ended the weekend as champions.  They played two games on Friday, June 24th, one game on Saturday, June 25th, and then two more on Sunday, June 26th.

Dell Rapids 9, Lennox 5

In the first game, Dell Rapids earned a come-from-behind win against Lennox on Friday.  Lennox had an early lead after a run in the top of the second.  Dell Rapids tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third.  They took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-1 lead.  Lennox regained the lead with four runs in the top of the fifth.  The lead was short lived as Dell Rapids had a big five-run fifth inning and added one more in the sixth.

CJ Smith had two hits, one a double, and two RBIs.  Will Jaton also had two hits and two RBIs.  Jack Henry added two hits and an RBI.  Dylan Mathis finished with a single and an RBI.  Brayden Pankonen, Landon Ruesink, Treyse Eastman, and Braden Fersdahl all had singles.  Pankonen pitched four innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on seven hits an two walks with three strikeouts.  Henry pitched two innings and allowed an earned run on a hit and three walks with two strikeouts.  Jaton pitched an inning and recorded one strikeout.

Tabor 5, Dell Rapids 4

In their second meeting of the season, Tabor scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn a walk-off win over Dell Rapids 5-4 also on Friday.  Tabor broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the fifth with two runs.  Dell Rapids countered with four runs in the top of the sixth, only to see Tabor get three runs to win the game in the seventh.

Austin Harvey had a hit and an RBI.  Ruesink finished with two hits.  Pankonen, Smith, and Eastman all had hits.  Mathis also added an RBI.  Eastman pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Joe Rechtenbaugh pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed a hit and two walks with a strikeout.  Ruesink pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed three earned runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 8, Salem 4

Dell Rapids broke a 4-4 tie with four runs in the top of the sixth and earned an 8-4 win over Salem on Saturday.  Salem held an early 1-0 lead after a run in the bottom of the second.  Dell Rapids tied the game with a run in the top of the third.  Salem got another run in the bottom of the fourth for a 2-1 lead.

Dell Rapids scored three times in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.  Salem, however, tied the game in the bottom of the inning with two runs.  Then came the big inning for Dell Rapids, scoring four times in the sixth for the win.

Ruesink had two hits, one a double, and two RBIs.  Henry had a double and two RBIs.  Mathis added a single and an RBI.  Eastman finished with two hits, one of them a double.  Jaton, Smith, and Rechtenbaugh all had a single.  Jaton pitched six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts.  Mathis pitched an inning without allowing a hit.

Dell Rapids 20, Salem 8

Salem and Dell Rapids met again on Sunday.  Dell Rapids jumped out to an 8-1 lead after four innings, and then scored 12 times in the final two innings after Salem made a little run.  Salem cut the lead in half, 8-4, with three runs in the fifth.  Dell Rapids scored nine times in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 17-4 to put the game out of reach.

Mathis had four hits, including a home run, and four RBIs.  Ruesink had three doubles and six RBIs.  Henry finished with two hits and two RBIs.  Eastman had two singles and an RBI.  Smith added a single and two RBIs.  Lincoln Fersdahl had a hit, and Aiden Boechler had two RBIs.  Rechtenbaugh pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on two hits and eight walks with seven strikeouts.  Boechler pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.  B. Fersdahl pitched an inning and allowed four earned runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 7, Tabor 2

The championship game was a rematch between Dell Rapids and Tabor on Sunday, and the third time the two teams played each other this season.  Dell Rapids got to Tabor early and took the championship 7-2.  They scored three times in the bottom of the first and one more in the second to lead 4-0 after two innings of play.  Tabor cut the lead in half with two runs in the top of the third, but Dell Rapids scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.

Ruesink had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs.  Mathis had two hits and an RBI.  Eastman had a triple and an RBI.  Jaton also had a single and an RBI.  Mason Stubbe and Smith both had two hits each.  Henry and Rechtenbaugh both had a single.  Ruesink pitched all seven innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

The Dell Rapids Legion baseball team had a three-day break from games after playing nine games in a total of six days between June 10th and June 16th.  The break proved to be helpful as Dell Rapids defeated Sioux Falls Christian 14-4 at home on Monday, June 20th.

Sioux Falls Christian plated three runs in the top of the first, but Dell Rapids responded with nine runs in the bottom of the inning.  They would go on to score in every inning of the game.  Sioux Falls Christian got a run in the top of the second.  Dell Rapids had a single run in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth, and another in the fifth to win on the 10-run rule.

Jack Henry had two doubles and five RBIs in the game.   Will Jaton had two doubles and two RBIs.  CJ Smith and Brayden Pankonen both had two hits and an RBI.  Landon Ruesink finished with a double and an RB.  Joe Rechtenbaugh had a single and RBI.  Braden Fersdahl finished with a single, and Treyse Eastman had an RBI.

Ruesink pitched four innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.  Jaton pitched an inning and allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout.

The 2022 South Dakota High School Class B Champions, Dell Rapids, hosted the 2022 North Dakota High School Class B Champions, Thompson Tommies, in a legion baseball game at Rickeman Field on Thursday, June 16th.  The was just as good as the hype leading up to it.

Jack Henry drove home the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI fielder’s choice.  Thompson tied the game with a run in the top of the second.  The Tommies broke the tie with a run in the top of the fourth, and then they added two more in the top of the sixth for a 4-1 lead.

Dell Rapids then put together a rally in the bottom of the sixth.  Aiden Boechler drove in two runs with a single to cut the lead to 4-3.  CJ Smith gave Dell Rapids the lead with a two-run single to center field.  Thompson got two runners on base with two outs, but the game ended with a ground out to Smith at first.

Landon Ruesink had two hits.  Boechler and Smith both had a single and two RBIs each.  Brayden Pankonen, Dylan Mathis, and Joe Rechtenbaugh all had singles.  Henry finished with an RBI.  Treyse Eastman started on the mound and pitched four innings allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Henry got the win with three innings pitched.  He allowed two unearned runs on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

A three-run first inning by Dakota Valley proved to the difference in a 5-2 win over Dell Rapids on Wednesday, June 15th at North Sioux City.

Dell Rapids scored first in the top of the first inning.  Dylan Mathis had an RBI single for an early 1-0 lead.  Dakota Valley posted a three-run first inning and led 3-1 after one inning of play.  The score remained 3-1 until the top of the fifth.  Mason Stubbe scored on a balk to cut the lead to 3-2, but Dakota Valley scored two times in the bottom of the fifth in the win.

Dell Rapids only had two hits in the game.  Mathis had an RBI single, and Joe Rechtenbaugh had a single.  Rechtenbaugh pitched six innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits and five walks with five strikeouts.

Sioux Falls Post 15 won both games of a double-header with Dell Rapids Legion in Dell Rapids on Tuesday, June 14th.  They won the first one 7-6 and the second game 11-7.

Sioux Falls 7, Dell Rapids 6

Post 15 scored three runs right away in the top of the first of the first game.  Dell Rapids tied the game with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second.   Treyse Eastman hit an RBI sacrifice fly, and Braden Fersdahl drove home two with a single to center field.

Sioux Falls took the lead again in the top of the third with a run, but Dell Rapids again tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.  CJ Smith had an RBI sacrifice bunt to score Aiden Boechler.  Sioux Falls took a two-run lead, 6-4, after single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth inning.

Dell Rapids, one more time, tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the  sixth.  Will Jaton had an RBI double, and Eastman had an RBI ground out to make it a 6-6 ball game.  Sioux Falls got the game-winning run in the top of the seventh on an RBI, one-out double.

Boechler had three hits in the game.  Fersdahl had a hit and two RBIs.  Jaton had a double and an RBI.  Brayden Pankonen finished with a single.  Eastman had two RBIs, and Smith had an RBI.  Jaton pitched  6 1/3 innings allowing seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits and four walks with four strikeouts.  Pankonen pitched 2/3 of an inning with two walks and a strikeout.

Sioux Falls 11, Dell Rapids 7

Sioux Falls Post 15 had an eight-run third inning to propel them to an 11-7 win in the second game.

Dell Rapids took an early run with four runs in the bottom of the second.  Boechler had an RBI ground ball.  Pankonen had a two-run single, and Austin Harvey scored on a wild pitch for a 4-0 lead.  Sioux Falls, however, took the lead for good in the game with their eight-run third inning.

Joe Rechtenbaugh had an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning.  Jack Henry added an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 8-6.  Sioux Falls then got two runs in the top of the fifth.  Boechler scored on a passed ball for Dell Rapids in the bottom of the fifth.  Sioux Falls got another run in the top of the seventh.

Landon Ruesink had two hits.  Pankonen had a hit and two RBIs.  Henry had a triple and an RBI.  Boechler had a triple.  Evan Nelson had a single.  Rechtenbaugh finished with an RBI.  Fersdahl pitched two innings and allowed two earned runs on six walks and a strikeout.  Smith gave up four earned runs on a hit and two walks.  Dylan Mathis threw four innings allowing three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts.  Nelson also pitched an inning and allowed two runs, one earned, on a hit and two walks with two strikeouts.