The Tri-Valley Mustang softball team finished their 2026 season with a fourth-place finish at the 2026 South Dakota State A Softball Tournament held in Aberdeen from Thursday, June 4th through Saturday, June 6th.
Tri-Valley 13, Lennox 4
The Lennox Orioles scored the first four runs for an early 4-0 lead after the top of the second inning. It was all Tri-Valley after that point. Haleigh Wallenstein had a two-run single, and Isabella Wemore-Ocampo also had an RBI single in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 4-3. Wellensteine and Wetmore-Ocampo both had RBI hits again in the bottom of the third as the Mustangs went ahead 7-4.
Ava Christensen added an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. Syenna Halverson added an RBI sacrifice fly, and then Christensen scored on a passed ball for a 10-3 lead. Kadence Davey had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Wetmore-Ocampo brought home the final two runs with a triple in the bottom of the sixth.
Wetmore-Ocampo had three hits, one a triple, and four RBIs. Wallenstein had two singles and four RBIs. Christensen added two hits and an RBI. Davey had a single and an RBI. Rowyn Gacke, Emry Jones, and Hailey Sorenson all had one hit each. Halverson had an RBI. Jones pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on four hits and walk with four strikeouts. Davey pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed three hits and a walk with five strikeouts.
Dakota Valley 10, Tri-Valley 6
In the semifinals on Friday, Dakota Valley scored five runs late in the game to defeat the Mustangs 10-6. Dakota Valley scored a run in the top of the first. Gacke scored on an error in the bottom of the first, and Christensen had an RBI single to put the Mustangs ahead 2-1. After a scoreless second inning, Dakota Valley went back in front, 4-2, with a three-run top of the third. They would add another run in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 5-2.
The Mustangs cut the deficit to 5-4 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Wetmore-Ocampo scored off a bunt by Mattie Huwe. Davey had an RBI sacrifice fly as well. The Panthers got the momentum back by getting three runs in the top of the sixth to extend their lead to 8-4. Wallenstein scored on an error in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 8-5. Dakota Valley put two more runs on the board in the top of the seventh for a 10-5 lead. Christensen had an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh.
Christensen finished with two hits, one a double, and two RBIs. Jones also had two hits, one with a double. Gacke added two singles. Davey added a hit and an RBI. Huwe, Wallenstein, and Wetmore-Ocampo all had one hit each. Jones pitched five innings and allowed six runs, two earned, on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Davey tossed two innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on two hits and two walks with strikeouts.
West Central 11, Tri-Valley 1
The Trojans scored the first five runs and led 5-0 going into the bottom of the third inning in the 3rd/4th place game on Saturday. Jones drove home the only Mustang run with a single in the bottom of the third. West Central scored three runs in the top of the fifth and three more in the top of the sixth.
Wallenstein had a double and a single. Huwe also had two singles. Jones had a single and an RBI. Gacke and Davey both had a single. Jones pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs, three earned, on seven hits and three walks with a strikeout. Davey pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
