Walk-off win leads Sluggers to state 10-and-under title

Brian Nash said a walk-off win was a great way to end the season.

The coach of the 10-and-under Mitchell Sluggers baseball team claimed a state Majors championship Sunday in Brandon, defeating the Brandon Valley Lynx 6-5 in the title game.

“It was what a championship game should be like,” Nash said.

In their final at-bat, the Sluggers trailed Brandon Valley 5-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Without recording an out, Mitchell put together four straight hits, got an intentional walk and a walk-off single by Nick Robinson. Austin Kerr scored the game-winning run.

Robinson is the youngest player on the Sluggers’ team, which finished the year with a 54-5-2 record.

“If he was born one day later, he would have been a 9-and-under kid,” Nash said. “ … It was a neat deal for him to get the final hit.”

Members of the team are Peyton Nash, Isaac Rew, Hunter Stahle, Brady Hawkins, Kerr, Caden Tegethoff, Robinson, Landon Huls, Jesse Hastings, Isaac Kitchens and Myles Brewster.

Besides Nash, Dan Rew and Al Huls also coach the team.

Stahle, Hawkins and Robinson each had two hits in the championship game. Kerr was the winning pitcher for the Sluggers, throwing the final two innings in relief of Hawkins, who pitched the middle two innings. Stahle started the game, throwing two innings.

During the tournament, Hawkins had 11 hits, including three home runs. Stahle had nine hits and Nash had eight hits, including two homers.

Mitchell was the No. 1 seed in the tournament, beating Rapid City 5-4 in the first round. After the Rapid City game, the Sluggers didn’t have a problem in the tournament until the championship game. Mitchell defeated Pierre 10-1, Watertown 20-0 and Sioux Falls 11-1.

On the mound, Stahle picked up the win against Rapid City and Sioux Falls and Rew got wins against Pierre and Watertown.

Mitchell also turned a triple play in the game against Pierre. Nash said it included Rew, Stahle and Hawkins. Nash has coached many of the same players for the past three years, and he said this was the first triple play the group has turned.

The Sluggers entered eight tournaments this summer, claiming eight titles and never losing one game in tournament play. Of their five losses, three were against 12-and-under teams.

“We wanted to play some better competition this year,” Nash said. “And it paid off.”

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