AMATEUR BASEBALL

Redfield opens up 10-2 lead on Parkston at press time

SIOUX FALLS — Parkston’s Matt Malloy couldn’t record an out after relieving Trevor Arnold in the bottom of the sixth Thursday night.

By Luke Hagen , August 13, 2010

Raptors eke by

Dimock-Emery outlasts rally from Canova
SIOUX FALLS — A grunt was heard across Sioux Falls Stadium.

By Luke Hagen , August 13, 2010

Leighton, five others earn induction

For 34 years straight, Kevin Leighton played in the state’s amateur baseball tournament.

By Luke Hagen , August 12, 2010

Platte plows on

Johnson helps Killer Tomatoes move into quarters
SIOUX FALLS — Platte’s Jordan Johnson got things going in a hurry in his team’s second-round game at the Class B state amateur baseball tournament Wednesday night.

By Travis Mester , August 12, 2010

Pheasants hold on

Winner-Colome explodes for nine runs in early going, beats Millbank
SIOUX FALLS — Winner-Colome has yet to play its best game in the Class B state amateur baseball tournament.

By Travis Mester , August 11, 2010

Homerin’ Harris

Ninth-inning home run propels Parkston past Bluebirds, into quarters
SIOUX FALLS — With a tingly tendon in his right elbow, Parkston’s Pat Harris tanked his first home run of the year.

By Luke Hagen , August 09, 2010

Canova beats Dell Rapids Mudcats

By TRAVIS MESTER The Daily Republic SIOUX FALLS – Devin Alfson drove in the go-ahead run with a eighth-inning single and send Canova to a 11-6 win over the Dell Rapids Mudcats in a second-round game of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament early this morning at Sioux Falls Stadium. The game between the past two Class B state amateur champions was a back and forth contest throughout the final four innings. The Class B defending state champion Gang scored four times in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead and make up for a lackluster start from Jared Donahue. Jason Miller pitched the final three innings and did not allow a run in relief as more than 100 Canova faithful stuck around to see the game end at 1:44 a.m. “That’s the way we are,” Gang manage Dave Gassman said of the fans that were still in attendance. “This is all we have, our fans are always going to be there with us, no matter what.” Donahue pitched himself into trouble all game long and finished with 10 walks in six innings of work. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits. The Gang trailed 2-0 early but capitalized on a pair of errors and scored four runs on one hit in the top of the sixth inning to take a two-run lead. But Donahue allowed four runs in the bottom of the sixth and Canova had to come from behind again. Alfson was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored to lead the Gang. Garrett Gassman scored a pair of runs for Canova.

By Travis Mester , August 09, 2010

Miscues get to Gregory

SIOUX FALLS — A mulligan was needed after the first inning for the Gregory Prairie Dogs in the opening round of the state amateur baseball tournament Saturday against the Madison Broncos. Madison won 17-0 in a game that ended after five innings. Gregory yielded 10 runs —none earned — with seven errors and four Broncos hits to dig an early hole they couldn’t get out of. “All I can say is that it was one of those nights,” Prairie Dogs’ manager Greg Crose said. “We had a good year up until (Saturday). We lost our shortstop, Austin Hamilton, with a .359 batting average, in districts with a torn hamstring which hurt us.”

By By OWEN REITZEL , August 09, 2010

Winner-Colome cruises past Bryant in first-round game

SIOUX FALLS — The Winner-Colome amateur baseball team didn’t get the start it needed Saturday. A seven-run fifth inning changed that. Winner-Colome advanced to the second round of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament by beating Bryant 17-7 Saturday.

By Sports staff , August 09, 2010

Kuiper pitches Killer Tomatoes into second round

SIOUX FALLS — Platte rode a two-hit pitching performance from Myles Kuiper to defeat Irene 10-0 in a game shortened to eight innings in first round play at the state amateur tournament Sunday. Kuiper fought the heat and humidity, being hit by a line drive in the leg, getting whapped on the shoulder while at-bat and after catching a foul fly ball, suffered a big-toe injury. Through all the suffering, Kupier pitched seven shutout innings. “The heat was a killer out there,” Kuiper said. “But the pitching has been shaky this year and I’m glad that I could come out and throw well in the state tournament for my team.”

By By OWEN REITZEL , August 09, 2010

Raptors roll past Wynot in second round

SIOUX FALLS — Thomas Pickett threw eight innings and struck out 10 batters to carry Dimock-Emery to a 14-3 rout over Wynot (Neb.) in a second-round game of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament Sunday night at Sioux Falls Stadium. Pickett allowed two runs on eight hits to help the Raptors secure their spot among the final eight teams vying for a state championship. “People know that this is the time of year to put it all together,” Pickett said. “Whether it be with our hitting, fielding or pitching. We picked up some great guys from Alexandria, and we have a pretty good pitching staff, so we’re a confident group right now.”

By Travis Mester , August 09, 2010

Salem falls in extras

SIOUX FALLS — Redfield’s Brent Osborn scored from third on a misplayed grounder in the bottom of the 10th inning to give his team an 11-10 win over the Salem Cubs in a first-round game of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament Friday afternoon at Sioux Falls Stadium. With the bases loaded and no one out, Redfield’s Keith Gall hit a hard bouncer toward Salem’s Jeremy Grady at third base that Grady was unable to field cleanly. The slight bobble allowed Osborn to slide home for the winning run in a back-and-forth contest that saw the lead switch hands three times in the final three innings.

By Travis Mester , August 07, 2010

Alfson's HRs help Gang avoid first-round upset

SIOUX FALLS — Devin Alfson hit a pair of three-run homers, Jared Donahue picked up the win in relief and Canova rallied from a six-run deficit in the first round of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament Thursday. The defending state champions tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on Alfson’s second homer and tacked on two runs in the eighth to win 8-6 at Sioux Falls Stadium. “A pair of changeups he left hanging,” Alfson said of the two pitches he sent soaring over the left-center field fence. “He had me guessing earlier in the game — up, down, in and out — but he left a couple hanging there for me.”

By Luke Hagen , August 06, 2010

Four-run seventh gets Mudcats past Owls

SIOUX FALLS – The Parkston Mudcats scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a tie game and beat Wessington Springs Thursday in the first round of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament. Mudcats’ starting pitcher Jordan Gau helped his team forget last year’s one-run, first-round loss to Flandreau by throwing a complete game with 12 strikeouts in the 8-4 win over the Owls Thursday night at Sioux Falls Stadium. “That comes to mind quite often,” Parkston coach Dave Roth said of the 2-1 loss last year that knocked his team from the tournament. “It wasn’t mentioned at all before the game, but I’m sure it was in the back of the team’s minds.”

By Luke Hagen , August 06, 2010

Kortan slams door on Mount Vernon

SIOUX FALLS – With his team leading by one run, Tabor’s Gary Kortan kept Mount Vernon’s hitters off balance for the final three innings. Through the seventh, eighth and ninth, Kortan retired nine in a row and never allowed a base runner to maintain the slim lead for a 7-6 win over the Cardinals Thursday in the first round of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament at Sioux Falls Stadium. “Early, I threw pretty much all sliders,” Kortan said. “Then later, I switched to fastballs and off-speed pitches.”

By Luke Hagen , August 06, 2010