SIOUX FALLS -- Giving up the big inning and struggles at the plate were the story of Post 18's Region 2A tournament and season-ending loss to Sioux Falls West on Thursday here at Harmodon Field.
On Friday, against a slugging Yankton Post 12 team, it wasn't much better.
Post 18 lost an early 2-0 lead and gave up five runs on four hits and two errors -- both came with two outs -- in a pivotal third inning before finally falling 13-2 in seven innings, ending Mitchell's season with a 24-23 record.
Thursday against West, the fourth inning was Post 18's undoing and was also highlighted by a pair of defensive miscues. Although Post 18 battled its way back into that first-round game before falling on a one-out, game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth, they struggled at times offensively, striking out 12 times in the game. Against Yankton and pitcher Layne Somsen, it was more of the same as he also struck out 12 Mitchell batters.
"There's the story of the two games: 24 strikeouts," said Post 18 head coach Kent VanOverschelde. "Those lapses on defense allowed them to get the big inning. That took the wind out of our sails.
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"The beginning of the game, I thought we had a better approach at the plate. But once we got behind, we faltered."
Post 18 led 2-0 after two innings, scoring Beau VanOverschelde on two passed balls after he led off the Mitchell portion of the first with a walk. Austin Dorzok led off the bottom of the second with a walk as well and later scored on a Josh Wenande RBI single. It was one of four hits Post 18 got the rest of the way. Yankton was just the opposite, pounding out 15 hits.
After the five-run Yankton third made it 5-2, Mitchell seemed ready to rally with Nick Wenande leading off the inning being hit by a pitch followed by a single by Jason Schmidt.
Schmidt then advanced to second and Wenande to third courtesy of an error by the center fielder as he fielded the ground ball.
However, Somsen struck out the next three Mitchell batters to end the threat. That started a string of eight straight Post 18 outs, six of which came by striking out.
Schmidt ended the streak by reaching on a walk with two out in the bottom of the fifth and then reaching third on an errant pickoff attempt by Somsen. But again, Somsen buckled down and struck out the next Post 18 batter to end that threat again.
Yankton put the lid on the game with a seven-run, seven-hit performance in the top of the seventh, which put Post 12 up 13-2.
Brett Young was saddled with the loss. Young didn't allow a walk in his 6 2/3 innings of work, but did give up 10 hits. Post 18 had three errors in the field behind him, including the consecutive errors with two out in the third that accounted for three runs.
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Schmidt led Post 18 at the plate with two hits, while Mitch Grieve and Josh Wenande each added singles.
Post 18 loses just one player off this year's team with Cory Marek gone to graduation. Marek didn't play in the region tournament with a bad throwing shoulder.
