Post 131 opens State Legion tourney with 9-5 win over Aberdeen

Brandon Valley 9, Aberdeen 5

Post 131 defeated Aberdeen in the opening game of the 2017 American Legion State A tournament played at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City on Wednesday morning, July 26. Aberdeen jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning but it would be the last lead they would have as Brandon Valley had eight players combine for 14 hits to plate nine runs.

Payton Livingston had two of those hits including a towering first-inning home run over the wall in right field to tie the game at two after Ryan Meyer led off the home half of the inning with a base hit and scored on a single by Isaiah Chevalier. The Lynx offense kept up a steady pace with hits and runs coming from top to bottom in their batting order.

Mitch Hoover was the winning pitcher, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on five hits with 4fou strike outs. Tyler Zimmerman pitched 2 1/3 solid innings in relief before giving way to Dylan Kirkeby who recorded the save pitching the final 1 1/3 innings.  

Post 131 returns to the field at 4 p.m. today, when they take on Pierre Post 8, who defeated Sioux Falls West Post 15 8-6 Wednesday.