Day 5: 2025 South Dakota Amateur Baseball State Tournament
Jill Meier/Brandon Valley Journal
Parkston's Brady Nolz scoops up a grounder and makes the throw to first for an out in the second round of the 2025 Class B South Dakota State Amateur Baseball Tournament. Parkston was eliminated from the tournament Sunday by Alexandria, 6-5. For daily summaries of the games played at First National Bank Field in Brandon and Legion Park in Valley Springs, check out BrandonValleyJournal.com.
The first five days of the Class B division of the 2025 South Dakota State Amateur Baseball Tournament are in the books. Here's a recap from Sunday's action at First National Bank Field in Aspen Park in Brandon:
Freeman Blacksox 19, Burke Bombers 4
It was 12-0 in a hurry after three innings as the Freeman Blacksox buried the Burke Bombers 19-4 in the opening round of the Class B tournament. ‘
Freeman scored once in the bottom of the first inning on a Bailey Sage RBI single, but the Blacksox were just getting started. Freeman scored seven times in the second, fueled by a two-run triple from Rocky Ammann. The Blacksox scored four more times in the third for the 12-run lead.
Burke answered in the top of the fourth when Gannon Thomas hit a two-run home run. That made it 12-3, but it was short-lived as the Blacksox poured it on. Freeman answered right back as Avery Mellman hit a two-run shot over the left field wall to increase the lead to 14-3. Five runs in the bottom of the fifth by Freeman put it away and the game was called then due to the run-rule.
Freeman hammered 23 hits in the five-inning shortened game, led by Sage’s 5-for-5 effort and 6 RBI. Ammann also had a solid day, also going 5-for-5 with 3 RBI. Mellman added 4 RBI on a 3-for-4 effort, and Riley Tschetter and Jackson Fiegen also had 2 RBI.
While the Freeman bats were hot, pitcher Hall had Burke covered from the mound. The Bombers managed just five hits while Hall struck out four.
Next up for Freeman is a second round 7:30 game on Wednesday, Aug. 13 against the Dell Rapids Mudcats.
Dell Rapids Mudcats 7, Winner/Colome Pheasants 2
The Dell Rapids Mudcats have won the Class B state tournament twice since 2020, and on Sunday they took a step towards claiming another. Dells won the title in 2008, 2021 and 2022.
The Mudcats jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Chad Hunt bunted for a base hit that scored Ty Hoglund, who singled earlier in the inning. Carter Gullickson also scored on an error during the same play, and the Mudcats had a lead they’d never relinquish.
Hoglund was 4-for-5 to lead the Dell Rapids offense. Jake Goble was 1-for-3 with 2 RBI for Dell Rapids.
Reece Arbogast pitched six innings for the Mudcats. He struck out four while giving up nine hits, and Arbogast picked up the win after throwing 84 pitches.
The Pheasants actually out-hit Dell Rapids, 10-9, but the double-digit hits didn’t come at the right time.
Next up for Dell Rapids is a second round 7:30 game on Aug. 13 against Freeman.
Alexandria Angels 6, Parkston Mudcats 5
Bradley Dean hit a walk-off single for the Alexandria Angels for a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Parkston Mudcats in the second round of the Class B tournament.
Dean’s walk-off capped a huge comeback for Alexandria. The Angels trailed 5-0 after five innings before they cut into the lead on a three-run homer by Legion player Ben Wilber. Alexandria scored two more times in the bottom of the eighth to tie it at 5-5 on a Pierce Smith two-run home run.
Parkston pitcher Max Scott held Alexandria batters in check prior to the three-run homer by Wilber. Scott left after the sixth having struck out five with four hits.
Along with Wilber, Michael Schoettmer had two hits to lead Parkston.
Three Alexandria pitchers combined for nine strikeouts, but Parkston out hit the Angels 9-8. Jeff Harris was 3-for-3 from the plate for the Mudcats with two doubles. Chase Hetland singled and scored two for a 3-0 lead in the first.
Next up for Alexandria is a quarterfinal game against the Canova Gang on Thursday, Aug. 14 at 5:30 p.m. The Angels have won 10 straight and haven’t lost since June 29.
Canova Gang 6, Garretson Blue Jays 1
The Canova Gang managed just five hits, but capitalized on four Garretson errors to win 6-1 in their second-round game of the Class B tournament.
Although Garretson had the four errors, Canova got on the board in the bottom of the first on a Jared Miller single to score Riley Genzlinger, who walked earlier in the inning. After scoring one run in the fifth on a Kendall Gassman single, the Gang broke things open in the sixth scoring four times.
The sixth-inning explosion was fueled by a two-run error after Derek Miller hit a grounder to Garretson pitcher Sam Siegel. Luke Koepsell and Genzlinger both scored to make it 4-0. Garrett Gassman singled at the next at-bat, scoring two more for a 6-0 lead.
Miller was 2-for-3 to lead the Canova offense.
Garretson got on the board in the seventh on a Siegel single, but the Blue Jays could get no closer.
Miller went the distance on the mound for Canova, striking out nine while giving up eight hits. Garretson finished with eight hits – all singles – led by Brady Bonte’s 2-for-4 effort.
Next up for Canova is a quarterfinal game against Alexandria on Thursday, Aug. 14 at 5:30 p.m.
