Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar wins North District Tournament; Castlewood Ravens top Cubs for other state tourney bid

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CASTLEWOOD – Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar won the Class A North District Amateur Baseball Tournament over the weekend at Memorial Park, while the Castlewood Ravens earned the other state tournament berth.

Aberdeen (19-4) beat Castlewood 2-1 in the semifinals and held off the Brookings Cubs 7-5 in the championship on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Ravens (23-5) topped the Cubs (22-6) 6-5 for second place.

Castlewood edged Aurora (3-15) by a 4-3 margin in an elimination game earlier Sunday.

Brookings beat Aurora 16-1 in six innings in the other semifinal Saturday.

The Class A State Amateur Baseball Tournament is Friday through Sunday in Pierre and Friday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 6, in Mitchell. The title game is Sunday, Aug. 6, at noon.

Sunday

Second place

• Castlewood 6, Brookings 5

The Ravens scored six consecutive runs in the middle innings and held on to beat the Cubs to earn the state tourney bid.

Ben Bartling gave up five runs – four earned – on nine hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings to earn the pitching win. Eric Danforth retired all four batters he faced, including one by strikeout, to seal the deal and pick up the save.

Brookings got off to a solid start with single runs in each of the first two innings.

Kyle Krogman started a two-out rally with a single in the bottom of the first, and Sam McMacken followed with a hit of his own. Ty Schneider’s RBI hit made it 1-0.

Kenneth Negron, Jared Tschetter and Austin Koenig, who bunted, each singled to get the second underway. Skyler Cary hit into a double play, but courtesy runner Jacob Meyer scored to push the margin to 2-0.

Castlewood got things going in the third.

Taylor Stacey walked and Corey Roach singled. Cole Julius followed with a bunt, and a throwing error by Cubs pitcher Carlos Rodriguez allowed both Stacey and Roach to score to tie things up at 2-all.

After Carter Roach was hit by a pitch, Ryan Engels plated Julius with a sacrifice fly to put the Ravens ahead 3-2.

Eric Danforth led off the fourth with a two-bagger. Corey Roach was hit by a pitch with two outs.

Julius stroked an RBI double and Carter Roach followed with a run-scoring single to make it 5-2.

Andy Turbak, who finished 2-for-5, doubled with one out in the top of the fifth and Blake Turbak singled. Danforth hit into a fielder’s choice, which allowed Andy Turbak to score and extend the advantage to 6-2.

Brookings’ Jeff Fish capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a home run to center field – his second long ball in as many days – in the bottom of the fifth.

The Cubs rallied in the eighth.

Fish, who went 2-for-5, singled and Krogman hit into a fielder’s choice. With two away, Schneider was hit by a pitch and Jacolby Anderson singled.

Negron hit into a fielder’s choice, and an error on the play allowed both Krogman and Schneider to scamper home to pull Brookings within 6-5. Negron was credited with an RBI.

But that would be as close as the Cubs would get, as Danforth recorded the final four outs on 19 pitches.

Rodriguez took the loss after allowing six runs – four earned – on six hits and a walk in five innings. Negron tossed four innings of scoreless relief, surrendering just one hit and a walk with four strikeouts.

CASTLEWOOD 6, BROOKINGS 5

Castlewood                 003 210 000 – 6 7 1

Brookings                   110 010 020 – 5 9 2

Ben Bartling, Eric Danforth (8) and Tanner Neale; Carlos Rodriguez, Kenneth Negron (6) and Negron, Jacolby Anderson (6). W – Bartling. L – Rodriguez. Sv – Danforth. 2B: C, Andy Turbak, Cole Julius, Eric Danforth. HR: B, Jeff Fish.

Elimination game

• Castlewood 4, Aurora 3

Brody Ries pitched a five-hitter, giving up three runs – two earned – with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks, and the Ravens used a bases-loaded walk to push across the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

Corey Roach finished 3-for-4 with a home run.

With one out in the ninth, he and Zach Lambrechts both singled and Cole Julius drew a walk to load the bases.

Logan Gabriel then drew a four-pitch walk to force in Roach and seal the deal.

Julius went 2-for-3 and Lambrechts was 2-for-4.

The Ravens scored the game’s first three runs.

In the second, Roach singled with one out and moved to second on a passed ball.

Lambrechts and Julius came through with back-to-back RBI doubles to make it 2-0.

Roach connected on the second pitch of the bottom of the fourth frame, sending the ball over the fence in left field to push the margin to 3-0.

The A’s rallied in the sixth.

Ross Rolling reached on an error. Nolan Bostic followed with an RBI double.

Paxton Steen drew a one-out walk. Lukas Kallas, who ended up 2-for-4, stepped up with an RBI double of his own.

Scott Engen’s run-scoring hit pull Aurora even at 3-all.

Castlewood’s Carter Roach doubled.

Colton Wendland took the loss on the mound, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.

CASTLEWOOD 4, AURORA 3

Aurora             000 003 000 – 3 5 0

Castlewood                 020 100 001 – 4 9 4

Colton Wendland and n/a; Brody Ries and Lucas Hoftiezer. W – Ries. L – Wenland. 2B: A, Nolan Bostic, Lukas Kallas; C, Carter Roach, Zach Lambrechts, Cole Julius. HR: C, Corey Roach.

Saturday

Championship

• Aberdeen 7, Brookings 5

Jesse Spangler hit two of Circus Sports Bar’s three home runs and Chad Ellingson pitched into the ninth as Aberdeen held off the Cubs to win the championship.

Brookings got off to a solid start with Skyler Cary and Kyle Krogman opening the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back singles and Sam McMacken reaching on a one-out error to load the bases.

Ty Schneider notched an RBI single with two away, but Krogman was thrown out at home on the play by Aberdeen center fielder Spangler as the Cubs’ lead stood at 1-0 after an inning.

Circus Sports Bar’s first five runs came with two outs.

Michael Babcock singled with two outs in the top of the third. Spangler then belted a two-run homer to center field on an 0-2 pitch to make it 2-1.

In the fourth, Kelly Coates reached on an error and Tyler Newman singled. Zach Reierson later reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners with two away.

Chad Ellingson stroked an RBI double and Babcock, who finished 2-for-5, tacked on a two-run hit to push the margin to 5-1.

Ryan Ellingson drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left field with one out in the fifth to give Aberdeen a 6-1 cushion.

Spangler belted the first pitch of the seventh over the fence in center for his second round-tripper of the game as Circus Sports Bar opened up a 7-1 advantage.

The Cubs rallied in the ninth, eventually bringing the go-ahead run to the plate.

Schneider got it going with a single but Tschetter hit into a fielder’s choice. Mike Graybill walked.

Austin Koenig reached on an error, which allowed Tschetter to sprint home. Cary was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Krogman’s double drove in pinch-runner Sam Froehlich and Koenig to pull Brookings within 7-4 and chase Chad Ellingson.

Jeff Fish greeted reliever Spangler with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-5 and bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of McMacken.

However, the slugger grounded into a double play to end the game.

Ellingson gave up five runs – three earned – on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.

Spangler finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs. He was credited with the save.

Cary, Krogman, Fish and Schneider each had two hits.

Krogman took the loss after allowing six runs – three earned – on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Jacolby Anderson surrendered one run on three hits and two walks with one strikeout over the final 4 2/3.

ABERDEEN 7, BROOKINGS 5

Aberdeen                     002 310 100 – 7 11 3

Brookings                    100 000 004 – 5   8 3

Chad Ellingson, Jesse Spangler (9) and Kelly Coates; Kyle Krogman, Jacolby Anderson (5) and Jacob Myer. W – Ellingson. L – Krogman. Sv – Spangler. 2B: C, Chad Ellingson; B, Kyle Krogman. HR: A, Spangler 2, Ryan Ellingson.

Semifinals

• Brookings 16, Aurora 1 (6 inn.)

Jeff Fish and Mike Graybill had standout performances at the plate, and Sam Froehlich pitched four solid innings as the Cubs rolled in their opener.

Fish hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning and added a two-run double in the sixth as he finished with five RBIs.

Graybill went 4-for-5 with three RBIs.

He and Austin Koenig had back-to-back run-scoring singles in the second. Skyler Cary added an RBI double and then scored on Kyle Krogman’s sacrifice fly to put Brookings ahead 4-1.

The A’s scored their lone run in the fourth as Nolan Bostic, who went 2-for-3, led off the frame with a double and scored on Justin Behrend’s two-out single.

Brookings scored seven times in the bottom of the fourth and five times in the sixth to end the game via the 15-run rule.

Graybill had a walkoff RBI single with two outs in the sixth inning. He also had an RBI single in the fourth and a single in the third.

Cary, the leadoff hitter, finished with a pair of RBIs and scored three runs.

Koenig went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Eight different Cubs had at least one hit. Krogman, Fish, Jared Tschetter, Curt Anderson and Graybill each scored twice.

Froehlich gave up one run on three hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in four innings. He threw 57 pitches.

Jake Devine tossed a scoreless fifth, giving up one hit. Mike Holen retired all three batters he faced in the sixth, including one by strikeout.

Scott Engen took the loss on the mound after allowing nine runs – six earned – on seven hits and six walks in 3 1/3 innings.

BROOKINGS 16, AURORA 1 (6 inn.)

Aurora             000 100 –   1   4 5

Brookings         040 705 – 16 13 1

Scott Engen, Nathan Bostic (4), Ross Rolling (6) and Tim Larson, John Koenig (3); Sam Froehlich, Jake Devine (5), Mike Holen (6) and Austin Koenig, Jacob Meyer (5). W – Froehlich. L – Engen. 2B: A, Nolan Bostic; B, Skyler Cary, Jeff Fish. HR: B, Fish.

• Aberdeen 2, Castlewood 1

Ryan Ellingson outdueled Connor Fransen on the mound to lift Circus Sports Bar over the Ravens.

Both pitchers went the distance, and neither allowed an earned run.

Ellington gave up five hits with five strikeouts and four walks.

Fransen surrendered seven hits with one strikeout and two walks.

Aberdeen’s Michael Babcock reached on an error to open the fourth and advanced to second on a groundout. Spencer Sudbeck, who finished 3-for-4, came through with a two-out RBI single to put the visitors on the board.

Castlewood’s Corey Roach singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth, moved to second on a groundout, took third on Logan Gabriel’s single and scored on an error to knot the score at 1-all.

In the fifth, Evan Jordre walked with one away and quickly stole second. Zach Reierson followed with a single, but Ravens center fielder Lucas Hoftiezer threw Jordre out at home on the play.

Reierson advanced to third on an error, before Chad Ellingson stepped up with an RBI single to make it 2-1.

Ryan Ellingson doubled for Circus Sports Bar.

ABERDEEN 2, CASTLEWOOD 1

Aberdeen                    000 110 000 – 2 7 1

Castlewood                 000 100 000 – 1 5 2

Ryan Ellingson and n/a; Connor Fransen and n/a. W – Ellingson. L – Fransen. 2B: A, Ellingson.