WATERTOWN – The Bandits beat Sioux Falls East 4-3 but fell 8-5 to the hosts during a baseball triangular Thursday evening.
Brookings (13-7) plays a DH at Huron on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
• Brookings 4, Sioux Falls East 3
The Bandits rallied late to pick up the victory.
East scored single runs in the first and fourth frames.
In the top of the sixth, Mason Bebensee, Henry Hammrich and Jackson Krogman (bunt) singled to load the bases.
Max Kjelden’s groundout to third drove in Bebensee. Rhett Zelinsky followed with an RBI single. Jamsion Honkomp’s sacrifice fly to center plated Krogman to put Brookings ahead 3-2.
The Bandits added an insurance run in the seventh as Jake Ammann, Bebensee (one out) and Krogman (two outs) all singled.
East loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh via two hits and a walk.
Aidan Beck drew a two-out walk to drive in Grant Graber; however, Kyle Bauer got Trey Runge to hit into the fielder’s choice to third to end it.
Daniel Messerli worked five innings to earn the win on the mound, allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a trio of walks. Bauer was credited with the save after giving up one run on two hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks over the final two.
Krogman, Ammann and Bebensee finished with two hits apiece.
East’s Jacob Glovich surrendered four runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Graber and Ty Schafer both had two hits.
BROOKINGS 4, SIOUX FALLS EAST 3
Brookings 000 003 1 – 4 8 2
Sioux Falls East 100 100 1 – 1 8 0
Daniel Messerli, Kyle Bauer (6) and Jackson Krogman; Jacob Glovich, Jackson Geerts (7) and Brady Christoffels. W – Messerli. L – Glovich. Sv – Bauer. 2B: SFE, Trey Runge.
• Watertown 8, Brookings 5
The Bandits struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning.
Krogman singled and scored on Zelinsky’s one-out double. Zelinsky stole third and scampered home on Honkomp’s groundout.
Watertown led 3-2 after an inning and 5-2 through two.
Zelinsky opened the third with a triple and quickly scored on Honkomp’s hit to cut the deficit to 5-3. Watertown answered with a run in the bottom of the frame.
In the fourth, Hammrich walked and took second on a groundout. Zelinsky’s two-out double pulled Brookings within 6-4.
Watertown scored twice in the fifth.
In the sixth, Hammrich and Krogman walked before Messerli hit into a fielder’s choice. Zelinsky’s fielder’s choice plated Hammrich to provide for the final margin.
Zelinsky was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs. Ammann finished 2-for-4.
Parker Rykhus took the loss after allowing six runs – five earned – on six hits and five walks with a strikeout in three innings. Hammrich surrendered two runs – none earned – in three hitless innings, walking three.
WATERTOWN 8, BROOKINGS 5
Brookings 201 101 0 – 5 7 3
Watertown 321 020 x – 8 6 2
Brookings battery: Parker Rykhus, Henry Hammrich (4) and Jackson Krogman. L – Rykhus. 2B: Rhett Zelinsky 2. 3B: Zelinsky.
