Bobcats edged in game to go to state

Posted

SIOUX FALLS – Second-seeded Sioux Falls O’Gorman edged No. 10 Brookings 8-7 in the game to go to state Saturday afternoon at Harmodon.

The Bobcats rallied to beat seventh-seeded Yankton 7-6 earlier in the day in the first round.

The Class A State High School Baseball Tournament is Saturday at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Brookings concluded the season with a 12-9 record.

 Sioux Falls O’Gorman 8, Brookings 7

The Knights scored five unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull out the victory.

Joe Lund and Matt Fiegen singled to open the bottom of the fifth.

Grady Gulbranson drove a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field for a three-run homer to pull O’Gorman within 7-6.

In the sixth, Sam Steukel, who went 2-for-3, singled. He moved to second on an error and took third on Noah Moon’s sacrifice. Johnny Rogers drew a one-out walk.

Steukel sprinted home and Rogers moved to second on Joe Lund’s groundout. Fiegen then reached on an error, which allowed Rogers to score from second for the go-ahead run.

Steukel pitched three scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Six of OG’s eight runs were unearned, as Brookings committed five errors.

The Knights scored three runs in the first inning.

Rogers reached on an error and, with two outs, Fiegen walked and Gulbranson was hit by a pitch. Rogers scored on a passed ball, before Aidan Thomas came through with a two-run double.

The Bobcats found the scoreboard in the third.

Cole Mahlum and Justin Devine drew one-out walks and advanced on a wild pitch. Tyler Kreutner drove in Mahlum with a groundout and Jacob Schoon stroked an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2.

In the fourth, Tanner Shepardson singled, Jackson Krogman reached on an error and Brady Ammann singled to load the bases with no outs.

Mahlum walked to force in Shepardson, tying things up at 3-3.

Devine followed with an RBI double to make it 4-3 – Ammann was thrown out at home on the play. Kreutner added a two-run single to push his RBI total to three and put Brookings on top 6-3.

Rhett Zelinsky drew a base on balls to lead off the fifth and chase OG starter Mason Crow.

Shepardson walked and Krogman had a bunt single to again load the bases with no outs. Ammann’s sacrifice fly drove in Zelinsky to make it 7-3.

Crow gave up seven runs – six earned – on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts in four-plus innings.

Krogman took the loss after allowing two runs – none earned – on one hit and one walk in 1 1/3 innings. Kreutner, the starter, surrendered six runs – two earned – on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

SIOUX FALLS O’GORMAN 8, BROOKINGS 7

Brookings.       002 410 0    7  8  5

S.F. O’Gorman 300 032 x    8  5  1

Tyler Kreutner, Jackson Krogman (5) and Cole Mahlum; Mason Crow, Sam Steukel (5) and Matt Fiegen. W – Steukel. L – Krogman. 2B: B, Justin Devine; SFO, Aidan Thomas. HR: SFO, Grady Gulbranson.

 Brookings 7, Yankton 6

The Bobcats put up a four-spot in the top of the seventh to pull out the opening-round victory.

Brookings sent 10 batters to the plate in the big inning, doing all the damage against a trio of relief pitchers with two outs.

Bucks starter Michael Drotzmann got a strikeout and a flyout to open the seventh, and left the game with a 6-3 lead.

Justin Devine was hit by a pitch by Ethan Wishon. He took second on a wild pitch and scored on Tyler Kreutner’s single.

Kreutner finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Jacob Schoon and Parker Rykhus drew walks to load the bases and chase Wishon.

Ammann scampered home on Caid Koletzky’s wild pitch. Daniel Messerli walked to reload the bases, before Rhett Zelinsky drew another walk to force in Schoon – tying the score at 6-6 – and chase Koletzky.

Tanner Shepardson greeted the Bucks’ third reliever – Kieren Luellman – with an RBI single to put the Bobcats on top by a 7-6 margin. A groundout ended the inning.

Kreutner worked around a leadoff single by Drotzmann to pitch a scoreless bottom of the seventh to seal the deal. Kreutner was credited with the win.

Drotzmann gave up three runs – one earned – on four hits and five walks with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He threw 93 pitches. Drotzmann was 3-for-4 at the plate and Miles Carda finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Koletzky took the pitching loss.

Schoon, who started on the mound for the Bobcats, allowed six runs – five earned – on eight hits and five walks with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Drotzmann led off the bottom of the second with a single and Wishon walked. Both runners moved up 90 feet on Collin Zahrbock’s sacrifice.

Rex Ryken drove in Drotzmann with a sacrifice fly and Luellman followed with a run-scoring double. After Cole Withrow walked, Carda came through with an RBI single.

In the third, Levi Wiersma walked. Wishon drew a one-out base on balls. Wiersma moved to third on an error and scored on Zahrbock’s fielder’s choice to put Yankton ahead 4-0.

The Bobcats got on the board in the fifth.

Cole Mahlum walked with two away and Devine reached on an error. Kreutner lined a double to right field to cut the deficit in half.

In the bottom of the fifth, Drotzmann singled and stole second. Zahrbock reached on an error with one out, which allowed Drotzmann to scamper home to make it 5-2.

Brookings’ Parker Rykhus reached on a walk with one out in the sixth. Zelinsky stroked a run-scoring double – his second RBI of the game – with two away.

Yankton went ahead 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh as Luellman walked, moved to second on Withrow’s sacrifice and scored on Carda’s single.

BROOKINGS 7, YANKTON 6

Brookings 000 021 4    7  6  4

Yankton    031 011 0    6  9  1

Jacob Schoon, Tyler Kreutner (6) and Cole Mahlum; Michael Drotzmann, Ethan Wishon (7), Caid Koletzky (7), Kieren Luellman (7) and Miles Carda. W – Kreutner. L – Koletzky. 2B: B, Kreutner, Rhett Zelinsky; Y, Luellman.