RAPID CITY – Brookings swept a baseball doubleheader from Rapid City Central on Friday at McKeague Field, winning 11-1 (five innings) and 9-3.
The Bobcats (6-1) wrap up their six-game roadtrip taking on Douglas in another twinbill today at 11 a.m. CT.
Game 1
• Brookings 11, Rapid City Central 1 (5 inn.)
Chris Lerdal homered and Cody Niklason tossed a two-hitter as the Bobcats cruised in the opener.
Niklason struck out four batters and walked one while giving up just one run.
Akren Prodoehl, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, had a run-scoring single to get Brookings on the board in the first.
Lerdal followed with a three-run shot.
Parker Beers’ RBI single made it 5-0 after an inning.
The Cobblers had both their hits in the second inning as Shane Storm doubled with one out, moved to third on Zach Boeve’s hit and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Bobcats pulled away with four runs in the fourth as Niklason helped his own cause with a two-RBI single and Drew Cole came through with a two-RBI hit of his own to push the margin to 9-1.
Prodoehl capped the scoring with a two-run single in the fifth.
Jacob Devine, Niklason, Lerdal and Beers each scored twice.
Central starter Chris Holm surrendered five runs – four earned – on two hits and three walks in just a third of an inning.
BROOKINGS 11, RAPID CITY CENTRAL 1 (5 inn.)
Brookings 500 42 – 11 7 0
R.C. Central 010 00 – 1 2 2
Cody Niklason and Jacob Schoon, Akren Prodoehl (4); Chris Holm, Tyler McKnight (1), Chance Fine (5) and n/a. W – Niklason. L – Holm. 2B: RCC, Shane Storm. HR: B, Chris Lerdal.
Game 2
• Brookings 9, Rapid City Central 3
Akren Prodoehl again went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and the Bobcats had another solid pitching performance to complete the sweep.
Brookings scored five times in the second inning.
Lerdal, who ended up 2-for-4, led off the frame with a double.
Jacob Schoon, who finished 3-for-4, and Brandon Nelson had back-to-back one-out RBI singles to get it going.
With two away, Devine and Niklason both walked to load the bases.
Tyler Kreutner drew another walk to force in Nelson, making it 3-0.
Prodoehl’s two-run single pushed the advantage to 5-0.
The Cobblers’ Isaak Iverson opened the bottom of the second with a walk and later scored on a wild pitch to get the home team on the board.
The Bobcats tacked on three runs in the fourth.
Beers singled and Devine was hit by a pitch to begin the rally. Niklason reached on an error, which allowed Beers to score.
Devine then scampered home on a passed ball and Kreutner drove in courtesy runner Jameson Meyer with a ground ball to make it 8-1.
In the fifth, Central sandwiched a pair of two-out walks around a hit to load the bases for Boeve, who was hit by a pitch to plate Holm.
Prodoehl’s RBI two-bagger in the sixth put Brookings on top 9-2.
Holm singled and later scored in the bottom of the seventh to provide for the final margin.
Devine earned the win on the mound after giving up two runs on three hits and six walks with four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Prodoehl tossed the final two frames, allowing one run on one hit and two walks.
Kreutner had a pair of RBIs and Devine scored twice.
Central starter Ian Murphy surrendered eight runs – five earned – on five hits and four walks with a strikeout in four innings.
Tanner Davis doubled.
BROOKINGS 9, RAPID CITY CENTRAL 3
Brookings 050 301 0 – 9 10 1
R.C. Central 010 010 1 – 3 4 2
Jacob Devine, Akren Prodoehl (6) and Cody Niklason; Ian Murphy, Chris Waterson (5) and Ty Godkin. W – Devine. L – Murphy. 2B: B, Chris Lerdal, Prodoehl; RCC, Tanner Davis.
