BROOKINGS – The Bobcats clinched the home-field advantage in Region 1A postseason play with a sweep of Huron on Wednesday at Bob Shelden Field.
Brookings won the opener, 11-3, and then took the nightcap by a 4-1 margin to improve to 17-7 on the season.
“The first game – we came up big in a couple of innings where we scored our runs,” said BHS head coach Ryan Bauer. “In the second game, it was 1-1 in the fifth and we put up three runs, so we had a big inning there – they were throwing a pretty good pitcher who kept us off balance, but we have to be more solid defensively if we’re going to win the region tournament.
“We know what we are going to get from our pitchers but our defense needs to be better – our margin of mistakes has shrunk because we’ve played a lot of close games lately and fortunately, we’ve come out ahead on a lot of those – but when our offense is going, like the first game, we are as good you can ever be.”
The ‘Cats play host to Sioux Falls Washington in a 5 p.m. doubleheader on Friday at Bob Shelden.
Game 1
• Brookings 11, Huron 3
The Bobcats jumped out to an early four-run lead en route to scoring 11 runs on 11 hits as Chris Lerdal helped himself out with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate while allowing two earned runs on eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts in a complete-game win.
The senior drove in four runs with a two-out, two-RBI single in the third and a two-out, two-RBI double in the sixth; while classmate Jameson Meyer plated three runs on two hits.
Jacob Schoon added two hits and scored twice as Brookings pounded out 11 hits to make up for three fielding errors.
Parker DeJean had two hits to drive in one run as Emerson DeVries and Cully Nelson each tacked on an RBI-single for the Tigers.
Rick Strubel suffered the loss, giving up eight earned runs on eight hits and five walks with two strikeouts in three innings of work.
Walker Schiltz worked the final three innings and surrendered two earned runs on three hits and a walk with one K.
BROOKINGS 11, HURON 3
Huron 021 000 0 – 3 8 2
Brookings 413 012 x – 11 11 3
Rick Strubel, Walker Schiltz and Matthew Katz; Chris Lerdal and Cody Niklason. W – Lerdal. L – Strubel. 2B: H, Rick Strubel; B, Chris Lerdal.
Game 2
• Brookings 4, Huron 1
Bryce Steffen hit a two-out double and DeJean followed up with an RBI single in the top of the first to spot the Tigers the early lead.
Akren Prodoehl reached on a fielders’ choice in the bottom of the first; stole second; and then scored on a two-base throwing error to tie the game up at 1-1.
The Bobcats took advantage of four hits, a Huron error and a Tiger wild pitch to plate three runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead, which proved to be enough to clinch the sweep.
With one out in the fifth, Tyler Kreutner and Jacob Devine hit back-to-back singles before a fielders’ choice by Drew Cole put runners on the corners. Kreutner scored on a botched pickoff attempt by DeJean as Cole advanced to second. Heesch plated Cole with a line drive to left, and then, the speedy junior went to second on a wild pitch, before stealing third three pitches later.
Cody Niklason hit a single to right as Heesch scored to make it 4-1.
And that would be all that Cole would need as the lanky right-hander gave up just one earned run on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
Kreutner struck out two and walked one in an inning of relief to pick up the save.
DeJean suffered the loss after allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks with three strikouts.
Brookings 4, Huron 1
Huron 100 000 0 – 1 3 3
Brookings 100 030 x – 4 6 3
Parker DeJean and Matthew Katz; Drew Cole, Tyler Kreutner (7) and Jacob Schoon. W – Cole. L – DeJean. Sv – Kreutner. 2B: H, Bryce Steffen; B, Jameson Meyer.
