BROOKINGS – The Brookings Bullets 16U team split a doubleheader with the Watertown Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon at Erv Huether Field in Brookings. The Bullets took game one, 15-9, and Watertown forced the split with a 16-14 win in game two.
The Bullets are now 4-14 on the season and will not play again until July 5. They will play a doubleheader at Renner on that day and the first game is scheduled to start at noon. Brookings will then play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Tournament in Brookings July 8-10.
Game One
• Brookings 15, Watertown 9 (5 inn.)
An eight-run fourth inning gave the Bullets the lead and they went on get the victory after shutting down Watertown in the fifth.
Watertown got on the board first with one run in the top of the first on a fielder’s choice. Brookings had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but was unable to push any runs across.
The Red Sox increased their lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. The first two runs were scored on a single and bases loaded walk. The next two were scored on a fielder’s choice and an error.
The Bullets responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Yuji Numata and Blake Waterman both walked to start the inning. Both runners advanced on a walk and Numata then scored on a ground out from Jacob Walsh. Waterman then scored on a passed ball and Jacob Peterson then hit an RBI single to make it 5-3 through two innings.
Watertown then pushed three runs across in the top of the third. They had the bases loaded with two outs and then hit three-straight singles to score the three runs to make it 8-3.
Brookings would respond once again and scored four runs to cut the lead to 8-7. Tane Friedrich was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and Aidan Austreim followed with a single. Numata then hit a double to center and both runners scored. Numata later scored on a Walsh single to make it 8-6 and Walsh scored on a bases loaded walk to make it 8-7.
The Red Sox then extended the lead to 9-7 with an RBI double in the top of the fourth, but Brookings would respond a third time, and this time the Bullets took the lead.
The Bullets had the bases loaded with nobody out after Friedrich was hit by pitch, a double from Austreim and a walk from Yumata. They then took the lead after Walsh was hit by a pitch and Ryan Lockrem, Luke Honkomp and Peterson were all walked with the bases loaded. Jacob Kahler then hit a single to push across another run and it was 12-9.
Austreim was then hit by pitch with the bases loaded and Numata walked to make it 14-9. Friedrich then scored on a wild pitch to score the final run of the inning.
Neither team scored in the fifth and the game ended due to time.
Peterson was 1-for-1 with two RBIs and Numata was 1-for-1 with three RBIs. Walsh was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and Austreim and Lockrem were each 2-for-3 with an RBI. Kahler was 1-for-5 with an RBI and Honkomp did not have hit, but did have an RBI.
Kahler got the start for Brookings and pitched the first two innings. He gave up five runs, three earned, on two hits, with three walks and no strikeouts. Walsh then pitched the final three innings and gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits, with one strikeout and one walk.
Game Two
• Watertown 16, Brookings 14 (4 inn.)
The Red Sox would take game two in a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair. The highlight of the game was when each team scored eight runs in the third inning. The game ended after four innings because of time.
Watertown struck first with a run on a wild pitch in the top of the first. Brookings would then score six runs in the bottom of the inning. Jackson Hunter walked to start the inning and would later score on a Kahler single. Peterson hit a single and scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. Kahler would score on a Darrion Dubro single and Dawson Gross was walked with the bases loaded to make it 4-1. Jackson Hornby and Honkomp then both walked with the bases loaded as well and it was 6-1 through one inning.
Watertown responded with six runs of its own in the top of the second and regained the lead. The first two runs came on a walk and a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. A bases clearing triple then tied the game and the Red Sox took the lead on an RBI single. Brookings was unable to push any runs across in the bottom of the inning and it was 7-6 Watertown going into the third.
The Red Sox got the bats going in the top of the third and scored eight runs. The first three runs came off an RBI double and a two-run single. An RBI triple and an RBI single made it 12-6. Watertown then scored a run on a passed ball and two more runs on a double to make it 15-6 through two and a half innings.
Brookings would respond with eight runs of its own in the bottom of the third. A dropped third, strike, a single and a walk loaded bases to begin the inning. Hornby was then walked and Honkomp hit a single to score two runs. Hunter was then hit by pitch and it was 15-9.
Peterson then came to the plate and hit a bases clearing triple to make it 15-12. Peterson then scored on a wild pitch to make it 15.13. Kahler would then single and would later score on a Preston Cordes single to make it 15-14 going into the third.
Watertown would pick up an insurance run in the top of the fourth with an RBI double. Brookings had two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Hunter struck out swinging to end the game.
Peterson was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Honkomp was 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Dubro was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Kahler was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Cordes was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
