BROOKINGS – The Bullets put together two solid games to earn a sweep of Sioux Falls East on Tuesday at Bob Shelden.
Brookings won the opener, 13-9, and then dominated in a 9-1 win in the nightcap.
Next up for the Bullets is the Buffalo Wild Wings Tournament this weekend at Bob Shelden as they open pool play at 9 a.m. on Friday against Dell Rapids. Brookings closes Friday’s games with a 6 p.m. game against Garretson. On Saturday, the Bullets face Watertown at 9 a.m. and then have a 6 p.m. matchup with Harrisburg.
• Brookings 13, S.F. East 9
The Bullets banged out 12 hits, including five for extra bases en route to the win.
Brookings took the early lead with three runs in the second as Matt Girard came up with the big two-out hit.
Trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Bullets batted around to score four runs as Girard, Tanner Huber, Caden McKeown, Wes Koenig and Mason Bebensee had back-to-back singles to open the frame.
After East scored a run in the top of the fifth to get within 7-5, Brookings tacked on three more runs in the bottom to go up, 10-5, as Jeffrey Fuks and Girard each hit an RBI double.
Sioux Falls got within 10-9 with a four-run sixth, but the Bullets scored three insurance runs in the bottom when McKeown and Koenig led off with back-to-back doubles; Aidan Stewart added a base hit; and then, Fuks came through with another double.
Girard, who came on in relief of Bebensee in the fourth inning, was the pitcher of record when Brookings took the lead for good in the bottom of the frame.
BROOKINGS 13, S.F. EAST 9
S.F. East 001 314 0 – 9 6 1
Brookings 030 433 x – 13 12 5
East battery unavailable; Mason Bebensee, Matt Girard (4), Caden McKeown (6), Kolby Weinberg (7) and Wes Koenig. W – Girard. 2B: B, Matt Girard, Jeffrey Fuks, Caden McKeown, Wes Koenig, Kolby Weinberg.
• Brookings 9, S.F. East 1
Huber tossed five innings of shutout ball as the Bullets scored all of their runs in the first two innings and shut down East the rest of the way.
Stewart gave up a triple to Doug Stephens in the sixth, which led to the visitors’ only run as Stephens scored when the next batter reached on an error.
Brookings took advantage of two Sioux Falls errors, three walks and a hit batter to plate three runs in the first frame.
The Bullets sent 10 batters to the dish in the second, plating six runs to take a 9-0 lead through two complete.
McKeown, Koenig and Fuks singled in the second to go along with three walks and a hit batter.
BROOKINGS 9, S.F. EAST 1
S.F. East 000 001 – 1 8 2
Brookings 360 00x – 9 3 1
East battery unavailable; Tanner Huber, Aidan Stewart (6) and Caden McKeown. W – Huber.
Register photo: Shortstop Tanner Huber comes up throwing to get an out during the first inning of the Bullets’ 13-9 win over Sioux Falls East in the first game of a doubleheader at Bob Shelden Field on Wednesday. Brookings went on to win Game 2, 9-1, to complete the sweep as Huber tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win on the mound.
