BROOKINGS – The ‘Chutes went 2-2 in the George’s Pizza Junior Legion Baseball Tournament over the weekend.
Brookings fell 15-14 to Sioux Falls West in its finale Sunday at Erv Huether Field after beating Sioux Falls East 14-4 in five innings.
In pool play action Saturday at Bob Shelden Field, the ‘Chutes fell 21-11 in five innings to Brandon Valley after beating Sioux Falls East 18-17.
Brookings (2-4) returns to action with a doubleheader at Renner on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Sunday
• Sioux Falls West 15, Brookings 14
The ‘Chutes led 4-2 after two innings, but West was up 7-4 through three and 14-7 after four. Brookings pulled within 15-13 entering the sixth, where it scored again to pull within a run.
West’s Jake Scheafer and Caden Moe both had three RBIs. Ben Weeldryer tallied two hits and a pair of RBIs. Michael Zerman added a hit. Robert Feiock scored three times.
Charlie Jensen pitched 3 2/3 innings to pick up the win, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks.
Brookings’ Jamison Honkomp finished 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs.
Jackson Krogman also racked up four RBIs.
Cole Mahlum was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Max Struck (double) and Henry Hammerich both contributed two hits and an RBI. Dan Messerli doubled and singled.
Nick Scheffers, the second of four ‘Chutes pitchers, took the loss after surrendering nine runs – four earned – on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
Starter Max Struck gave up two runs on two hits with one strikeout in two innings.
Just six of West’s 15 runs were earned, as Brookings committed five errors.
SIOUX FALLS WEST 15, BROOKINGS 14
Brookings 220 361 0 – 14 13 5
S.F. West 205 710 x – 15 8 3
Max Struck, Nick Scheffers (3), Jackson Krogman (4), Cole Mahlum (6) and Mahlum, Krogman (6); Charlie Jensen, Robert Feiock (4), Camden Godbois (5) and Kaden Frick, Nate Slowey (7). W – Jensen. L – Scheffers. 2B: B, Jamison Honkomp, Dan Messerli, Max Struck; SFW, Caden Moe. 3B: Robert Feiock.
• Brookings 14, Sioux Falls East 4 (5 inn.)
Jackson Krogman went 2-for-2 with four RBIs and Max Kjelden tossed a five-hitter as the ‘Chutes rolled to the victory.
Kjelden gave up four hits – two earned – with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Caden Wright doubled twice while driving in three runs.
Max Struck, Kjelden and Henry Hammerich each finished 2-for-2. Struck drove in a pair of runs; Kjelden scored three runs and had one RBI; and Hammerich, who tripled, scored three times. Cole Mahlum added two RBIs.
Brookings scored three times in the bottom of the first inning.
Krogman had an RBI single and later scored when Mahlum hit into a fielder’s choice. Struck’s run-scoring hit made it 3-0.
Sioux Falls East scored all four of its run in the top of the second.
Hammerich tripled with one out in the bottom of the second and scored on Krogman’s sacrifice fly soon thereafter to tie things up at 4-all.
A Struck RBI single in the third put the ‘Chutes on top for good at 5-4. Krogman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Kyle Bauer, and Struck scampered home on a wild pitch to push the margin to 7-4.
Wright came through with a two-run double in the fourth to put Brookings on top 9-4.
The ‘Chutes ended the game early with a five-spot in the fifth.
Hammerich walked to get things going and Krogman followed with a run-scoring double.
After Konkomp walked, Mahlum plated Krogman on a squeeze play. Kjelden and Bauer then tallied back-to-back RBI singles to make it 13-4.
Struck drew a base on balls and Wright sealed the deal with a walkoff RBI double to center field.
East’s Kyle Rygg went 2-for-2 and Brooks Stein had a two-run double.
Jaden Feterl took the loss in relief of Ethan Strawn, giving up 10 runs on six hits and five walks with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.
BROOKINGS 14, SIOUX FALLS EAST 4 (5 inn.)
S.F. East 040 00 – 4 5 1
Brookings 313 25 – 14 12 2
Ethan Strawn, Jaden Feterl (3) and Brooks Stein; Max Kjelden and Cole Mahlum. W – Kjelden. L – Feterl. 2B: SFE, Stein; B, Jackson Krogman, Caden Wright 2. 3B: B, Henry Hammerich.
Saturday
• Brandon Valley 21, Brookings 11 (5 inn.)
Brandon Valley put up 10 runs in the first.
Brookings pulled within 12-11 through 3 1/2 innings; however, Brandon Valley scored three times in the bottom of the fourth and added sixth in the fifth to end the game via the 10-run rule.
Noah Bertsch (3-for-5) and Dylan Deilke (2-for-2) both drove in four runs. Mike Chevalier was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Joseph Kolbeck scored four times. Alex Bute added two hits and three runs. Luke Terveer tallied a pair of RBIs.
Braden Wills picked up the win after allowing three runs – none earned – on one hit and two walks with five strikeouts in two innings.
After Brookings rallied against two Brandon Valley relievers, Bertsch entered with the score at 12-10 with none out in the fourth and threw two hitless innings with three strikeouts and a walk to pick up the save.
The ‘Chutes’ Dan Messerli totaled five RBIs, including a three-run triple and a run-scoring double.
Cayden Jacobsma went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored. Caden Wright was 1-for-1 with an RBI and three runs scored. Henry Hammerich was also 1-for-1 with two-run double and two runs.
Caden Wright took the loss after giving up six runs on one hit and five walks with a strikeout in one-third of an inning.
BRANDON VALLEY 21, BROOKINGS 11 (5 inn.)
Brookings 036 20 – 11 8 2
Brandon Valley (10)11 36 – 21 15 3
Caden Wright, Henry Hammerich (1), Cayden Jacobsma (4), Jamison Honkomp (5) and Jackson Krogman; Braden Wills, Ty Sanow (3), Ethan Kjenstad (3), Noah Bertsch (4) and Dylan Deilke. W – Wills. L – Wright. Sv – Bertsch. 2B: B, Henry Hammerich, Jacobsma, Dan Messerli; SFE, Deilke, Joseph Kolbeck. 3B: B, Messerli; SFE, Mike Chevalier, Luke Terveer.
• Brookings 18, Sioux Falls East 17
The tournament opener featured a little bit of everything as the ‘Chutes pulled out a wild victory.
The teams combined for the 35 runs on 29 hits. There were 14 free passes issued, including 10 walks, and 12 errors were committed.
Brookings finished the game with just eight players in the field, limiting Sioux Falls East to one run in the top of the seventh to hold on.
The ‘Chutes started strong with seven runs in the first. They led 12-3 after two innings, only to see Sioux Falls East pull even at 12-12 after 3 1/2 innings.
Brookings led 14-12 after four frames and the score was tied at 16-all through five.
Cole Mahlum and Dan Messerli opened the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners.
Max Struck then hit a groundball to third base and Mahlum was thrown out at home. Mahlum plowed into East catcher Brooks Stein on the play and was subsequently ejected, as was Stein for retaliating with a two-handed shove to the chest of Mahlum.
With tensions high, Brookings was still able to put up two runs in the inning.
Henry Hammerich came through with an RBI single and Max Kjelden plated Struck with a sacrifice fly to make it 18-16.
With just eight fielders, things looked bleak for the home team in the final frame after Grant Graber singled and Ethan Strawn followed with an RBI double. Kyle Rygg then ripped a line drive to center – perhaps the hardest-hit ball of the game – but it was right at Hammerich, who made the catch for the first out.
Cayden Jacobsma struck out Jaden Feterl and then got Ben Bathke to ground out to seal the deal.
Jacobsma picked up the win after allowing one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work.
Mahlum was 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs and three runs scored.
Messerli (double, Kyle Bauer and Jackson Krogman each notched two hits and an RBI. Caden Wright had two RBIs and scored three times. Hammerich and Jamison Honkomp both drove in a pair of runs.
Bauer, the starter, gave up 10 runs – seven earned – on nine hits and five walks with three strikeouts.
For East, Strawn was 5-for-5 with two doubles and six RBIs.
Tate Barnhart tripled, doubled and singled while driving in three runs and scoring three times. Rygg had three hits and three RBIs. Jonah Nesje was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs. Graber scored four times and had a pair of hits.
Nesje took the loss after giving up 11 runs – six earned – on 10 hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Starter Grant Behrend allowed seven runs – none earned – on one hit and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.
BROOKINGS 18, SIOUX FALLS EAST 17
S.F. East 034 540 1 – 17 18 7
Brookings 750 222 x – 18 11 5
Grant Behrend, Jonah Nesje and Brooks Stein, Jonah Feterl (6); Kyle Bauer, Dan Messerli (4), Cayden Jacobsma (6) and Cole Mahlum, Jackson Krogman (7). W – Jacobsma. L – Nesje. 2B: SFE, Ethan Strawn 2, Nesje, Tate Barnhart; B, Dan Messerli. 3B: SFE, Barnhart; B, Mahlum.
Register photos:
Above: Brookings’ Jackson Krogman singles during the second inning of the ‘Chutes’ 18-17 defeat of Sioux Falls East in a George’s Pizza Junior Legion Baseball Tournament pool-play game Saturday at Bob Shelden Field.
Below 1: Third baseman Cayden Jacobsma tags out Jonah Nesje in the fifth inning.
Below 2: Cole Mahlum strokes a triple during fourth-inning action.
Below 3: Max Kjelden fires to first baseman Jamison Honkomp in the fifth frame.
