RENNER – The ‘Chutes are heading to the State Junior Legion Baseball Tournament.
Brookings beat Renner 2-1 to open the day and then defeated Aberdeen 6-2 to qualify.
The top-two teams in the region tourney advance. Action concludes today.
Brookings is now 26-10.
Thursday
Aberdeen 10, Watertown 0
Brookings 2, Renner 1
Watertown 13, Renner 11, Post 307 eliminated
Brookings 6, Aberdeen 2, Post 74 advances to state
Friday
Aberdeen vs. Watertown, 11 a.m. (elimination game; winner advances to state)
Championship
Brookings vs. Aberdeen/Watertown winner, 30 minutes following previous game
• Brookings 6, Aberdeen 2
The ‘Chutes grabbed a 3-2 lead with two runs in the fifth and then put up a three-spot in the sixth to take control.
Austin Clark reached on a fielder’s choice – the second out of the fifth – and then stole second base. Owen Schneider reached on an error on a batted ball to shortstop, which allowed Clark to score. Schneider stole second.
Justin Cofell’s RBI double put Brookings ahead 3-2.
In the sixth, Parker Winghart got it going with a one-out single.
Nolan Miles had an RBI triple and then scored on Zach Struck’s single, making it 5-2.
Struck swiped second and took third on a wild pitch. Clark’s two-out, run-scoring single provided for the final margin.
Winghart worked six innings to pick up the victory on the bump. He gave up two runs on eight hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts. Breck Hirrschoff pitched a perfect seventh.
Post 24 opened the scoring in the third as Quintin Fischbach doubled and later scored on an error.
Hirrschoff led off the fourth by reaching on an error on a hard-hit grounder. Following a pair of balks, he scampered home on Winghart’s groundout to second.
The Smittys retook the lead in the top of the fifth as Casey Vining tripled with one away to drive in Drew Salfrank, who walked.
BROOKINGS 6, ABERDEEN 2
Aberdeen 001 010 0 – 2 8 3
Brookings 000 123 x – 6 5 1
• Brookings 2, Renner 1
Nathan Lease tossed a five-hitter, allowing one run with a strikeout as the ‘Chutes beat the Kings.
Parker Winghart reached on an error and took second on the play. Nolan Miles bunted for a single and Winghart scored on another error for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.
Miles ended up 2-for-3. He singled with two away in the second and scored on Winghart’s double to make it 1-0.
Renner knotted it at 1-1 on Kyle Konechne’s RBI double in the top of the sixth. He finished 2-for-3.
The Kings’ Braylon Bear pitched a three-hitter, giving up two runs – one earned – with five walks and four Ks.
BROOKINGS 2, RENNER 1
Renner 000 001 0 – 1 5 2
Brookings 010 001 x – 2 3 1
