RENNER – There’s nothing better than a walkoff – especially when it’s in extra innings in the postseason.

Cubs’ right fielder Seth Fraser took a 1-1 pitch over the right-field fence in the bottom of the 10th to lift Brookings to a 9-8 win over the Sioux Falls Brewers in a Class A State Tournament elimination game on Friday afternoon at Monarch Field.

Brookings faces Castlewood, which stayed alive with a 10-3 victory over Yankton, at 11 a.m. at Ronken Field for the chance to take on Aberdeen to advance to the title game. The Circus Bar lost 10-1 to the Renner Monarchs in a semifinal game at Ronken on Friday.

The Cubs led 6-1 through four innings as Jeff Fish hit a two-out, two-run shot to left in the bottom of the first after JaColby Anderson doubled with one away for a 2-0 advantage.
The Brewers got one run back in the top of the second and still had the bases loaded, but Marcus Heemstra came on in relief of Jake Devine and induced a ground ball out before getting out of the jam with a strikeout to preserve the 2-1 lead.

In the third, Skyler Cary led off with a single; moved to second on a wild pitch; and then advanced to third on Kyle Krogman’s single. Krogman was picked off first but beat the throw to second to put two runners into scoring postion before Anderson hit a ball into the hole that the Brewer shortstop couldn’t handle, allowing Cary to score. Fish added his third RBI of the day with a single to center field that plated Krogman to put the Cubs up, 4-1.

Fraser walked to open the fourth before Ty Schneider went deep over the left-field fence for a 6-1 advantage.

But the Brewers battled back as Jesse Munsterman hit a two-run shot in the top of the fifth to cut the lead in half, before three straight singles plated another run for Sioux Falls to make it 6-4 after 4 1/2.

Brookings answered with a run in the bottom of the frame after Todd Standish reached on an infield hit and then stole second. Fish drew a base on balls before Austin Koenig hit a one-out fly to the base of the fence in left, which allowed Standish to tag and move to third. Fish tagged up, as well, but got into a hot box between first and second, which allowed Standish to score on the play to make it 7-4 as Fish went to second, before being stranded.

Sioux Falls scored twice in the sixth with a leadoff double, followed by a single, and later, a two-out throwing error that allowed a runner to score from second to make it 7-6.

A pair of Brewer singles, coupled with two stolen bases, helped Sioux Falls plate two runs in the top of the eight to take its first lead, 8-7.

With two outs in the bottom, Schneider reached on an infield error. A run-and-hit single to right-center field by Cary sent Schneider to third, and he then scored on a throw from center that went out of play, tying the game at 8-8.

Caleb Stratmoen set down the Brewers in the ninth and the Cubs came up empty in the bottom of the frame, as well.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Stratmoen in the 10th set up Fraser’s heroics on the third pitch of Brookings’ at-bat.

Stratmoen earned the win in relief as he struck out five in 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Devine gave up one earned run on a hit and four walks in 1 1/3, while Heemstra allowed five runs – four earned – on seven hits and a walk with five Ks.

Fish added 2 2/3 innings of middle relief, giving up two runs – one earned – on three hits to go along with four strikeouts.

Bryce Ahrendt went the distance for the Brewers in the loss as he surrendered nine runs – eight earned – on nine hits and six walks with eight strikeouts after throwing 171 pitches.

BROOKINGS 9, S.F. BREWERS 8

SF Brewers  010 032 020 0  –  8  11  3

Brookings    202 210 010 1  –  9   9   2

Bryce Ahrendt and Charlie Dubanoski; Jake Devine, Marcus Heemstra (2), Jeff Fish (6), Caleb Stratmoen (8) and Austin Koenig, JaColby Anderson (6). W – Stratmoen. L – Ahrendt. 2B: SF, Jose Martinez; B, JaColby Anderson. HR: SF, Jesse Muntsterman; B, Jeff Fish, Ty Schneider, Seth Fraser.

• Castlewood 10, Yankton 3

Corey Roach hit two home runs – a solo shot in the sixth to pull the Ravens within 2-1 and then a three-run dinger in the seventh to give Castlewood a 4-2 lead – en route to a 10-3 triumph over the Tappers.

Conner Fransen picked up the win on the mound after allowing two runs – one earned – on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.

Eric Danforth allowed one unearned run in two innings of relief on two hits and a walk with three Ks.

Andy Turbak had three hits, including a double and home run, to drive in three runs as Danforth helped out the cause with a two-run double in the eighth.

Luke Bouske suffered the loss after giving up eight earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Mack Hollingsworth started and allowed one earned run on five hits and five walks with four strikeouts in six frames.

Mitch Gullickson got the final two outs after surrendering one earned run on one hits and two walks.

CASTLEWOOD 10, YANKTON 3

Yankton       010 100 010  –   3    7   1

Castlewood   000 001 45x  –  10  13  3

Mack Hollingsworth, Luke Bouske (7), Mitch Gullickson and Ross Heine; Conner Fransen, Eric Danforth (8) and Kolton Michalski. W – Fransen. L – Bouske. 2B: Y, Nik Davis, Devin Gullikson; C, Eric Danforth, Andy Turbak. HR: Corey Roach (2), Andy Turbak.

Register photos:

Above, Seth Fraser gets mobbed by his teammates after his walkoff home run in the 10th inning in a 9-8 win over the Sioux Falls Brewer in Friday’s Class A Amateur State Baseball Tournament elimination game at Monarch Field in Renner.

Below, Austin Koenig fields a throw to tag out the Brewers’ Chris Phillips during the second inning.