Gray split with Brandon Valley

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BROOKINGS – The Bombers Gray were three outs away from a sweep on Wednesday at Mickelson Field, but Brandon Valley put together a late rally to pull out the nightcap and earn a split in youth baseball action.

Gray won the opener, 5-3, and led 10-6 heading into the final inning of Game 2 before Brandon put up six on the way to a 12-11 win.

The Bombers, 4-20 on the season, travel to Sioux Falls on Tuesday to face East in a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Harmodon.

• Brookings 5, Brandon Valley 3

Aidan Stewart tossed a complete game – giving up six hits and no earned runs – to get the win on the mound.

Gray plated two runs in the second inning and three in the fourth to lead 5-0 heading into the final frame.

In the second, Ethan Molengraaf drew a one-out walk before Jesse Roberts hit a single. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball before Molengraaf scored on Gavin Fixsen’s groundball out as Roberts went to third. Matthew Weelborg put the ball in play and reached on an error, with Roberts scoring to make it 2-0.

In the fourth, Molengraaf and Roberts both took one for the team before Fixsen walked to load the bases. Back-to-back Brandon errors on grounders hit by Weelborg and Gavin Klinkhammer allowed all three runners to score as Gray led 5-0 through four.

Brandon Valley put together a rally in the sixth as the first batter reached on an error and the second singled. A four-base error cleared the bases to make it 5-3 before Brookings closed out the game.

BROOKINGS 5, BRANDON VALLEY 3

Brandon Valley            000 003 – 3 6 4

Brookings                    020 30x – 5 3 4

Thomas Crosby, Nathan Krueger and Unknown; Aidan Stewart and Matthew Weelborg. W – Stewart. L – Crosby.

• Brandon Valley 12, Brookings 11

After Brandon Valley scored four runs in the top of the first, Gray sent 16 batters to the dish to plate 10 runs.

Keiji Numata led off with a single, and then, the home team took advantage of eight walks, two Brandon Valley errors and singles by Isac Norgaard and Davis Engen to go up 10-4 after one complete.

But the scored two runs in the third to get close, and then went up 12-10 with a six-run fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Engen drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on Logan Stotz’ groundout. After Joseph Holy walked, Fixsen put the ball in play and reached base on an error as Engen scored, but Holy was thrown out going to third to end the game.

Holy started on the mound and gave up 10 runs – one earned – on four hits and four walks with one strikeout. Molengraaf allowed two runs – neither earned – on a hit and a walk before getting the final two outs.

BRANDON VALLEY 12, BROOKINGS 11

Brandon Valley             402 6     – 12 5 5

Brookings                    (10)00 1 – 11 3 8

Konnor Peschel, Cole Borchandt (1), Nathan Krueger (2) and Unknown; Joseph Holy, Ethan Molengraaf (4) and Matthew Weelborg. W – Krueger.