ABERDEEN – Jameson Meyer tossed a seven-hitter as the Bandits upended Watertown 4-1 in the first round of the Class A Legion Baseball Region Tournament on Tuesday afternoon at Fossum Field.
Post 74 went 0-4 versus Post 17 during the regular season – falling 16-12 and 14-1 in five innings on June 5 in Brookings and 10-9 and 6-4 last week in Watertown.
However, Meyer, who hadn’t yet faced Watertown this year, helped Brookings take care of business in its postseason opener.
The right-hander struck out six batters and did not issue a walk while giving up one run.
Meyer (5-2) lowered his ERA to 2.17 and threw his fifth complete game of the season.
Rhett Zelinsky reached base on a dropped third strike with two away in the top of the first inning. He took second on another passed ball and moved to third on a wild pitch.
Brady Ammann’s line-drive double to center opened the scoring.
Post 17 tallied its lone run in the bottom of the first as Parker Schmidt singled with one out and Brayden Shriver drove him in with a two-out double.
The Bandits grabbed the lead for good with a pair of runs in the second.
Ryan McMacken singled and Christian Mediger walked, and both runners moved up on Tanner Shepardson’s sacrifice.
McMacken scampered home on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. Tyler Kreutner added an RBI single to push the margin to 3-1.
Parker Rykhus drew a base on balls to get the third inning underway. He got to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a groundout and then scored on McMacken’s groundout as Brookings grabbed a 4-1 advantage.
Ammann, McMacken and Jacob Schoon each finished 2-for-4 with a double. Justin Devine also doubled.
For Watertown, Schmidt went 3-for-4 and Brandon Florey 2-for-3.
Blake Holden took the loss after giving up four runs – two earned – on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts in four innings.
Bailey Neuhauser threw two innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and walking one. Nathan Gonnelly allowed two hits in a scoreless seventh.
Brookings (10-18) faces top-seeded Renner (30-14) – a 3-2 victor over Aberdeen – today at 1 p.m. The winner is guaranteed a spot in the state tourney.
Aberdeen beat Huron 10-9 in the opening game of the tourney. Watertown eliminated Huron with a 6-1 victory later Tuesday.
BROOKINGS 4, WATERTOWN 1
Brookings 121 000 0 – 4 8 2
Watertown 100 000 0 – 1 7 1
Jameson Meyer and Justin Devine; Blake Holden, Bailey Neuhauser (5), Nathan Gonnelly (7) and Ben Deville. W – Meyer. L – Holden. 2B: B, Brady Ammann, Devine, Jacob Schoon, Ryan McMacken; W, Brayden Shriver.
