S.F. East tops Bandits in Wild Card play-in

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SIOUX FALLS – Sioux Falls East plated a run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Bandits 3-2 in a Class A State American Legion Baseball Tournament Wild Card play-in game Saturday afternoon at Harmodon.

Elliot Barnes led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and Brandon Ford was hit by a pitch while attempting to bunt.

Nick Kemper laid down a sacrifice that slipped between the third baseman and pitcher for a hit, and a throwing error on the play allowed Barnes to score from second for the winning run.

Austin Ruhland threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win on the mound. He gave up two hits and struck out a pair of batters.

Chris Lerdal was the tough-luck loser for Brookings, allowing three runs – one earned – on nine hits. He had two strikeouts.

The home team struck first as Ford singled with two outs in the second and scored on Kemper’s triple.

Brookings countered with two runs in the fifth.

Tyler Kreutner was hit by a pitch and Jacob Devine singled to get it going. Jameson Meyer’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. Lerdal walked with two away to load the bases.

Cody Niklason stepped up with a line-drive single to right-center field to plate two runs to put the Bandits ahead.

Mitch Tolk started a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth with a single. Matt Graham reached on a fielding error.

Barnes pulled East even at 2-2 with an RBI single.

Tolk, Barnes and Ford each totaled two hits. Ford doubled.

Meyer, Akren Prodoehl, Jacob Schoon and Brandon Nelson each collected a hit for the Bandits.

Brookings finished the season with a 14-22 record.

SIOUX FALLS EAST 3, BROOKINGS 2

Brookings                    000 020 000 – 2 6 4

S.F. East                     010 001 001 – 3 9 2

Chris Lerdal and Cody Niklason; Austin Kubik, Austin Ruhland and Nick Kemper. W – Ruhland. L – Lerdal. 2B: SFE, Brandon Ford. 3B: SFE, Kemper.