Sioux Falls Brewers win Class A State Championship

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MITCHELL – The Sioux Falls Brewers beat the Yankton Tappers 10-7 in the championship game of the Class A State Amateur Baseball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Cadwell Park.

It was the Tappers’ only loss in the tournament, which features a double-elimination format until the Sunday final. Yankton beat the Brewers 3-0 in a winner’s bracket game Friday.

The Brewers – formerly the Brandon Valley Merchants – were in the final for the eighth time since 2010 and improved to 3-5 in title games in the process. They brought home the first-place hardware in 2010 and 2012.

Yankton dropped to 4-2 in title games, suffering their first loss in four Class A championship games.

Sunday – Championship

 Sioux Falls Brewers 10, Yankton 7

The Brewers scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh to beat the Tappers.

Jesse Munsterman and Tom Hill drew walks to open the frame and advanced on Chris Kessinger’s sacrifice. Munsterman waltzed home on a Drue Soukup groundout to second.

The Brew Crew added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth.

Josh Kunzmann walked, Munsterman was belted and Tom Hill reached on a bunt single.

Drue Soukoup drew a base on balls and Borges stroked a sacrifice fly to plate Kunzmann and Munsterman, respectively, and provide for the final margin.

Jeremiah Mauch entered with one out in the sixth and threw the final 3 2/3, allowing one run – unearned – on two hits and a walk. He was credited with the win.

Starter Bryce Ahrendt surrendered six runs on 10 hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

The Brewers’ TJ Miller was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Jose Martinez went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Soukup drove in a pair of runs and Ian Strum singled twice.

For Yankton, Nik Davis hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs overall.

Gabe Leon ended up 3-for-5. Catcher Mason Townsend had two hits and a pair of RBIs. 

Billy Mount took the pitching loss in relief, allowing five runs – four earned – on three hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out three.

Starter Luke Bauske gave up four runs – zero earned – on five hits and three walks in a trio of frames of action.

SIOUX FALLS BREWERS 10, YANKTON 7

S.F. Brewers 203 200 102    10    9  3

Yankton        003 022 000      7  12  3

Bryce Ahrendt, Jeremiah Mauch (6) and TJ Miller; Luke Bauske, Billy Mount (4), Kieren Luellman (9) and Mason Townsend. W – Mauch. L – Mount. 2B: SF, James Borges. HR: Y, Nik Davis.

Saturday

 Sioux Falls Brewers 4, Renner 2

Bryce Ahrendt and the Brewers beat the rival Monarchs for the second time in the tourney, ending Renner’s streak of 16 consecutive title-game appearances in the process.

Ahrendt pitched a nine-hitter, striking out four and walking one. The right-hander tossed a six-hitter in the Brewers’ 7-1 defeat of the Monarchs on the opening weekend in Brookings.

Ian Strum and Jose Martinez singled with one out in the bottom of the first. TJ Miller’s RBI double opened the scoring.

Drue Soukup tripled with two away in the second and scored on a James Borges hit.

Martinez deposited the first pitch in the bottom of the fifth over the fence in left.

Miller was then hit by a pitch and Josh Kunzmann reached on an error after hitting a hard grounder. Jesse Munsterman grounded into a double play but Miller scampered home on the play to make it 4-0.

Renner rallied in the eighth as Grant Hieb, Brian McGuire, Corey Vasquez (RBI) and Tim Huber singled to open the inning to get a run on the board.

David Borchardt’s sacrifice fly to right field drove in McGuire to cut the deficit to 4-2. However, Edward Reichenbach struck out and Huber was caught stealing second to end the inning.

Ahrendt, who threw 120 pitches, worked around Jacob James’ one-out single in the ninth to seal the victory.

Martinez, Soukup and Strum each totaled a pair of hits for the Brewers.

McGuire and Vasquez both finished 2-for-4 for the Monarchs.

Schneiderman allowed four runs – three earned – on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk in five innings. He threw 80 pitches.

Josh Baumgart retired all nine batters he faced in relief, striking out one.

SIOUX FALLS BREWERS 4, RENNER 2

Renner          000 000 020    2  9  2

S.F. Brewers 110 020 00x    4  9  2

Dallas Schneiderman, Josh Baumgart (6) and Corey Vasquez; Bryce Ahrendt and TJ Miller. W – Ahrendt. L – Schneiderman. 2B: R, Chaz Palmer; SF, Miller. 3B: SF, Drue Soukup. HR: SF, Jose Martinez.

 Renner 4, Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels 1

Reece Arborgast pitched eight innings and the Monarchs took advantage of a trio of second-inning errors to plate four runs.

Arborgast allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

David Borchardt singled to lead off the second.

Edward Reichenbach (grounder) and Chaz Palmer (flyball) reached on errors by shortstop Reece Mimmack and center fielder Dylan Platt, respectively. The latter miscue allowed Borchardt to score.

Jacob James followed with an RBI single.

Andy Moen then hit a grounder and an error by Mimmack allowed Palmer and James to score to make it 4-0.

James and Brian McGuire both totaled a pair of hits in the game.

The Flying Squirrels’ Jack Revier singled to open the bottom of the third. He took second on a groundout, moved to third on Dylan Platt’s single and scored on Seth Bjordahl’s hit. Arborgast induced a double play ball of the bat of Mimmack to avoid further damage.

Seth Peterson was the tough-luck loser on the mound, surrendering four runs – none of which were earned – on eight hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in a complete-game outing. He threw 141 pitches. 

Platt finished 2-for-2 and Tyler Fields was 2-for-4 with a two-bagger for the Flying Squirrels.

RENNER 4, SIOUX FALLS FLYING SQUIRRELS 1

Renner                      040 000 000    4  8  0

S.F. Flying Squirrels 001 000 000    1  7  5

Reece Arborgast, Brandon May (9) and Corey Vasquez; Seth Peterson and Jack Revier. W – Arborgast. L – Peterson. Sv – May. 2B: R, Edward Reichenbach; SF, Tyler Fields.