YANKTON — The Brookings baseball teams saw its season come to a close over the weekend as the Bobcats were swept in a three-game regional series against Yankton.

The Bucks advanced to the Class A State Tournament as they beat the Bobcats twice on Saturday at Bob Tereshinski Stadium. The first game was supposed to be played on Friday night and then the two teams were going to play a doubleheader on Saturday night, but due to rain, the first two games of the series were played on Saturday night.

Yankton won the first game 7-4 and then eliminated Brookings with a 9-1 win in game two. The Bucks will play in the state tournament in Sioux Falls beginning Friday. 

Brookings finished the season with an 11-19 record. The Brookings Senior Legion team will begin their summer season on May 29 in Pierre.

Game 1: Yankton 7, Brookings 4

The Bucks led 6-1 through four innings and held Brookings off the rest of the way.

Yankton went ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Gavin Johnson reached on an error and Matthew Sheldon was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. Owen Wishon was then walked with one out to load the bases up and T Sager hit a two-run single with two outs to put the Bucks ahead.

Brookings got on the board in the top of the fourth. Tane Friedrich came to the plate with one out and he hit one over the center field fence to make it 2-1.

However, Yankton answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Tatte Beste reached on an error to start the inning and then Beck Ryken singled and Easton Nelson was hit by a pitch to load the bases up. Johnson was then walked and Sheldon hit an RBI single to make it 4-1. Nelson then scored on a fielder’s choice and Johnson scored on an error to push the lead to 6-1.

The Bobcats cut the lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth. Jay Harris walked with one out and then scored on a Tyson Antonen single. Friedrich was hit by a pitch and Maxten Jensen ran for him. Jensen then scored on an error by the catcher to make it a three-run game.

Yankton loaded the bases again with no outs as Sheldon walked to open the inning and Samuel Gokie and Wishon followed with back-to-back singles. Sheldon then scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 7-3.

Cooper Schneider led off the final half inning with a single and Jase Bauer followed with a walk. Talon Hyde then hit Schneider home with a single but Bauer was thrown out trying to get second and that was the second out of the inning. Harris then popped out to the pitcher to end game one.

Brookings had 6 hits as a team. Friedrich was 1-for-1 with an RBI and Antonen was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Hyde was 1-for-4 with an RBI and Schneider was 2-for-4. 

Noah Lease got the start on the mound for Brookings and he pitched five innings. He gave up six runs, two earned, on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Kysin Reuer pitched the other inning and gave up one earned run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk.

Game 2: Yankton 9, Brookings 1

The Bucks kept the momentum going in game two as they scored four runs in the top of the first. Johnson led off the game with a solo home run to left field. Shledon then walked and Gokie followed with a single. Easton Feser then came to plate with one out and he blasted one over the right field fence to make it a four-run game.

Yankton added another run in the top of the third. Trey Sager walked with one out and he advanced to third on an Eric Serck single. He then came home on a Ryken single and that made it 5-0.

Brookings got that run back in the bottom of the inning, but that was the Bobcats’ only run of the game. Tre Christopherson and Schneider were each hit by pitches one out. Friedrich then walked to load the bases up with two outs. Hyde came through with a single but Christopherson was the only Bobcat to come home.

Yankton scored another run in the fifth. Feser led off the inning with another walk and then scored on a Ryken single to make it 6-1. Feser then came through with an RBI double in the sixth to extend the lead to 7-1.

Yankton’s final two runs of the game came in the top of the seventh. Serck walked and later scored on an error by the catcher. Wishon then hit an RBI single to make it 9-1. Jude Meendering walked with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for Brookings but then Christopherson grounded out to end the Bobcats’ season.

Brookings had just three hits. Hyde was 2-for-3 with one RBI and Schneider was 1-for-2.

Antonen pitched the first four and two thirds innings for Brookings. He gave up six earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and five walks. Nolan Wagner pitched the final two and a third innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on three hits with one strikeout and two walks.