After winning two of their three pool play games, the Brookings Chutes fell in the semifinals of the Junior Legion State Tournament on Sunday.
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PIERRE — After winning two of their three pool play games, the Brookings Chutes fell in the semifinals of the Junior Legion State Tournament on Sunday.
Brookings came away with wins over Rapid City Post 320 and Pierre on Friday and Saturday but then lost to Rapid City Post 22 in the semifinals. The Chutes finished the season with a record of 28-12.
Brookings jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning and didn’t look back as the Chutes scored in every inning the rest of the way.
Tane Friedrich hit a one-out single for Brookings in the top of the second and then made his way to second on a walk from Will Conrad with two outs. Tre Christopherson followed with a single to center field and Friedrich came home. Conrad scored on the throw to make it 2-0. Cooper Schneider then hit an RBI double to push the lead to 3-0.
Rapid City responded with two runs in the top of the third as the Shooters hit back-to-back singles. However, Brookings got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning. Talon Hyde hit a single and then made his way to second on a throw to home. He then scored on a dropped third strike to make it 4-2 heading into the fourth.
Brookings added a run in both the fourth and the fifth. Conrad walked to lead off the fourth and then scored on a Christopherson single. Friedrich led off the fifth with a single and scored on a Conrad ground out to make it 6-2.
The Chutes then put the game away in the sixth with three more runs. Schneider drew a walk to lead off the inning and then scored on a triple from Jase Bauer. Gavin Hammrich followed with a single to score Bauer and then he scored on a sacrifice fly from Friedrich to make it 9-2 heading into the final inning and then Schneider sent down Rapid City one-two-three in the seventh.
Brookings had 10 hits in the win. Christopherson was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Friedrich was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bauer and Hammrich were each 1-for-2 with an RBI and Harris was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Schneider was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Hyde was 1-for-4. Conrad had an RBI without a hit.
Breck Wilson got the start on the mound for Brookings and pitched the first six innings. He gave up two earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Schneider did not give up a hit and did not have a strikeout or a walk.
The Chutes got off to a fast start again on Saturday as they led 6-0 after two innings.
All six of Brookings runs in the second inning came with two outs. Nolan Wagner and Ryder Anderson started the two-out rally with back-to-back walks. Wagner was hit home on a Conrad single and then Christopherson followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0. Schnedier then hit an RBI double and Bauer hit an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0. The final run of the inning came when Bauer scored on a wild pitch.
Pierre tied the game in the top of the fourth. Three RBI singles cut the lead in half and then a bases clearing double made it 6-6 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
It didn’t take long for the Chutes to regain the lead as they scored four runs in the bottom of the inning. A walk from Schneider, Bauer getting hit by a pitch and a Hammrich single loaded the bases up with no outs. Schneider scored on a Friedrich single and then Bauer scored on a wild pitch and Wagner drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-6. Three batters later Christopherson hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 10-6.
Pierre scored a run on an error in the top of the sixth to make it 10-7. Brookings loaded the bases again with nobody out in the bottom of the inning. Wagner scored on a Christopherson ground out and Anderson came home on a sacrifice fly from Maxten Jensen to make it 12-7. Hammrich then hit a two-run triple to push the lead to 14-7 and Talon Hyde shut down Pierre in the top of the seventh.
The Chutes had 11 hits as a team. Christopherson was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Hammrich was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Wagner and Bauer were each 1-for-2 with an RBI and Schneider and Friedrich were each 1-for-3 with an RBI. Conrad was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Jensen had an RBI without a hit.
Hyde pitched a complete game for the Chutes. He gave up seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits with nine strikeouts and no walks.
Each team had four hits, three walks and two errors but the Expos were able to push across two runs and ended the Chutes season.
Rapid City’s first run came in the second inning. The Expos hit a one-out double and that runner stole third. He then scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
The Expos second and final run came in the sixth inning after Brookings loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the inning but was unable to get the tying run home. After a one-out walk and a fielder’s choice, the base runner stole second and then scored on single to make it 2-0.
Christopherson hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh but then strikeouts from Schneider and Hammrich ended the game.
Christopherson, Jensen and Conrad were each 1-for-3 and Friedrich was 1-for-2. Wagner pitched a complete game and gave up two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
