BROOKINGS — The Brookings Bobcats hit eight home runs including four in the bottom of the eighth inning but a few defensive lapses and trouble in the circle helped Watertown earn a 18-13 victory in eight innings during a Class AA SoDak 16 game at the Southbrook Softball Complex on Wednesday night.

The win helped the Arrows advance to the Class AA State Tournament, which will take place from May 30 to June 1 on the Northern State University campus in Aberdeen while the Bobcats finished the year with a record of 10-8.

The Bobcats put on a power display early when Sydney Bebensee reached on a one-out single and Kymber Buys launched a two-run homer to put Brookings up 2-0 at the end of the first inning. Brookings showed more power at the plate in the bottom of the second inning when Layla Jacobsma and Kinzey Grendler each hit solo home runs to put the Bobcats up 4-0.

Bobcats head coach Emma Hardin credited the Bobcats’ power surge to a refined approach at the plate but also lamented missed opportunities such as a bases-loaded rally in the bottom of the third that ended when Jacobsma popped out and Tessa Twedt struck out to end the inning without putting a run on the board.

“We talked a lot throughout the whole season about having a plan and sticking to it whether you’re looking for an inside or outside pitch until you have two strikes on you,” Hardin said. “I think they did a really good job of that early in the game but in the middle of the game we had that lull where we didn’t do as well.”

The missed opportunity in the bottom of the third inning allowed Watertown to capitalize on an opportunity to get back into the game in the top of the fourth. Kinsley Van Gilder reached on an error and Alexa Brown singled to lead off the inning before Jade Lund reached on another error to load the bases with nobody out.

Moe committed an error allowing Van Gilder to score Watertown’s first run of the game before Brown scored on a loose ball and Kynslee Johnson drove in a run with a groundout to bring the Arrows within 4-3.

Morgan Norgaard hit Brookings’s fourth home run of the game to put the Bobcats ahead 5-3 but the Arrows continued their comeback in the top of the sixth. 

Lund reached second base on an error to lead off the inning before advancing to third on a passed ball and later scored on an error by Tess Burns to make it 5-4. Johnson walked in the next at-bat and Lauryn Hirsch hit a two-run homer to give Watertown its first lead of the game at 6-5.

Megan Wadsworth tied the game for Brookings with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning but the Bobcats couldn’t get out of their own way with 10 errors in the game that allowed Watertown to break the game open in the top of the eighth inning.

Johnson gave Watertown a 7-6 lead with an RBI double before Sarita Stevenson hit a three-run homer to gave the Arrows a 10-6 lead. Brown drove in a run with a single, Lund drove in a run with a double and Johnston hit a three-run homer before Stevenson and Berglund each drove in a run with a single and Dettmann scored on an error to cap a 12-run inning.

“When they left the ball over the plate and made a mistake, they capitalized on it. We have to tip our hats because they did well and those errors just killed us.”

Brookings did its best to get back into the game with Moe, Bebensee, Buys and Burns hitting two-out home runs to close the gap, but it was too big of a hole for the Bobcats to overcome.

Norgaard finished the day 3-for-5 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored while Moe went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk and four RBI.

Bebensee went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and an RBI. Buys went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored, a walk and three RBI. Burns went 2-for-5 with a run scored, a home run and an RBI. Jacobsma went 1-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and an RBI. Twedt went 1-for-4, Grendler went 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI and Wadsworth went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Burns took the loss, allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits with five strikeouts over 6.1 innings. Moe allowed seven runs (five earned) on five hits and a walk in 1.1 innings. Grendler allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk over 0.1 innings.

The loss was a disappointing end for the Bobcats as they came up short of returning to the State Tournament for the second straight year. But Hardin was optimistic about the team’s season and credited her senior class of Addison Sneer, Moe, Wadsworth, Bebensee, Twedt and Brooklyn Benthin for leading her team not only through this season but to their Class AA runner-up finish last year.

“We’re going to remember our seniors because they were a great asset to us,” Hardin said. “They, along with last year’s team, kind of helped lay the foundation of what Bobcats softball softball is about and having high expectations for ourselves. Because of that, we’re really going to work to get back and we’re going to miss them next year.”