Friday and Saturday's roundup of area American Legion and amateur baseball games.
SIOUX FALLS — The Aberdeen Smittys went 2-1 and Watertown Post 17 1-2 in their first three games in the Dakota Classic American Legion Baseball Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday, the Smittys (15-8) beat Yankton 1-0 and lost to Huron 7-4 and Post 17 (19-19) fell to Lincoln (Neb.) Pius 21-0 in four innings.
Phillip Zens tossed a one-hitter with seven strikeouts and also drove in the game's only run with a first-inning single in Aberdeen's win over Yankton. Drew Salfrank had three hits. Salfrank and Zens each had two hits and Zane Backous doubled in the loss to Huron.
Parker Otte had two hits, including a grand slam, and drove in seven runs for Lincoln Pius against Watertown. Reese Kortum added three hits and four RBIs, three coming on a homer.
Treyton Himmerich and Kaden Rylance each had singles for Watertown, which was scheduled to face Kindred (N.D.) on Sunday.
Aberdeen was scheduled to face Bennington (Neb.) on Sunday.
More details Friday's games for Watertown and Aberdeen are listed below.
Ashley Charron Memorial Wood Bat Tourney
WEBSTER — LaMoure (N.D.) advanced to the championship game of the American Legion baseball tourney by beating Big Stone City 11-1 and Redfield 6-3 on Saturday.
In other games, Redfield won 13-0 over the Jamestown Blues, who bounced back to down host Webster 17-7.
Matt Musland fired a three-hitter and Tate Mart and Garrett Hebl each collected two singles and a double for LaMoure in its win over Big Stone City. Josh Mueller, Connor Danielson and Hunter Haukos each singled for Big Stone (2-3).
Owen Osborn tossed a one-hitter and also tripled and singled to lead Redfield (9-2) past Jamestown. Nolan Gall had three hits, Peyton Osborn smacked two triples and Kevin Weller and Seth Siebrecht each also had two hits.
Mart, Musland, Landon Piehl, Anthony Hanson and Blase Isaacson each had two hits for LaMoure (10-1) against Redfield. Piehl fanned nine in 6 2/3 innings. Keaton Rohlfs and Gall each had two hits for Redfield.
Hudson Rode drove in four runs with two hits and Bennett Goehner doubled and tripled to lead Jamestown past Webster. Matthew Mount drove in four runs with a triple and a single for Webster.
Saturday Amateur Baseball Games
Lake Norden 14, Renner Rangers 2
LAKE NORDEN — Kevin Krumm tossed five solid innings on the mound and also produced three hits to lead the Lakers (6-3) to the win.
Krumm allowed two hits and stuck out seven before giving way to Matt Stevenson, who pitched the final two innings.
Stevenson and Blake Jensen each added two hits for the Lakers, who will host Clark at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Kevin Corcoran had two hits for Renner, which presented Lake Norden manager Burt Tulson with a special jersey and hat honoring the late Mel Antonen, a Lake Norden native who went on to become a national baseball writer.
Milbank Firechiefs 21, Ramona Express 8
MILBANK — Taylor Boerger tossed a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts to lead Milbank to the Eastern Dakota League win.
The Firechiefs (4-1 overall and in the EDL) also got a 5-for-5 performance at the plate with three doubles, four runs scored and three RBIs from Brady Krause. Boerger, Kellen Hoeke, Mitch Quade and Brady Femling each added two hits. Femling and Jesse Krause each drove in four runs.
Aidan Schneider doubled for Ramona (0-8).
Friday's American Legion Games
Watertown-Aberdeen
Post 17 split two games and the Smittys won their opening game in the Dakota Classic on Friday.
Post 17 opened the day with a 4-0 loss to Harrisburg Gold before bouncing back to defeat the Creighton Prep Juniors 6-4. The Smittys won 7-3 over Lee's Summit (Mo.).
Eli Kokenge fired a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts to lead Harrisburg past Watertown. Drew Denzer, Carson Mutschler, Spencer Wientjues and Himmerich each had singles for Post 17. Justin Remmers went the distance on the mound in the loss.
Denzer smacked two solo homers as part of a three-hit performance and Kaden Rylance added a three-run homer for Post 17 in the win over Creighton Prep. Jack Heesch went five innings for the win and Chase Christianson notched the save with two scoreless innings.
Casey Vining went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and four runs batted in for Aberdeen. He also tossed five scoreless innings of relief with six strikeouts.
Lake Norden-Badger 5-6, Milbank 0-0
MILBANK — Three Lake Norden-Badger pitchers combined to pitch back-to-back shutouts.
In the opener, Dawson Noem scattered six hits with 14 strikeouts and Turner Stevenson went 2-for-3 at the plate for LNB. Justin Osborn was 2-for-3 with a double and also fanned 10 batters for Milbank.
Turner Stevenson (three hitless innings, seven strikeouts) and Ryker Warrington (four innings, nine strikeouts) combined on a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts in the second. Tyson Stevenson went 3-for-4 and Warrington 2-for-3 with three RBIs for LNB.
Josh Pederson had the lone hit for Milbank.
Big Stone City 10, Webster 3
WEBSTER — Connor Danielson and Carter Lee each had three hits in Big Stone's opening-round win in the Ashley Charron Memorial Wood Bat Tourney.
Isaac Brown contributed a three-run double and Dru Boots earned the win, fanning seven batters in six innings.
Mount and Jack Shoemaker each tripled for Webster. Mount struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings.
F-H Hitmen 17, Claremont 1
The Faulkton-Highmore Hitmen improved to 6-2 with the win on Thursday. Gunner Brueggeman, Landon Coyle and Dawson Hale each had two hits. Hale doubled and tripled and Brueggeman and Layne Cotton also hit doubles.
Blaze Herdman allowed three hits for the four-inning win.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Legion Baseball: Aberdeen 2-1, Watertown 1-2 after two days of Dakota Classic
