Postseason play opens for area Class A and B amateur baseball teams
ABERDEEN — Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar clinched a berth in the Class A portion of the 2023 South Dakota Amateur Baseball Tournament by winning a best-of-three series over the Castlewood Ravens on Sunday.
Circus (12-4) posted 7-4 and 8-0 wins in the best-of-three series.
The two teams were tied 4-4 in the opener before Aberdeen plated three runs on run-scoring doubles by Ryan and Chad Ellingson and a run-scoring single by Michael Babcock.
Jesse Babcock and Kelly Coates each doubled and singled for Aberdeen. Chad Ellingson went the distance in the win.
Gus Steiger, Tucker Wookey and Sam Stroup had two hits each for the Ravens. Alex Gauer suffered the loss.
Aberdeen led only 1-0 in the second game before taking control with a five-run fifth. Lucas Heiser and Brandon Kusler combined on a three-hitter. Heiser allowed only one hit over six innings.
Michael Babcock and Coates each drove in two runs for Aberdeen.
Wookey, Nick Geffre and Jared Urbach each singled for Castlewood. Kellan Benck took the loss.
District 1B Tournament
CLARK — The top-seeded Lake Norden Lakers and third-seeded Volga Cormorants each earn berths in the tourney championship with wins on Sunday.
After the Elkton Snappers defeated the Ramona Express 15-5 in an elimination game, Volga knocked off the second-seeded Milbank Firechiefs 5-2 and Lake Norden handled the fourth-seeded Clark Traders 12-2 to advance to Thursday's championship game at 8 p.m.
Both Lake Norden and Volga have already secured berths in the state Class B tournament Aug. 2-13 at Mitchell.
Volga scored five unearned runs after a two-out error in the third inning against Milbank and held on behind Trevor Olson, who went the distance on a three-hitter. Olson, Bayley Colemer, Randy Santema and Kyler Bezdichek each had hits in the third, the only hits the Cormorants collected in the game.
Merik Junker homered and Kellen Hoeke and Justus Osborn each singled for Milbank (10-8). Dom Boerger struck out 16 batters in 6 1/3 innings of one-hit relief.
Matt Stevenson and his son Kale accomplish a rare feat in the victory for Lake Norden (14-4), combining for home runs. Matt hit a three-run blast in the fifth and Kale added a solo homer in the third. Josh Cleveland had two doubles and a single and the Stevensons and Jackson and Mitchell Noem each added two hits. Jordon Johnson fired a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the seven-inning game.
Andrew Magedanz tallied two hits for Clark (9-6).
Logan Kuehl drove in three runs with a double and two singles for Elkton. Dylan Christenson added a triple and a single to back Steve Erickson, who allowed only four hits in seven innings.
Taylor Bult had two hits and Casey Renaas drove in three runs for Ramona (0-15).
The tourney continues through Thursday.
Northern Plains League Tourney
GROTON — The Northville Merchants and Redfield Dairy Queen each opened the tourney with wins on Sunday.
Northville topped Groton Locke Electric 9-5 and Redfield beat the Miller-Wessington Outlaws 16-6.
Northville (3-3) snapped a 5-5 tie by scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Ben Fischbach went 5-for-5 to lead the Merchants. Jeremiah Maxfield added four hits and Ethan Beyers and Quinton Fischbach three each. Maxfield also earned the win in relief.
Dalton and Wyatt Locke joined Dylan Frey with two hits each for Groton (2-6).
Tommy Gregg allowed only one run over six innings to lead Redfield. Peyton Osborn had three hits and Nolan Gall, Bennett Osborn, Kole DeSpiegler and Owen Osborn two each.
Layne Cotton had two hits for the Outlaws.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar, Lake Norden and Milbank qualify for state
