Wednesday's American Legion and amateur baseball highlights

Nov 25, 2023

Watertown Post 17 rallied to the win the opener and nearly did the same before dropping the nightcap in eight innings during an American Legion Baseball doubleheader against Sioux Falls West on Wednesday at Watertown Stadium.

Post 17 (13-14 overall) won the opener 5-3, overcoming a 3-0 deficit with a five-run bottom of the sixth inning. Watertown tied the second game at 3-3 by scoring on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth before West prevailed 6-3 with a three-run eighth.

Watertown's big eighth inning in the opener including run-scoring singles by Jack Heesch and Spencer Wientjes and a two-out, two-run single by Drew Denzer that snapped the 3-3 tie.

Denzer finished with two hits and Kaden Rylance and Ryan Roby each doubled for Post 17. Dylon Rawdon earned the win in relief and Heesch recorded the save.

Dirk Fornwold doubled and drove in two runs for West.

A two-run double by Fornwold highlighted the game-winning eighth in the second game for West, which got two hits and two RBIs from Noah Verdoom.

Denzer collected two hits and Heesch took the loss in relief of Will Engstrom for Post 17, which visits Harrisburg on Friday.

BROOKINGS — The Aberdeen Smittys lost to Rapid City Post 22 7-5 and to Brookinigs 11-1 in American Legion Baseball games on Wednesday.

Alex Dietrich and Lee Neugebauer each had two hits for Post 22, which scored six runs in the third inning.

Casey Vining doubled and singled for Aberdeen (10-7). Drew Salfrank went the distance in the loss.

Parker Winghart went 3-for-3 with a triple and five runs batted in to lift Brookings to the five-inning win in the other game. Brookings scored five runs in the second inning.

Ethan Kjenstad and Cooper Eisenbeisz each singled for the Smittys, who host Jamestown (N.D.) Blue on Wednesday.

VOLGA — Dawson Doyscher was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to help Volga rally for a 6-5 win over Flandreau.

Volga (3-1) trailed 5-1 before scoring two in the bottom of the sixth and three more in the seventh. Jack Opitz tied the game with a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Connor Gross tallied three hits and Boden Schiller and Opitz two each for Volga. Schiller homered and Christopher Moberg and Kyler Bezdichek each doubled.

Ethan Hoffman had three hits for Flandreau.

Volga is scheduled to host Madison on Saturday.

Amateur Baseball

LAKE NORDEN — Isaac Rubendall fanned nine batters in five innings to help propel Lake Norden to the Eastern Dakota League win.

Jackson Noem also tossed three innings of shutout relief, striking out six for the Lakers.

Lake Norden got three hits from Jesse VanOverbeke and two each from Kale Stevenson, Jackson Noem and Mitchell Noem. Stevenson and M. Noem each doubled and Josh Cleveland added a two-run homer.

Nate Phinney had three hits and Gus Stieger two for the Ravens (3-1 overall and in the EDL). Each player homered and double.

Lake Norden hosts Milbank at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Ravens face the Castlewood Monarchs at 7 p.m.

MILBANK — Taylor Boerger fired a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts to guide the Firechiefs to the Eastern Dakota League win.

Kaden Krause smacked three hits, including two doubles, and Brady Krause drove in three with two doubles for Milbank (3-0 overall and in the EDL). Kellen Hoeke joined Dom and Taylor Boerger with doubles.

Matt Steffensen singled twice for the Monarchs (1-3 and 1-3). Kyler Tvedt recorded 12 strikeouts in six innings on the mound.

The Monarchs take on the Castlewood Ravens at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports