Bandits sweep season-opening doubleheader

BROOKINGS – The Brookings Bandits opened their senior legion season with a doubleheader sweep over Pierre on May 29.

The Bandits won game one 11-3 and then had a 7-3 victory in game two. The Bandits will host a doubleheader with Sioux Falls West on June 10. 

Game One

Brookings 11, Pierre 3

The Bandits fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first but then outscored Pierre 11-1 the rest of the way.

Pierre’s two runs in the first inning came on an error. Brookings would then score five runs in the bottom of the second.

The Bandits loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second. Maxten Jensen and Jude Meendering then walked to tie the game at 2-2. Tre Christopherson then hit Noah Lease home with a single and Jensen came home on a Baker Hanson single to make it 4-2. Meendering would score on a Jase Bauer ground out and the Bandits led 5-2 going into the third.

Pierre got one run back in the top of the third. Brookings then extended its lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Hanson reached on an error with two outs and Bauer followed with a single. Both runners then scored on a triple from Talon Hyde and he would then score on a passed ball to make it 8-3.

Christopherson scored on a sacrifice fly from Hyde in the bottom of the fifth to make it 9-3. The Bandits tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Hanson came to the plate with the bases loaded with one out and he hit Meendering home with a single and then Hyde was walked with the bases loaded to make the final 11-3.

Hyde pitched the first three innings for the Bandits. He gave up three unearned runs on two hits with one strikeout and two walks. Nolan Wagner pitched the next two innings and gave up no runs and one hit with one strikeout and two walks. Meendering got the final six outs for Brookings and he gave up no runs and two hits with no walks or strikeouts.

Brookings had 10 hits as a team. Hyde was 1-for-2 with four RBIs and Hanson was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Christopherson was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Bauer was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Cooper Schneider was 2-for-2. Lease was 1-for-2 and Nolan Krogman was 1-for-4. Meendering had an RBI without a hit.

Game Two

Brookings 7, Pierre 3

The Bandits led 5-3 and then tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win in game two.

Pierre scored a run on a double in the top of the first and the Bandits responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Krogman and Hanson hit back-to-back singles with one out and then both runners came home on a Bauer triple to make it 2-1.

The Bandits scored another run in the bottom of the second. Krogman came to the plate with two outs and two runners on and he hit Jensen home with a single to push the lead to 3-1.

Pierre scored a run on an error in the top of the fourth to make it 3-2. The Bandits would respond and score two runs in the bottom of the inning. Meendering hit Jensen home with a double and then scored on a Krogman double to make it 5-2. Pierre scored a run on a fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth and it was 5-3 going into the sixth.

Ben Schulte led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and Lease followed with a walk. Schulte scored on a passed ball and then Lease scored on a single from Meendering to make it 7-3. Pierre went down one-two-three in the top of the seventh.

Lease pitched the first two innings for the Bandits and gave up one unearned run on one with three strikeouts and one walk. Hanson pitched the next two and one third innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits with no strikeouts and two walks. Krogman pitched the final two and two thirds and gave up no runs or hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

The Bandits had nine hits in game two. Krogman was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Meendering was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Bauer was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Jensen was 1-for-1 and Schulte was 1-for-2. Hanson was 1-for-4.