Junior Legion teams swept in playoff series

The two Brookings junior legion teams saw their seasons come to an end last week as the red and black teams were each swept in the regional playoff series.

The Brookings Black team was the No. 11 seed and they were swept by Brandon Valley Black, losing 12-7 and 7-0. The Brookings Red red team was the No. 14 seed and was swept by Renner, losing 11-1 and 15-5. Brookings Black finished the year with a record of 12-20 and Brookings Red was 5-27.

Brookings Black

Brandon Valley 12, Brookings 7

Brandon scored six runs in the first inning and didn’t look back in game one of the series.

Brandon’s first two runs came from two singles. Then an RBI double and two runs from an error made it 6-0 going into the second.

Brookings scored two runs in the top of the second on a single from Mason Burzlaff. Brandon answered with three runs in the bottom of the third with a run from a sacrifice bunt, a run on a wild pitch and an RBI single.

Brookings then scored one run in top of the fourth on a single from Burzlaff. Brandon then scored a run on an error in the bottom of the inning to make it 10-3.

Brandon Valley pushed the lead to 12-3 in the bottom of the fifth. They scored a run on an error and then an RBI double made it a nine-run lead going into the sixth.

Brookings attempted to put together a rally in the seventh but it came up short as they only scored four runs. Hayden Jones hit an RBI double and then Jace Jaacks was walked with the bases loaded. Jones then scored on a wild pitch and Ty Johnson came home on a Burzlaff ground out to make the final 12-7.

Brookings had nine hits. Burzlaff was 2-for-5 with four RBIs and Jones was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Jaacks was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Parker Witte was 2-for-4. Tate Sonnenburg was 1-for-1 and Dario McSweeney was 2-for-5.

Thursday

Brandon Valley 7, Brookings 0

Brandon Valley held Brookings to just one hit and the Chutes had four errors in the field, which led to a season-ending loss.

Brandon scored a run on an error and then a run from a single made it 2-0 in the bottom of the second. They then scored two runs from two singles and a run from a triple made it 5-0.

Brandon Valley capped things off with two runs in the top of the seventh. The first came on a balk from the pitcher and then a sacrifice fly made it 7-0.

Brookings lone hit came from McSweeney. Ty Johnson started on the mound for the Chutes and he gave up five earned runs on seven hits with one strikeout and no walks. Cooper Drawdy pitched five innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Brookings Red

Wednesday

Renner 11, Brookings 1

Renner scored in all five innings and won via the 10-run rule.

Brookings took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Mason Burghardt scored on an error. Renner answered with five runs in the bottom of the first. Three of the runs came from three doubles and the other two runs came from two singles.

A bases loaded walk in the second and an RBI single in the third pushed the lead to 7-1. Renner then scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The first run came from an error. Then runs from a ground out and a wild pitch made it 10-1. Renner’s final run of the game came on an RBI single in the fifth.

Brookings had two hits and Eli Ellsworth had both of them as he went 2-for-3. 

Thursday

Renner 15, Brookings 5

Brookings was able to avoid the 10-run rule on Thursday as the game went all seven innings. However, they still lost by 10.

Renner took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. They scored on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly. 

Brookings then tied the game in the bottom of the second. Kuddyer Baugher grounded into a fielder's choice to the shortstop and that allowed Lucas Kahler and Hayden Smidt to come home.

Renner got those two runs back in the top of the third. The first came on a sacrifice fly and then a run from an error made it 4-2.

Ellsworth scored on a Wesden Van Ede ground out in the bottom of the third to make it 4-3. Renner would then score three more runs in the top of the fifth. The first came from an RBI double and then runs from two separate errors made it 7-3 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Renner scored three runs again in the top of the sixth. They scored runs on an error, a single and a steal of home to make it 10-3.

Five more runs came home in the top of the seventh for Renner. They scored two runs on a single. Then a bases-loaded walk, a run from a wild pitch and a run from a ground out made it 15-3.

Baugher scored on a ground out from Burghardt in the bottom of the seventh. Van Ede then hit Ellsworth home with a single and that made the final 15-5.

Brookings had seven hits. Van Ede was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Burghardt was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Ellsworth was 2-for-4 and Derke Jordan was 1-for-4. Griffin Streich and Hayden Smidt were each 1-for-3. Baugher had two RBIs without a hit.