Volga tops Brookings Junior Legion Red in slugfest

BROOKINGS – The Brookings Junior Legion Red team dropped a 16-14 shootout to Volga Junior Legion on Thursday at Bob Shelden Field.

The game was supposed to be part of a triple header with Volga and Brookings junior legion and senior legion teams. However, the weather only allowed these two teams to play.

Brookings led 13-6 through five innings but then Volga was able to outscore them 10-1 in the final two innings.

The Chutes led 3-0 at the end of the first inning. Eli Ellsworth scored on a sacrifice fly from Mason Burghardt and then Kuddyer Baugher hit an RBI single. Lucas Kahler then scored on a wild pitch to give Brookings a three-run lead.

Volga answered with five runs in the top of the second. Teagan Moad and Deacon Kooima were each hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Damon Uecker hit an RBI single and Brendin Moe scored on an error. The final run of the inning came on a bases-loaded walk to Deacon Kooima.

Brookings got one run back in the bottom of the inning as Hayden Smidt scored on a Grayson Wagner ground out. Volga then extended the lead back to two in the top of the fourth when Uecker scored on a ground out from Cooper Teske to make it 6-4.

The Chutes would then score seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. Burghardt hit an RBI single and then Derek Jordan hit an RBI single to tie the game. Burghardt scored on an error on the Jordan single and that gave Brookings a 7-6 lead. Brady Nutter walked with the bases loaded and Hayden Smidt hit a two-run single to make it 10-6. The final run of the inning came on a bases-loaded walk from Wagner.

Brookings added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Baugher stole home and Wesden Van Ede scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-6. 

Cooper Teske scored on an error in the top of the sixth and Ellsworth scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to make it 14-8 going into the final inning.

Volga would then score eight runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead. Uecker and Colton Hoeke each walked with the bases loaded and then Jamison Tanderup scored on a catcher’s interference call to make it 14-11. Luke Langland then came through with a two-run single and Teske scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Two runs then came home on two errors and Volga had a 16-14 lead going into the final half inning.

Van Ede walked and Aiden Adelmann singled with one out to put two runners on. But Smidt and Ellsworth each struck out and Volga took the win.

Volga had eight hits in the win. Langland was 2-for-3 with three RBIS and Teske and Ashton Warne were each 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Uecker was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Tanderup was 1-for-2. Landon Hanssen was 1-for-4 and Moe, Hoeke, Moad and Kooima each had an RBI without a hit.

Brookings had seven hits in the loss. Burghard was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Smidt was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Jordan and Baugher were each 1-for-4 with an RBI. Ellsworth and Adelmann were each 1-for-4. Wagner had two RBIs without a hit and Nutter had an RBI without a hit.

Volga had five players pitch. Hoeke pitched two and a third innings and gave up four earned runs on two hits with one strikeout and five walks. Warne pitched two thirds of an inning and gave up four runs, three earned, on two hits with two walks and no strikeouts. Kooima pitched an inning and gave up five runs, four earned, on two hits with five walks and no strikeouts. Chad Hallin pitched two innings and gave up one earned run and no hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Uecker closed things out in the seventh inning and gave up one hit with two strikeouts and one walk.

Brookings had three pitchers take the mound. Wagner got the start and pitched four innings. He gave up six runs, four earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Adelmann pitched the next two innings and gave up six runs, five earned, on three hits with three strikeouts and five walks. Kahler pitched the final inning and gave up four runs, one earned, on one hit with two walks and no strikeouts.

The Chutes were also swept in a doubleheader against Watertown on Monday and are now 4-16 on the season. They’ll play a doubleheader at Brandon Valley on Tuesday night and then host the Buffalo Wild Wings Classic in Brookings this weekend. Brookings will play Madison on Friday at 9 a.m. and then play Excelsior (Minn.) later in the day at 7 p.m. The Chutes will then take on Moorhead (Minn.) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.