SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Stellar pitching carried Watertown all the way to the state championship game before a dramatic seventh-inning rally lifted Brandon Valley to its second consecutive title at the South Dakota High School Baseball Association Class A tournament.
The tournament was held Friday and Saturday at Augustana University’s Ronken Field.
Quarterfinals: Watertown 4, Harrisburg 3
Maxx Sears delivered a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to propel eighth-seeded Watertown past top-seeded Harrisburg on Friday.
Jonathan Lake, Sam Olson, and Jaxon Falak each collected two hits for the Arrows. Hunter Halajian earned the win, striking out eight and allowing three runs on five hits over 6 and 2/3 innings.
Treydon Hofer drove in two runs for Harrisburg, and Bryson Esser added two hits. Grady Wolbrink took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 and 2/3 innings.
Semifinals: Watertown 6, Yankton 2
Jackson McClemens threw a complete game on Saturday, holding Yankton scoreless for six innings to guide Watertown to a 6-2 semifinal victory. McClemens scattered nine hits and allowed two runs.
Carter Buisker led the Arrows’ offense, going 3-for-4, while Olson added two hits and an RBI. Lake, Ashton Rabine, Markus Pitkin, Cain Everson, and Sears each contributed a hit.
Yankton broke through in the seventh with RBIs from Samuel Gokie and Beck Ryken. Easton Feser went 2-for-4 in the loss. Ryken started on the mound, allowing five runs on seven hits over three innings.
Championship: Brandon Valley 4, Watertown 3
A two-out, bases-loaded walk by Caleb Severin in the bottom of the seventh inning scored the winning run as Brandon Valley walked off Watertown to capture the Class A state championship Saturday night.
Watertown jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Everson drew a bases-loaded walk to score the first run, Buisker scored on a wild pitch, and Cole Hansen drove in another with an RBI single.
The Lynx began their comeback in the fifth when Max Peters drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. In the seventh, Bryce Plucker grounded out to bring home a run, and Bryton Stroh hit a game-tying RBI single before Severin’s walk sealed the title.
Jack Blomgren earned the victory for Brandon Valley, striking out five and allowing four hits over 5 and 2/3 innings of relief. Tripp Jorgenson turned in a dominant start for Watertown, striking out seven and allowing just one hit and one run in six innings. Buisker took the loss in relief.
“Right now this is a tough one for all of us,” Watertown coach Ryan Neale said. “When you’re one strike away from a state title and aren’t able to finish it, that’s hard to process.
“But moments like this can also bring a team closer together, and I think that’s what we’ll take with us as we move into our next season starting next week.”
Up Next
Watertown finishes the high school season as the state runner-up with a 15-8 record.
“I couldn’t be more proud to be the coach of this group and of the effort they showed all weekend,” Neale added. “We knew coming into the season it might be a roller coaster early on with a number of kids getting their first opportunity at the varsity level. Throughout the year, we’ve grown up, learned a lot, and continued to improve and play good baseball each day.”
The Arrows transition immediately to the American Legion season, opening at home against Aberdeen on Wednesday, May 27. The doubleheader is scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on Post 17 TV on YouTube.
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