WATERTOWN, S.D. — Watertown Post 17 celebrated Bobby Gasper Night with a doubleheader sweep against Huron Post 7 at Watertown Stadium, taking the opener 14-3 in five innings before holding on for a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.
Between games, Cole Hansen was honored as the recipient of the Bobby Gasper Award and presented with a $1,000 scholarship.
Game 1: Watertown 14, Huron 3 (5 Innings)
Carter Buisker paced the Watertown offense in the opener, driving in four runs on three hits. Tripp Jorgenson added two hits and three RBIs, while Markus Pitkin contributed a pair of hits.
Maxx Sears earned his first win of the season on the mound, allowing three runs on two hits over four innings of work. Jackson McClemans pitched one inning of relief to close out the game, which was shortened due to the run rule.
Trace Wenz and Cooper Bishoff each collected a hit and an RBI for Huron. Nolan Stahly took the loss.
“Max is a guy that we had in the back of our mind that we like and wanted to get him on the mound, but there wasn’t really opportunities yet,” Watertown coach Ryan Neale said of Sears. “Coming off the state championship, we felt this was a perfect opportunity to get Max some experience and have some success.”
Game 2: Watertown 7, Huron 6
Watertown built a 7-3 lead in the third inning, but Huron answered with three runs in the fourth to climb back into the contest. Post 7 put the tying run on second base in the seventh inning, but Pitkin stepped up to secure the save and protect the one-run victory.
Cain Everson earned the win, allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out five over five innings.
Pitkin and Jonathan Lake each went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead Watertown. Buisker, Sam Olson, and Jorgenson each added a hit.
CJ Siedschlag led Huron’s offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Parker Bischoff and Jeremy Hofer added two hits apiece. Elijah Schreeve took the loss, surrendering seven runs on seven hits in a six-inning complete-game effort.
“Credit to Huron, they put the bat on the ball,” Neale said. “They were able to score some runs and make it close.”
Neale praised his pitching staff’s resilience in the second game as the team continues to define its roles.
“We continue to learn about the bullpen and how we’re going to go about the rest of the summer,” Neale said. “I thought Everson, Hunter Halajian, and Pitkin came in and did an excellent job.”
Up Next
Watertown (18-9, 3-1) travels to Sioux Falls on Monday for a triangular against Harrisburg and Sioux Falls West.
The Watertown Baseball Association faces a busy weekend ahead, hosting the Bobby Gasper Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday followed by the 2026 Pizza Ranch Tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
The massive youth tournament will feature 77 teams playing 147 games across multiple local venues, including Foundation Fields, Watertown Stadium, and the Koch Complex.
Photo gallery coming soon to WTN Sports Facebook
WTNSports.com 