YANKTON, S.D. — Watertown Post 17 endured a tough weekend at the Lewis and Clark Tournament, finishing with a 1-3 record after dropping three straight games following an opening-round victory.
The Arrows opened the tournament with a 9-5 win over Blair Post 154, but stumbled in ensuing matchups, falling to West Fargo 7-3, Scotland/Menno/Freeman/Canistota Post 152 16-8, and host Yankton 2-1.
“It was nice to step away from conference action this weekend and face some different competition while also giving a few guys an opportunity to get some rest and others a chance to contribute in bigger roles,” Watertown Coach Ryan Neale said. “Tournaments are always a lot of fun because they give you the opportunity to compete against quality teams, and I thought we did that very well in Games 1 and 4.”
Watertown 9, Blair 5
Leading 6-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Watertown secured the victory by pushing across two insurance runs on a wild pitch and a Cole Hansen RBI single.
Hansen finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs, while Carter Buisker and Tripp Jorgenson each collected two hits. Jorgenson also drove in a run. Ashton Rabine earned the win on the mound, allowing five runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Hudson Hamm took the loss for Blair, surrendering nine runs on seven hits across five innings. Colton Flynn and Parker Jennings each had two hits for Blair.
West Fargo 7, Watertown 3
West Fargo capitalized on a five-run fifth inning and two Watertown errors to secure the win, despite being outhit by the Arrows 10-7.
Jackson McClemans, Markus Pitkin, and Jaxon Falak each recorded two hits for Watertown. Kooper Heiser took the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Mason Wickham earned the victory for West Fargo, scattering 10 hits and three runs over six innings while striking out nine. James Medbery led West Fargo at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Tate Braunagel added two hits.
Scotland/Menno/Freeman/Canistota 16, Watertown 8
Watertown struggled to keep pace with a potent SMFC offense, which used a seven-run second inning and a five-run fourth to pull away.
Easton Tschetter, Erkick Buechler, Luke Peters, Tannen Auch, Tayden Kerrigan, and Riley Tschetter each collected a hit for Post 152. Riley Tschetter also earned the win on the mound, allowing five runs on three hits over three innings.
Maxx Sears took the loss for the Arrows, allowing 14 runs (seven earned) on four hits and seven walks in 3 1/3 innings. Lincoln Schutt paced the Watertown offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Yankton 2, Watertown 1
A classic pitchers’ duel ended in walk-off fashion when Yankton’s Tate Beste singled in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie and drive in the winning run.
The finale served as a spectacular showdown between two of the state’s top arms.
“Game 4 was really the marquee matchup for both Watertown and Yankton,” Neale said. “Both starting pitchers, Clem [Jackson McClemans] for us and Goike [Sam Gokie] for Yankton, are First Team All-State players, and they both brought their A-game. It was a well-played, clean baseball game between two very similar teams, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of.”
McClemans turned in a strong performance, throwing 107 pitches over 6 1/3 innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out five. Markus Pitkin pitched in relief. Gokie matched him, giving up one run on five hits with four strikeouts over 93 pitches. Beck Ryken earned the win in relief for Yankton.
Pitkin and Buisker each had two of Watertown’s five hits, with Pitkin driving in the team’s lone run. Gokie, Easton Feser, and Simon Kampshoff each collected two hits for Yankton.
Up Next
Watertown (22-13, 7-5) continues its road stretch Wednesday with a doubleheader against Brandon Valley Post 131.
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