WATERTOWN, S.D. — The Watertown Post 17 baseball team wrapped up its regular season with a doubleheader split against Spearfish Post 164, dropping the opener 8-6 before bouncing back with a dominant 10-0, five-inning shutout in the nightcap.
The split leaves Watertown with a 19-15 record heading into the Class A Super Regionals next week.
Spearfish 8, Watertown 6
In the opener, a scrappy Spearfish squad capitalized on Watertown’s missed opportunities to steal an 8-6 victory.
Watertown jumped ahead 5-2 in the third inning courtesy of a pair of two-run doubles from Lincoln Schutt and Kye Paulson. Spearfish answered immediately in the fourth. Bray Bowar stroked a three-run triple and Darin Crooks followed with an RBI groundout to push Spearfish ahead 6-5. Post 164 added two more runs in the fifth on Watertown miscues to seal the win.
Jack Scharf earned the victory for Spearfish, striking out five and allowing just one run on three hits over four innings of relief. Bowar, Tucker Olson, and Cooper Chase each collected two hits in the win.
Watertown actually out-hit Spearfish 12-8 in the game, led by Paulson’s perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Kooper Heiser took the loss, allowing eight runs on eight hits over four innings. Markus Pitkin pitched three scoreless innings of relief.
Photo: Bri Duerre
“It wasn’t necessarily our miscues that affected the game as much as our own missed opportunities in the first and third innings,” Watertown coach Ryan Neale said. “We had opportunities to add on to a lead, or extend a lead, or just get one in general. Having second and third, nobody out, and coming away with nothing in those two situations really hurt.”
Watertown 10, Spearfish 0 (5 Innings)
Watertown left no doubt in game two, invoking the run rule in a 10-0, five-inning victory behind a gem from Tripp Jorgenson.
Jorgenson held Spearfish to just one hit over four innings, striking out eight and walking four. Carter Buisker pitched a scoreless fifth to close things out.
Photo: Bri Duerre
“It’s the definition of effectively wild,” Neale said of Jorgenson. “That’s just who he is. We know he’s going to have some moments, but he’s also got a lot of flashes in him with a massive upside that’s going to compete with anybody.”
Pitkin led the offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Schutt added a triple as part of a 2-for-3, two-RBI night, while Sam Olson also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Jonathan Lake drove in two runs on one hit.
Photo: Bri Duerre
Walker Viessman had the lone hit for Spearfish. Bowar took the loss, surrendering six runs on six hits in three innings of work.
Up Next
With the regular season complete, the ninth-seeded Arrows await their postseason fate. The split likely means Watertown will start the Class A Super Regionals on the road next Wednesday.
“It’s going to be lots of different scenarios,” Neale said of the upcoming matchups. “Anywhere from Harrisburg, to Pierre, to Brookings, to Yankton, I think are all in play.”
The official brackets will be released this weekend.
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