VOLGA, S.D. — Austin Buysse delivered a ninth-inning walk-off fly ball to center field, scoring Connor Gross and lifting the Volga Cormorants to a 3-2 victory over the Castlewood Ravens in the 2026 District 1B Amateur Baseball Championship game.
Castlewood struck first in the second inning when Booker Schooley launched a solo home run. Volga answered in the third on a sacrifice fly from Bayley Colemer, tying the game at 1-1.
The Cormorants took their first lead an inning later when Trevor Olson doubled to drive in a run. Castlewood pulled back even in the top of the eighth on another solo home run, this time off the bat of Nate Phinney, setting up Volga’s final-inning drama.
Volga racked up 10 hits on the night, led by multi-hit performances from Kyler Bezdichek, Olson, and Buysse, who each finished with two.
Olson also delivered a strong performance on the mound, pitching six innings of one-run ball while scattering four hits and striking out five. Jordan Sagedahl earned the win in relief, striking out six while giving up one run on three hits.
The Ravens finished with seven hits, highlighted by two-hit efforts from Lucas Ching and Gus Steiger. Kellan Benck pitched a complete game for Castlewood, allowing three runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts and four walks.
With the district tournament complete, Volga, Castlewood, Clark, and Lake Norden all advance to represent District 1B at the 2026 Class B South Dakota State Amateur Baseball Tournament, scheduled for Aug. 5–16 in Mitchell.
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