Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar had its chances, but in the end came up short against the Sioux Falls Hops Saturday night at Fossum Field.

The Hops were outhit, but scratched across a pair of runs in a 2-0 victory during the opening round of the State A Amateur Baseball Tournament.

Bryce Ahrendt outdueled Max Otto in a stellar pitching matchup. Otto gave up five hits and struck out 13 batters in the setback.

“Hats off to Max. That was an incredible performance,” said Circus third baseman Dalton Cox. “You can’t win a game with zero runs, obviously. We have to back him up a little bit better than that. He pitched a heckuva game.”

Sioux Falls scored a run in the fifth inning on an infield single by TJ Miller. The Hops then added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI single by Charlie Dubanoski.

Circus had chances, but stranded runners in scoring position in four of the first five frames.

Cox was stranded at third base in the second inning following a lead-off double. Circus loaded the bases with one out in the third, but grounded into a double play. Aberdeen also stranded runners on second base in the fourth and fifth.

“We had a couple of chances with guys in scoring position and just didn’t quite get it done,” Cox said.

Soon those chances dried up as Ahrendt settled in on his way to the shutout.

“He’s got a great mix, number one, and he can locate with all three of his pitches and at this level that’s dangerous,” Cox said. “Hats off to him. He pitched really well tonight.”

Miller had three hits to lead the Hops who will face the Sioux Falls Squirrels at 1:30 this afternoon.

Carson Hesser led Circus with three hits. Aberdeen meets the Rapid City Diamondbacks at 11 this morning in an elimination game.

“Just the same approach we have for every game,” Cox said of bouncing back for today’s contest. “Come out ready to play and hopefully we can manufacture a few more runs (Sunday).”

The Squirrels scored six times in the bottom of the first to take control in their 14-3 victory over the Rapid City Diamondbacks. The squad had four hits and took advantage of four walks and a hit batter in the frame.

After scoring two more runs in the second, Sioux Falls added four more in the third on an RBI single from Carter Ades and run-scoring doubles from Jaden Holzer and Damon Baruth.

Connor Hurley led the victory with four hits, while Ades drove in four runs.

Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar 000 000 000 – 0 7 1

Sioux Falls Hops 000 010 01x – 2 5 1

Max Otto and Kelly Coates; Bryce Ahrendt and Charlie Dubanoski. 2B – Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar, Dalton Cox.

Rapid City Diamondbacks 000 000 3 – 3 7 2

Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels 624 101 x – 14 15 0

Francisco Dicochea, Christian Dicochea (2), K Schlueter (5) and C. Dicochea, F. Dicochea (2); Seth Peterson, Camden Gabois (5) and Sam Rall. 2B – Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels, Jaden Holzer 2, Dylan Ades, Trevor Hurley, Damon Baruth, Connor Hurley.