RAPID CITY – The Aberdeen Smittys attacked first, but couldn’t shut down the counterattack as Rapid City Post 320 swept an American Legion baseball doubleheader 14-2 and 10-6 on Friday.
In the first game of the day, Aberdeen’s Grant Beyer and Ridley Waldo led the game off with singles and took advantage of another first-and-third play. Beyer scored stealing home while Waldo sacrificed an out after Beyer touched home plate.
Rapid City Post 320 went on to put up eight runs in the bottom half of the inning, followed by one more run in the third and five more in the fourth. With the mercy rule on the line, the Smittys were able to extend the game as Levi Hoffman singled in Waldo, but that’s all the offense Aberdeen could muster.
In game two, the Smittys struck first again, this time putting up two runs in the their first at-bats. Joe Cogley drove in Waldo on a single, and Cogley ended up scoring on an error.
The Smittys held a two-run lead until the hosts put up five runs in the bottom of the second. The Smittys cut the lead down to one with a pair of runs of their own with Hoffman scoring on a ground out, and Waldo hitting a sac-fly to bring in Michael Dutenhoffer.
That 5-3 margin didn’t last long as the host team extended it once again, this time putting up four runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Smittys answered back with two more runs of their own, this time with Jaxon Ladner singling in Beyer, and Lance Siefken scoring on a ground out.
The lead was too much to overcome as Rapid City Post 320 shutout the Smittys in the final six outs while adding one more run.
The Smittys host Groton on Monday at Fossum Field.
Aberdeen Smittys 100 01 – 2 7 5
Rapid City Post 320 801 5x – 14 11 1
Michael Dutenhoffer, Jehiel Aviles (4) and Hoffman; Max Schoenhard, Alijah Ballard (4) and Delapena. 2B – Rapid City Post 320, Ayden Byrd, Tegan Sayles.
Aberdeen Smittys 200 220 0 – 6 8 2
Rapid City Post 320 050 401 x – 10 7 2
Joe Cogley, Lance Siefken (3), Levi Hoffman (5) and Hoffman; Kason Kostenbauer, Noah Wald (5) and C Wit.
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Class B athletes capture another five state titles
