SIOUX FALLS – The Aberdeen Smittys got off to a rough start Friday in the opening round of the Dakota Classic Legion baseball tournament. Gretna scored five runs in three separate innings on the way to a 17-0 victory over the Smittys.

“They were just really good, and we didn’t have all our pitching there today,” said Aberdeen coach Josh Steinwandt. “An error in the first inning really started things and it spiraled down from there.”

While the Smittys were limited to just one hit (a single from Jehiel Aviles), they did have some base runners.

After a pair of walks, Aberdeen had runners on second and third in the second inning, but stranded them there. In the third inning, a single and two walks loaded the bases with one out. However, a strikeout and ground out ended that threat.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska foe scored five times in the first, second, and fourth innings to go along with two runs in the third. Grady Fish had a two-run single and also a two-run inside the park home run.

The Smittys are back at it this morning during the three-day tournament taking on the Casselton Haymakers at 9:30.

Gretna 552 5 – 17 10 1

Aberdeen Smittys 000 0 – 0 1 1

Bennett Wolverton and Ty Edmundson; JaSean Rivera, Jehiel Aviles (4) and Levi Hoffman. 3B – Gretna, Abe Isaacson. HR – Gretna, Grady Fish.