YANKTON – Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar used a pair of three-run innings and a complete-game pitching performance from Chad Ellingson to record a 6-3 win over the Black Hills A’s during the opening round of the Class A State Amateur Baseball Tournament Saturday evening.

Circus scored three times in the first inning for a lead it never lost, and added three more runs in the eighth for a cushion after the A’s had closed the deficit to a pair of runs.

Kris Kwak got the scoring started with an RBI double in the top of the first, before Easton Millar plated a pair of runners with a single.

Josh Steinwandt delivered an RBI single in the eighth, and a pair of errors led to Aberdeen’s last two runs.

Meanwhile, Ellingson went the distance on the mound, striking out six and scattering 11 hits.

Black Hills scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate before Ellingson struck out the final batter looking to end the game.

Colton Cox had three hits and also drew a walk to lead Circus.

Aberdeen takes on the Renner Monarchs at 1:30 this afternoon. The tourney will resume next weekend in Mitchell.

Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar 300 000 030 – 6 8 1

Black Hills A’s 000 001 002 – 3 11 4

Chad Ellingson and Kelly Coates; Owen Douglas, C. Nesland (7), T. Lees (8) and B. Rossell. 2B – Aberdeen Circus Sports Bar, Kris Kwak, Michael Babcock; Black Hills A’s, Anders Lockhart, Dylan Gillespie, Jhett Peterson, Matt Hill.