Amateur baseball roundup for July 7: Canova powers past Salem for Cornbelt League win

Jul. 8—CANOVA — Justin Miller had two home runs and drove in four runs as the Canova Gang earned a 9-1 home win in Cornbelt League amateur baseball action. The game was previously scheduled to be played in Salem, so the Cubs were the home team in the contest.

Miller's home runs came in the third and seventh innings, with the latter of those blasts helping to blow the game open in a three-run seventh inning after Canova led 3-0. Derek Miller earned the victory on the mound for the Gang, throwing a complete-game five-hitter with 14 strikeouts. Cole Gassman had a pair of hits and two runs scored, while Tim Gassman knocked in a pair of runs and Garrett Gassman knocked in two runs for the Gang.

Salem finished with five hits, with Kyle Tuschen finishing with a hit and a run scored. Isaac Anderson threw six innings and took the loss, with four strikeouts, with Steve Mehlbrech pitching in relief and earning three strikeouts.

Canova (9-6, 9-5 Cornbelt) plays at the Dell Rapids Mudcats at 5 p.m. on July 10. The Cubs (6-11, 4-10 Cornbelt), which have lost four games in a row, host Colman on July 10.

ALEXANDRIA — Derek Soukup's RBI triple in the 14th inning broke a stalemate and vaulted Platte to a 4-3 road amateur baseball victory over Alexandria on Thursday night in Sunshine League play.

It came despite a dominant pitching performance from Alexandria, which earned 22 strikeouts as a team, with 13 from Tyson Gau in 9 1/3 innings and nine from Jed Schmidt in 4 2/3 innings.

The Killer Tomatoes extended the game in the ninth inning with Josh Severson's RBI single that scored Ryan Allen to knot the game at 3. Michael Buitenbos, who scored the winning run, threw nine innings and held Alexandria to three runs on 12 hits, striking out four. Grant Doom was the winning pitcher in relief, striking out eight and allowing two hits without a run. Hunter Hewitt had a home run for Platte and Allen had a pair of hits.

Alexandria had four hits from Gau and three from Michael Schoettmer, plus RBIs from Adam Durfee, Pierce Smith and Jacob Giles, all in the sixth inning. Gau allowed 10 hits and three runs, while Schmidt yielded two hits and one run, walking four. Gau had a triple to lead off the bottom of the 14th inning but was caught trying to score at home with one out, ending the threat.

Platte (9-3, 6-3 Sunshine) will host Mount Vernon on July 10. Alexandria (8-5, 6-3 Sunshine) hosts Corsica/Stickney on July 10 in Alexandria.

EMERY — Deric Denning's grand slam in the 12th inning on Thursday night proved decisive for the Mount Vernon Mustangs in a road Sunshine League victory at Dimock/Emery.

After a walk, single and intentional walk, Denning homered to left field to break a 7-all tie. Luke Tiesler added a run later in the inning and Denning made the lead stand up in the 12th inning on the mound, closing out the win. Both Denning and Tiesler each homered, combining for seven RBIs and each posting three-hit, three-run efforts. Briggs Havlik and Spencer Neugebauer each had three hits for the Mustangs, as well. Havlik added a home run and Neugebauer had two RBIs. Tiesler started on the mound and threw seven innings, with 11 hits and five runs allowed, striking out three. Denning allowed five hits, two runs and struck out eight in five innings of relief, earning the win.

For the Raptors, Peyton Nash, Sam Michels, Sam Arend and Colton Plagmann each had three hits, with Michels scoring three times. An RBI single from Nash with two outs in the ninth inning extended the game for Dimock/Emery. Phil Johnson threw 11 innings in his start on 155 pitches, striking out 15 batters, allowing 12 hits, seven runs (six earned). Nash took the loss, allowing two hits, including the grand slam.

Dimock/Emery had 16 hits, while Mount Vernon had 15. Mount Vernon (8-7, 4-4 Sunshine) plays at Platte on July 10, while Dimock/Emery (7-10, 4-6 Sunshine) hosts Freeman on July 10.

FREEMAN — Trailing 4-0 after three innings, the Freeman Blacksox charged back to earn a non-league amateur baseball win on Thursday night over the Parkston Mudcats. Both teams had six hits but the Mudcats committed four errors in the loss.

Blake Schroedermeier had two hits and drove in three runs for Freeman, while Bailey Sage had a pair or RBIs as the Blacksox scored three runs each in the fourth and sixth innings and added two more in the seventh inning. Phil Madsen added three runs scored. Jake Weier was the winning pitcher in relief, throwing 5 2/3 innings with three hits and no runs allowed, plus five strikeouts. Ben Simonsen was the starter for Freeman, throwing three innings and striking out six, with three hits and four runs allowed.

Parkston's Jake Weber took the loss, throwing six innings with five hits and six runs (two earned) allowed. Nate Doering threw the final two innings with a hit and two runs (one earned) allowed. Matt Malloy and Jeff Harris each had doubles in the game, with Harris scoring twice, while Doering drove in a pair of runs.

Staying with non-league action, Freeman (7-9) plays at Dimock/Emery on July 10. Parkston (4-13) is back on the diamond on July 10 at Winner/Colome for a Sunshine League contest.

WHITE LAKE — A pair of nine-run innings for Kimball/White Lake helped the host Nationals pick up a Pony Hills League win in a run-rule shortened five-inning game.

Dylanger Pierson ended the game in the fifth inning with a walk-off grand slam and Zak Wallner had a pair of RBIs. Carter Lenz had three hits and Brian Zeman had two knocks in the win. Starter Zak Wallner threw four runs on eight hits in five innings of work, with eight punchouts.

Colome had eight hits but committed eight errors in the game. Sid Bice had two hits for the Chaos, while Joey Cole had a triple and an RBI. All four runs for Colome came in the fifth inning. Kelly O'Bryan was the losing pitcher on the mound with nine hits and 11 runs (eight earned) in 3 1/3 innings, along with six strikeouts.

Kimball/White Lake (9-2 Pony Hills) hosts Chamberlain on July 10, while Colome (7-4 Pony Hills) hosts the Plankinton Bankers.

PLANKINTON — In a game that had 27 runs, 22 walks, 18 hits and eight errors, Four Corners emerged on top of a Pony Hills League contest, thanks to scoring 15 runs in the final four innings to reverse a 9-2 deficit going to the sixth inning.

Andrew Coverdale had four hits and four runs and drove in a pair of runs and Andrew McCloud and J.D. Farley each had three RBIs, while Adam Kaus drove in a pair of runs as well for Four Corners. The team effort of Josh Davies, J.D. Farley and Jeremy Hand pitched the game for Four Corners, with Farley earning the win with five innings of work and allowing two runs and two hits, with Hand tossing the final two innings. Four Corners won the hitting battle, 10-8, committed five errors but earned 15 walks at the plate.

For Plankinton, Andrew Becker drove in three runs and had two hits, while Ben Laufman and Sean DeVries had two hits and two RBIs. Tom Harris started for the Gold Sox throwing six innings and striking out five, with five hits, seven runs and eight walks allowed. Devin Mehlhaff was the losing pitcher in relief, recording three outs and allowing four runs (two earned).

Four Corners (5-6 Pony Hills) play at Wessington Springs on July 14. The Gold Sox (2-7 Pony Hills) travel to Wessington Springs on July 10.