Amateur baseball roundup for June 17-18: Salem scores walk-off win at Cornbelt/Sunshine Showdown

Jun. 18—HUMBOLDT, S.D. — With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Salem's Kyle Tuschen delivered a walk-off single to send the Cubs past the Corsica/Stickney Horned Frogs, 6-5, at the amateur baseball Cornbelt/Sunshine Showdown on Friday night.

Tuschen's RBI single plated Trevor Wilkinson to score the game's winning run, as Salem came back from a 5-3 deficit entering the eighth inning. The hit was Tuschen's first of the contest, making him the eighth Cub to record a hit, with leadoff hitter Isaac Anderson notching two singles and an RBI to pace Salem.

Steve Mehlbrech got the start on the mound for the Cubs and went seven complete innings, striking out two batters and walking four with nine hits allowed. Tuschen pitched the final two innings in relief, sending down two batters on strikes while yielding one walk and two hits.

Luke Bamberg recorded three hits, including one double, while Kris Menning and Blake Moke each added two base knocks for the Horned Frogs, who racked up 12 hits to Salem's nine on the night.

Gavin Zomer pitched 6 1/3 innings after getting the start for Corsica/Stickney, recording three strikeouts to eight walks with seven hits. Kyle Menning and Caleb Crist combined to pitch 2 1/3 innings in relief and each struck out one batter.

Salem (4-6, 3-5 Cornbelt) is home against the Hartford/Humboldt Wood Ducks on Thursday, June 23, while Corsica/Stickney (5-6, 2-4 Sunshine) is at Parkston on Sunday, June 26.

HUMBOLDT — The Winner/Colome bats were hot up and down the lineup, as the Pheasants remained undefeated with a win over Canova in a Cornbelt/Sunshine Showdown contest that was delayed Friday and concluded Saturday.

The Pheasants scored four runs in the first inning and seven more in the seventh to build a 10-run lead and push the game to a seven-inning finish.

Eight of nine Winner/Colome batters had at least one hit, with six notching two or more. Oscar Pravecek went 4-for-5 with two runs batted in, while Austin Calhoon went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. In between Calhoon and Pravecek in the lineup, Austin Richey recorded two extra-base hits — a double and a home run — with two RBIs and three runs scored. Reed Harter had just one hit but scored a team-high four runs.

Derek Graesser pitched all seven innings to pick up the win, finishing with nine strikeouts to three walks and three hits allowed.

Justin Miller accounted for two of Canova's three hits in the contest while also recording two RBIs behind a third-inning home run. Kendall Gassman was credited with the loss on the mound after going five innings with five strikeouts to one walk and eight hits allowed.

Winner/Colome (11-0, 5-0 Sunshine) will travel to take on Alexandria on Tuesday, June 21, with Canova traveling to take on Flandreau on Thursday, June 23.

HUMBOLDT — Behind a pair of four-run innings, the latter of which provided the game's final margin, Platte defeated Hartford/Humboldt in a contest shortened due to the heat at the Cornbelt/Sunshine Showdown on Saturday afternoon.

The Killer Tomatoes posted four runs in the third inning, which was immediately matched by the Gamecocks, before plating four more runs in the eighth, two on a double by Sheldon Gant. Hartford/Humboldt out-hit Platte nine to seven, but committed four errors to Platte's two.

Gant also drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly and finished the day with three RBIs. Richard Sternberg recorded a pair of hits and had two RBIs, while Derek Soukup had two base knocks and scored twice.

In his start on the mound for Platte, Owen London went 5 1/3 innings with two strikeouts, three walks and six hits allowed. Miles Hubers pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief and was credited with the win, while Sternberg closed out the final inning and had one strikeout.

Devon Garry picked up three hits, with Cam Quigley and Drew Maras adding two apiece to account for seven of the Gamecocks' nine hits. Seth Cavanaugh went 1-for-1 with an RBI and one run and three walks.

Garry and Maras combined to strike out six batters while yielding just five walks and three hits across the first 4 1/3 innings, though Maras was credited with the loss. Brandon McKnight pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for Hartford/Humboldt, allowing four hits and two walks.

Platte (6-1, 3-1 Sunshine) returns to Sunshine League action when it hosts Dimock/Emery on Tuesday, June 21.