Early deficits too much as Post 18 clipped by pair of Wyoming clubs at Rapid City Veterans' Classic
Jun. 2—RAPID CITY — Following a season-opening win Tuesday night, a pair of games against out-of-state competition didn't arrive at the same result for Mitchell Post 18 at the Veterans' Classic on Tuesday.
Mitchell fell to Cheyenne (Wyo.) Post 6 and Laramie (Wyo.) Post 14 by scores of 9-6 and 7-6, respectively, in the opening pair of four scheduled games across three days of baseball.
In the first contest of the day, Post 18 outscored Cheyenne 6-5 from the fourth inning on, but it was an early 4-0 hole that ultimately cost Mitchell.
Batting fourth, Jake Helleloid was the bright spot in Mitchell's order, recording three hits, including a three-RBI home run in the seventh inning, in four at-bats. Seven others recorded a hit for Post 18, which knocked 10 total hits to Cheyenne's seven.
Jace Larson was credited with the loss, having pitched five innings with two strikeouts, five hits, seven walks and five earned runs. Lincoln Bates pitched two innings in relief and also had two strikeouts with two hits and one walk.
Three Sixers had multiple RBIs, led by three from Dominic Lopez and two each from Zack Costopoulos and Kelden Hastings, who was the only Cheyenne player with multiple hits in the game. Starting pitcher Ben Bohlmann got the win with a six-inning outing in which he had four strikeouts, two walks, seven hits and one earned run.
The second contest followed a similar path, as Post 18 again outpaced its opponent in the latter stages, this time holding a 5-3 edge over Laramie across the final three innings, but couldn't overcome a 4-1 deficit.
Dylan Soulek and Jonah Schmidt each had two hits for Mitchell, which totaled nine hits for the game, with Soulek adding two RBIs on a fifth-inning double.
Schmidt also got the start at pitcher, where he took the loss after lasting 4 2/3 innings with four strikeouts, seven hits and three walks.
Billy Jenkin had a big afternoon for Laramie, going 3-for-4 — one of three Rangers with multiple hits — with two RBIs. Jace Moniz was the winning pitcher in a one-strikeout effort in 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and two walks.
Mitchell (1-2) is in action at 12:30 p.m. Central Friday against Bellevue East (Neb.) before a Saturday night meeting with host Rapid City Post 22 at Fitzgerald Stadium.
