Legion roundup for July 31: Winner/Colome and Gregory County set for Monday matchup
Aug. 1—GREGORY, S.D. — Winner/Colome's six-run sixth inning gave it the boost it needed to top Redfield and become the final unbeaten team in remaining in the South Dakota Class B American Legion state tournament after a 10-5 win.
Aiden Barfuss homered for the third game in a row, this time a two-run home run that capped off the explosive bottom of the sixth.
Redfield got a run off Justin Hausmann in the first inning after a wild pitch, but he settled in after that and didn't surrender another run until the top of the sixth inning. Ryder Halligan came in and gave up three runs in 1 2/3 innings but closed the game out to secure the win.
Ashton Klein, Ethan Bartels and Barfuss all picked up a pair of hits for Winner/Colome, who finished with 10 as a team. Winner/Colome also committed one error.
For Redfield, Keaton Rohfls finished 2-for-3 and scored a run. Redfield tallied seven total hits and committed three errors.
Redfield falls to the elimination bracket and will face Vermillion at 5:00 p.m. in Gregory.
With the win, Winner/Colome guarantees itself a spot in the championship game on Tuesday. Winner/Colome will face Gregory County on Monday, with Gregory County facing elimination. Vermillion and Redfield will play at 5 p.m. on Monday in an elimination game.
If Gregory County wins it will advance to face the winner of the Vermillion and Redfield game Monday for a spot to face Winner/Colome in the championship.
If Winner/Colome wins, only two teams will remain and the winner of the Vermillion-Redfield game will need to beat Winner/Colome twice on Tuesday to win, whereas Winner/Colome will only need to win once to claim the state title.
Gregory County 10, Dell Rapids 3
GREGORY, S.D. — Gregory County kept its hopes for a South Dakota Class B Legion state championship alive Sunday when it beat Dell Rapids 10-3.
Bryce Frank got the nod for Gregory County and didn't disappoint, hurling 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs, but only one earned run. Gregory County got Frank run support early and often, too, plating three in the top of the first, two in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth and fifth.
Gregory County was already up 8-0 before Dell Rapids put up a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Gregory County capitalized on its speed against Dell Rapids, swiping nine bags as a team, including three apiece from Gannon Thomas and Rylan Peck. Peck walked twice and scored three times, while Thomas and Frank each picked up two hits and two RBIs.
Ben Witt came in relief in the bottom of the sixth and threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball to secure the win and keep Gregory County's season alive.
For Dell Rapids, Mason Stubbe, Aiden Boechler and Brandon Fersdahl all had multiple hits. The team finished with eight hits and made three errors, but their season came to an end at the hands of Gregory County. Gregory County finished with 10 hits and three errors in the win.
