Sioux Falls Squirrels, Dell Rapids Mudcats win amateur baseball state titles

Matt Zimmer, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·2 min read
The Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels celebrate their first-ever amateur baseball state championship.
The Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels celebrate their first-ever amateur baseball state championship.

All hail the Flying Squirrels.

After a decade of Class A dominance by the Renner Monarchs and Sioux Falls Brewers, the Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels captured their first state championship Sunday at Cadwell Park with a 4-3 win over Brookings.

Lucas Wilber had three hits and Zach Dibble two RBI to lead the Squirrels to the comeback win. After Brookings scored three times in the top of the second to take control, the Squirrels finally broke through with a single run in the sixth, then put up three runs in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. They made that stick thanks to 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief from Connor Hurley after Stu Baruth had given them 5 1/3 innings to start. Chase McDaniel and Noel Burgos had two hits each for the Cubs, while Tyler Kreutner pitched the first six innings and had two RBI at the plate. Brookings committed three errors on the day, while Sioux Falls had none.

The Squirrels, who finish the year 17-7, had advanced to the championship game for the first time in their program history with a 6-1 win over Renner on Friday, behind seven strong innings from Seth Peterson and another clutch relief outing from Hurley. The Monarchs had been defending state champs. Brookings then punched their ticket to the finals by eliminating Renner on Saturday.

Brookings downed Aberdeen Circus 8-4 over the weekend to move on and end Aberdeen's se

Dell Rapids Mudcats win Class B title

The Dell Rapids Mudcats repeated as Class B champs, outlasting Garretson 5-2 Sunday at Cadwell Park.

Former Augustana left-hander and New York Yankees farmhand Dalton Lehnen was named MVP, as he had a two-run double and earned the win on the mound, taking over for Dalton Allen in the fifth with the Mudcats trailing 2-0 and pitching out of a jam. Skipper Jim Wilber then turned to former Canaries closer Kris Regas, who nailed down the save and the third state title in Mudcats history.

The Dell Rapids Mudcats celebrate the Class B amateur baseball state championship Sunday at Cadwell Park in Mitchell
The Dell Rapids Mudcats celebrate the Class B amateur baseball state championship Sunday at Cadwell Park in Mitchell

Lehnen’s double sparked a four-run rally against Garretson starter and former Wichita State lefty Aaron LaBrie, and Chad Hunt added an RBI single against reliever Trey Buckneberg to provide an insurance run for the Mudcats. Hunt had two hits in the game for Dells.

Dustin Steckler had three hits for Garretson, while Robin Chute had two. LaBrie, Allen and Lehnen all whiffed six batters on the mound.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls Squirrels, Dell Rapids Mudcats win amateur baseball state titles