Softball state tournament roundup: Cavs down Raiders for Class B semifinal spot

Jun. 1—ABERDEEN — Fourth-seeded Bon Homme jumped on top early and never looked back, rolling to a 5-2 win over fifth-seeded Gayville-Volin in the Class B softball quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon at the Players Softball Complex.

In each of the first two innings, the Cavaliers put runs on the scoreboard to take early control. Following a game-opening single by Kenadee Kozak, Jurni Vavruska smacked the ball into right field and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run and a quick 2-0 edge. Later in the second, Mylee Branaugh tripled to plate Reyna Alberts, extending the lead to 3-0. With the same score in the fifth inning, Olivia Kaul and Taycee Ranek each drove in runs to put the Cavs ahead 5-0.

A single to the gap in right-center field by Teresa Stockman plated the two runs to score for Gayville-Volin in the bottom of the sixth. Though the Raiders put two more runners on base and brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, the comeback bid was shut down.

Kozak earned the win in the circle for the Cavs, hurling a complete game while registering 10 strikeouts to three walks and allowing five hits.

Bon Homme (14-4) will face off with No. 1 seed Alcester-Hudson (13-1) in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday. Gayville-Volin (11-7) will play No. 8 Hanson (5-11) in the consolation bracket at 10 a.m. Friday.

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Hanson pulled back two runs but had its comeback attempt come up short against No. 1 seed Alcester-Hudson in the Class B state quarterfinals.

The Cubs were led by pitcher Emma Moller, who recorded 13 strikeouts to six walks. Offensively, Sarah Ebert had three hits with one RBI and one run scored, as Delta Pies added two hits with one RBI.

Cadence Jarding reached safely five times from the leadoff spot for the Beavers, going 3-for-3 with two hit-by-pitches and scoring one run. Jalyn Kampshoff added two hits, one RBI and one run scored. In the circle, Olivia Kayser struck out 11 batters while walking four in a complete game effort.

An eight-run fifth inning sent No. 2 Arlington sailing past No. 7 Viborg-Hurley in the Class B state quarterfinals.

Viborg-Hurley took an early 2-0 lead, but five runs in the third inning gave Arlington an edge they did not relinquish. Leading 5-4 entering the fifth, the Cardinals exploded for eight runs that effectively secured a spot in the semifinals.

Taya Clausen led the way for Arlington, going 3-for-4 with two triples, one double and a walk while driving in five runs and scoring twice. In the circle, she also tossed a complete game with 12 strikeouts to five walks. Sony Johnson and Jo Steffensen each recorded two hits, combining to drive in five runs as Steffensen also scored twice.

For Viborg-Hurley, Rayna Smith and Gia Miller both had two hits and two RBIs, while Charley Nelson scored a pair of runs.

Arlington (15-4) meets No. 3 Castlewood (11-5) in the semifinals on Friday. Viborg-Hurley (8-11) plays No. 6 Deuel (12-5) in the consolation bracket.

Third-seeded Castlewood had little trouble with Deuel in the quarterfinals, advancing with a run-rule victory in five innings.

The Warriors' offense put up six runs in the first inning and three more in both the third and fourth frames.

For Castlewood, Mackenzie Everson had four RBIs and two runs scored, including one on an inside the park home run. Sophia Kudrna also scored twice, while Natalie Akin had two hits and one RBI. In the circle, Claire Horn limited the Cardinals to two hits in five innings, striking out nine with five walks.

McKenna Olson and Zadie Johnson had the hits for Deuel, with Johnson providing the lone RBI. Katrina Hagberg struck out eight batters in four innings of work but walked 10 batters and allowed six hits.

Class B

Friday's schedule

Consolation bracket

No. 8 Hanson (5-11) vs. No. 5 Gayville-Volin (11-7), 10 a.m.

No. 7 Viborg-Hurley (8-10) vs. No. 6 Deuel (12-5), 12:30 p.m.

Semifinals

No. 1 Alcester-Hudson (13-1) vs. No. 4 Bon Homme (14-4), 3 p.m.

No. 2 Arlington (15-4) vs. No. 3 Castlewood (11-5), 5:30 p.m.

Offense was in ample supply for Dell Rapids in its state tournament opener, as the No. 1 seed sailed to a three-inning Class A quarterfinal win over Lennox.

Dell Rapids plated eight runs in the first and 13 more in the second, with five Quarriers driving in multiple runs. Kylee Fiddelke and Claire Wynja knocked in four runs each and Katie Scherff added three. Katie Kvigne struck out five batters in two innings.

Carlee Gabriel had a hit, two RBIs and scored a run to lead Lennox.

Dell Rapids (12-1) advances to a meeting with Tea Area (11-5) in the semifinals. Lennox (5-8) drops to the consolation bracket for a game against No. 4 Madison (15-4).

Scoring the tournament's first upset by seed, fifth-seeded Tea Area slipped by fourth-seeded Madison in the Class A quarterfinals.

Tied at 4 entering the seventh inning, the Titans plated the contest's final run, capitalizing on four Madison errors despite being out-hit eight to seven. Jillian Arp came in to score the game-winning run from second base after a pop fly was dropped in the infield with two outs.

Arp was one of three Titans with two hits in the contest, joined by Kalli Boom and Emersyn Erck, who also drove in three runs. Addisyn Hansen struck out 13 batters with two walks in a complete game inside the circle.

For Madison, Evie Lurz went 4-for-4 and scored two runs, accounting for half of the Bulldogs' hits, as Phoebe Corbin had two RBIs. Amanda Vacanti was credited with the pitching loss, striking out nine batters with three walks across seven innings. Though five runs scored, none were earned.

Beginning its tournament pursuit of a seventh-straight state title, West Central put on an offensive display and needed four innings to dispatch of Beresford via run-rule victory in the quarterfinals.

Izzi Parsons went 4-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored from her leadoff spot, as the four Trojans behind her in the batting order all drove in two runs. Among them, Caitlyn Hoff scored four runs, while Emillee Stofferahn had two runs scored and two hits, including a home run. Stofferahn also struck out seven batters while giving up two walks and two hits in four innings.

Brenna Dann and Ivy Keiser picked up hits for the Watchdogs, with Dann also reaching via walk and scoring the lone run.

West Central (20-0) is set to face No. 3 Dakota Valley (16-8)/No. 6 Elk Point-Jefferson (10-7) in Friday's semifinals. Beresford will play No. 3 Dakota Valley (16-8)/No. 6 Elk Point-Jefferson (10-7) in the consolation bracket.

A big fourth inning boosted Dakota Valley to a five-inning run-rule victory over Elk Point-Jefferson in the quarterfinals. It was the third run-rule win out of four games within Class A.

Leading 5-4 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers tacked on eight runs to their total to break the game open.

Madelyn Munch and Avry Trotter picked up three hits each for Dakota Valley, with Munch driving in three runs and scoring twice. Brennan Trotter was one of three additional Panthers to record multiple hits, as she finished with four RBIs and two runs scored. Emma Wiese earned the pitching win, going four innings and striking out four with six walks.

Alyssa Chytka and Nicole Wells each had two hits and one RBI for the Huskies, as Danica Torrez struck out four batters and walked five in three innings of work.

Class A

Friday's schedule

Consolation bracket

No. 8 Lennox (5-8) vs. No. 4 Madison (15-4), 10 a.m.

No. 7 Beresford (10-11) vs. No. 6 Elk Point-Jefferson (10-8), 12:30 p.m.

Semifinals

No. 1 Dell Rapids (12-1) vs. No. 5 Tea Area (11-5), 3 p.m.

No. 2 West Central (20-0) vs. No. 3 Dakota Valley (17-8), 5:30 p.m.

Top-seeded Sioux Falls Lincoln used a three-run third inning and four-run fourth to take control and never yielded the advantage, defeating Yankton in the opening quarterfinal at Northern State's Koehler Hall of Fame Field.

Madison Evans tossed five shutout innings with eight strikeouts in the start for the Patriots, giving up three hits and two walks, and at the plate, Evans went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Avery Dorman also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Kierra Lubovich had two hits and scored twice, while Payton Seefeldt had two RBIs.

For Yankton, Kyra Tjeerdsma recorded two of the team's five hits, while Emma Eichacker and Elle Feser each reached safely twice with three walks drawn between them. Grace Behrns threw all seven innings for the Gazelles, finishing with three strikeouts and six walks.

Sioux Falls Lincoln (17-2) plays No. 4 Sioux Falls Jefferson (16-4) in the semifinals. Yankton (12-8) gets No. 5 Sioux Falls Washington (13-6) in the consolation bracket.

In a crosstown rivalry matchup, No. 4 Sioux Falls Jefferson never trailed, downing No. 5 Sioux Falls Washington in the quarterfinals.

The Cavaliers led 5-1 after three innings and capped the effort with three runs over the final two frames to secure the win.

Led by Emma Buie's three hits, Jefferson tallied 13 hits as a team, with three additional Cavs notching multiple base knocks. Brianna Herndon was among them and was also responsible for two RBIs. Whitney Portner went the full seven innings in the circle with six strikeouts and two walks.

Tierney Schramm had two hits, including a double, as Bella Sporrer recorded the lone RBI for the Warriors. Emma Hensley pitched a complete game and struck out six batters to two walks with four earned runs.

Pulling off the largest upset of the day, seventh-seeded Brandon Valley blanked second-seeded Harrisburg and picked up a run-rule win in six innings.

The Lynx scored four runs in the second to take control before adding four more in the fifth and two in the sixth.

DJ Schoby spearheaded the effort, notching four RBIs on three hits, including two home runs. Aftyn Terveer had three RBIs, as Peyton Amdahl added two hits and scored three runs. Pitchers Jorden Gabert and Shelby Ackerman combined in the shutout effort, totaling seven strikeouts without a walk and allowing three hits.

Brandon Valley (11-6) will play the winner of No. 3 Brookings and No. 6 O'Gorman in the semifinals on Friday evening. The last quarterfinal between the Bobcats and Knights was postponed to 8 a.m. Friday due to weather in Aberdeen.

Class AA

Friday's schedule

Consolation bracket

No. 8 Yankton (12-8) vs. No. 5 Sioux Falls Washington (13-6), 10 a.m.

No. 2 Harrisburg vs. No. 6 O'Gorman (12-6)/No. 3 Brookings (14-3) loser, 12:30 p.m.

Semifinals

No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln (17-2) vs. No. 4 Sioux Falls Jefferson (16-4), 3 p.m.

No. 7 Brandon Valley (11-6) vs. No. 6 O'Gorman (12-6)/No. 3 Brookings (14-3) winner, 5:30 p.m.