Palace City Youth Baseball Fights Hard in SD Doubleheaders
Baseball is America's pastime, and South Dakota's young ballplayers proved that grit and individual merit still matter on the diamond this weekend. Palace City's youth squads battled through doubleheaders at Drake Field and beyond, showing the kind of hustle that built this country.
14U Squad Splits Sunday Twin Bill
Mitchell, SD. Palace City 14-and-under teener baseball split a home doubleheader Sunday with Winner/Colome at Drake Field, taking game one 7-4 before falling 11-1 in game two.
In the opener, Keniel Padilla put on a clinic in American hustle. He led the offense and dominated on the mound, racking up three hits including two triples, three runs scored, two stolen bases and one RBI. Padilla went the distance with a seven-inning complete game, allowing six hits, four runs (three earned) with four strikeouts and four walks. Preston Maeschen drove in two runs with a base hit. Palace City managed only four hits in the win, but a five-run second inning powered them to victory.
The second game was a different story. Winner/Colome pounded 12 hits and cruised to an 11-1 win in six innings. Logan Calhoon had three hits and three runs scored. Carson Herman drove in four runs for Winner/Colome. Maeschen took the loss, allowing eight hits and five runs in four innings but still posting five strikeouts. Kristopher Hatwan and Carter Buschbach each pitched an inning in relief. Maeschen, Padilla and Xander Herman all had hits for Palace City, which drew seven walks but could not cash in.
Palace City (2-9-1) hosts Brookings at Drake Field on Tuesday, June 9 for a 5 p.m. doubleheader.
13U Squad Drops Two at Home
Mitchell, SD. Palace City 13U baseball went 0-2 in a home split doubleheader Saturday at Drake Field.
Sioux Falls Post 15 took game one 13-7, scoring five runs in the second inning and eight more in the third. Radley Maeschen had two hits. Ayden Vaneverdingen had two hits and two runs scored. Vaneverdingen, Blake Russell and Asher Kaus each swiped two bases. Vaneverdingen was charged with the loss, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on five walks, three hits and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Maeschen threw the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, four runs (two earned) and striking out four.
Winner/Colome won the second game 14-2 in four innings, erupting for 12 runs in the third inning. Raml and Kaus had a hit and a run scored each, the only two hits for Palace City. Tayzen Fernau took the loss, allowing 12 hits and 12 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Huntley Hillman recorded the final four outs.
Palace City 13U (4-11) hosts Huron for a noon doubleheader on Tuesday, June 9, followed by a 5 p.m. doubleheader on June 10 against Harrisburg Black at Drake Field.
Post 18 Junior Legion Goes 2-1 at Alex Kummer Memorial Tournament
Tea, SD. Palace City Post 18 Junior Legion baseball posted a 2-1 weekend at the Alex Kummer Memorial Junior Legion baseball tournament, showing real fight before falling short of the championship bracket.
Post 18 opened with a 2-1 win over Yankton on Friday, then edged Aberdeen 5-4 on Saturday. In the de facto pool championship, Dakota Valley knocked out Palace City 10-5.
Friday's opener belonged to Jordon Ebert on the mound. He earned the win with six innings pitched, two hits and one run allowed, nine strikeouts and three walks. Owen Borgan earned the three-out save, allowing one hit and picking up a strikeout. Sacrifice flies in the first and second inning got Post 18 its two runs. Oliver Raml scored Blake Rehhorst from third base in the first, and Gavin Mendenhall scored Paxton Peper in the second.
Game 2 on Saturday in Harrisburg was a walk-off thriller. Palace City beat Aberdeen 5-4 in eight innings when Treston Zens ripped an RBI single to left field to score Peper from third. Raml had three hits and an RBI. Zens and Blake Rehorst both finished with two hits.
Schlimgen started on the mound and allowed two hits and one earned run in 4 2/3 innings with seven walks and seven strikeouts. Borgan earned the win in relief, throwing three innings and allowing two hits and two unearned runs.
In the pool finale back in Tea, Palace City rallied out of a 3-0 hole with four runs in the second inning. But Dakota Valley scored six decisive runs in the sixth to knock out Palace City. Peper and Madden Graves both had two hits and an RBI. Raml started the game and allowed three hits and two earned runs in three innings. Zens took the loss in relief with four hits, six runs (one earned) and five strikeouts in three innings.
In bracket play, Brandon Valley had two teams make the championship game. BV Black defeated Dakota Valley 8-6 and BV Red beat Aberdeen 10-1 in the semifinals. BV Black won the championship 16-3 over BV Red in six innings.
Post 18 Juniors (5-6) host Yankton at 5 p.m. Tuesday for a twin bill, then host Sioux Falls West at 5 p.m. Wednesday for a doubleheader.