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Mobridge-Pollock head softball coach Andrew Overland believes no lead is ever safe.
Luckily for the Tigers, a 12-run advantage was too much for their opponent to overcome.
Seventh-seeded Mobridge/Pollock led 17-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning, then watched No. 2 Bon Homme rally for five runs to cut the lead to 17-10.
Mobridge-Pollock’s Sophia Overland connects on a single against Bon Homme during the quarterfinal round of the Class B state softball tournament Thursday, June 5 at the Players Field Softball Complex. The Tigers won to advance to the semifinals. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
But the Tigers closed the game with one-two-three bottom of the seventh to hang on for the 17-10 victory on Thursday, June 5 in the opening round of the Class B high school softball state tournament at Players Field Softball Complex.
“Well, 17 is a lot of runs, and I don’t know that we would have expected to score that much coming into the tournament,” Overland said. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if we scored double digits, though. This team can hit. It’s probably the biggest strength of this team, hitting the ball. And as it turned out, we needed every hit and every run.”
Mobridge-Pollock’s Amber Vetch singles up the middle against Bon Homme Thursday, June 5 during the quarterfinal round of the Class B high school softball state tournament at Players Field Softball Complex. The Tigers won 17-10. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
The two teams combined for 27 runs on 23 hits.
Amber Vetch had three hits for the Tigers, including a two-run double in the top of the first inning. Even she had to take a step back when she looked at the final score.
“I wouldn’t have believed we’d score 17. If you told me we would, my jaw would be on the floor. I think everyone, myself included, knew what pitch they were looking for and wanted to take a good swing at. We were all ready when we got in the batter’s box,” she said.
Bon Homme’s rally was sparked by a Neveah Myers bases-loaded double to right-center field that scored two runs. A third scored on an overthrow to home plate. It was one of four Tiger errors.
“We needed that cushion going into the seventh because they are a good team and the pressure started to get to us a little, and we made a couple mistakes that cost some runs, but, thankfully, not the game. There’s no question they felt like they could come back on us and we didn’t feel like they couldn’t. We just told the girls, ‘Hey, we just need outs.’ Don’t give them extra at-bats or extra outs, just make the plays when we need to and we did in the last inning.”
Mobridge-Pollock will now take on No. 6 Gayville-Volin at 4 p.m. Friday, June 6 in the semifinals. Gayville-Volin upset No. 3 Castlewood 12-5 on Thursday.
“Seeding doesn’t matter because we’re here and we won over a higher seed,” Vetch said. “Some of us were a little nervous before our first game, but getting a chance to play (Gayville-Volin) in the semifinals is an opportunity we’re looking forward to.”
Top-seeded Deuel rallies past Avon
Eighth-grader Aubrey Landers had just one hit for Deuel, but it resulted in three runs.
Landers launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning off Avon starter Macy Voigt to break a 1-1 tie and help give the No. 1 Cardinals a 9-2 win over eight-seeded the Pirates Thursday in the Class B tournament.
“I was looking for a pitch closer to the middle of the strike zone, not a rise ball. She had been throwing a lot of pitches more in the middle. I got my mindset right, and knew I could put a good swing on if I got my pitch and I did,” Landers said.
She acknowledged that as the top seed there is pressure on the Cardinals, but said the team was able to respond when it needed to.
Alcester-Hudson’s Emma Moller delivers a pitch against Florence/Henry during their game in the Class B state tournament Thursday, June 5 at Players Field Softball Complex. The Cubs won to advance. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
“We just have to keep our confidence going and know we can make mistakes, but come back from them,” Landers said. “We have a lot of good hitters who can get the job done, and if we’re down we can take the lead back.”
Deuel will take on No. 4 Alcester-Hudson in the semifinals.
The Cubs took care of fifth-seeded Florence/Henry 11-3 behind Emma Moller, who pitched a complete game, allowing just three hits while striking out 14.
“On the mound, the key was making sure everyone knew what they were doing and making sure I threw strikes because if they hit it, behind me I have a great group of girls, so it’s not a question. I can let them hit and our defense will make the plays. Getting that first win in a tournament was huge because it’s just a huge weight off our shoulders,” she said.
Moller was equally as impressive at the plate. She had two hits, including a home run, and four runs batted in.
“I have my pitch like everyone else does, but anything I can drive to help my team score is really what I’m looking to do,” she said.
Moller said she and her teammates have a pregame ritual.
“Well, before every game we get together and braid our hair, of course, because we’re all one,” she said. “We pray together and go out there with calm minds and calm hearts.
Tri-Valley’s Ava Christensen connects on a two-run home run against Elk Point-Jefferson in the sixth inning of their game at the Class A state tournament at Players Softball Complex. Tri-Valley scored 11 runs in the sixth for a 14-8 come-from-behind win. Aberdeen Insider photo by Allie Hoekman
Davey’s grand slam powers Tri-Valley past Elk Point-Jefferson
Perhaps the best game of the day was in the Class A quarterfinals.
Seventh-seeded Elk Point-Jefferson jumped out to an 8-3 lead over No. 2 Tri-Valley, due in large part to the bat of Cera Schmitz. She went four for four with seven runs batted in. She hit two home runs, including a two-run shot that put the Huskies up 8-3 in the top of the sixth inning.
But, in the bottom of the frame, the Mustangs’ bats woke up.
Tri-Valley put up 11 runs in the bottom of the sixth, powering the Mustangs to a 14-8 win. Down 8-4, Kadence Davey tied the game, sending the first pitch she saw over the fence in left-center for a grand slam.
“I was just trying to get a nice level swing, just a line drive somewhere so I could score some of my teammates,” Davey said. “When I hit first base I just heard everyone screaming and cheering, so I was like, ‘Thank God it went out.’ We want to get to the championship and this is just one step closer.”
Emery Pearson had a two-run, inside-the-park home run to right field for Tri-Valley. Ava Christensen added a two-run homer to left.
The Mustangs had averaged 14.5 runs in their previous four games, so Davey suspected they would break through Thursday.
“We had really good at-bats, we just hit the ball to them, so we knew we’d start to get hits going. We just wanted to get people on base and drive them in,” she said.
Fourth-seeded Dell Rapids got a solid performance from starting pitcher Katie Kvigne to knock off fifth-seeded Sioux Valley 6-2 Thursday in another Class A quarterfinal.
Kvigne went all seven innings, allowing two runs on two hits. She struck out 12 batters and walked just one.
“I thought (Sioux Valley was) pretty locked in throughout the whole game, they were just a little under the ball, and that’s because I throw a pretty good rise ball. That’s my money pitch, and I just kept throwing it, mixing it inside and outside, and it worked,” she said.
Class A
Thursday, June 5 quarterfinals
- No. 1 West Central 4, No 8 Vermillion 1
- No. 4 Dell Rapids 6, No. 5 Sioux Valley 2
- No. 2 Tri-Valley 14, No. 7 Elk Point-Jefferson 8
- No. 3 Dakota Valley 8, 6 Madison 1
Friday, June 6
Semifinals
- West Central vs. Dell Rapids, 2 p.m.
- Tri-Valley vs. Dakota Valley, 4 p.m.
Consolation semifinals
- Vermillion vs. Sioux Valley, 10 a.m.
- Elk Point-Jefferson vs. Madison, noon
Class B
Thursday, June 5 quarterfinals
- No. 1 Deuel 9, vs. No. 8 Avon 2
- No. 4 Alcester-Hudson 11 No. 5 Florence/Henry 3
- No. 7 Mobridge-Pollock 17, No. 2 Bon Homme 10
- No. 6 Gayville-Volin 12, No. 3 Castlewood 5
Friday, June 6
Semifinals
- Deuel vs. Alcester-Hudson, 2 p.m.
- Mobridge-Pollock vs. Gayville-Volin, 4 p.m.
Consolation semifinals
- Avon vs. Florence/Henry, 10 a.m.
- Bon Homme vs. Castlewood, noon
Class AA
Bowden Field, Augustana University
Thursday, June 5 quarterfinals
- No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln 4, No. 8 Sioux Falls Roosevelt 3
- No. 4 Sioux Falls Jefferson 3, No. 5 Brandon Valley 0
- No. 2 Harrisburg 15, No. 7 Sioux Falls O’Gorman 0
- No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington 5 No. 6 Rapid City Stevens 2
Friday, June 6
Semifinals
- Sioux Falls Lincoln vs. Sioux Falls Jefferson, 2 p.m.
- Harrisburg vs. Sioux Falls Washington, 4 p.m.
Consolation semifinals
- Sioux Falls Roosevelt vs. Brandon Valley, 10. a.m.
- Sioux Falls O’Gorman vs. Rapid City Stevens, noon