The Pierre Governors would fall in a wet, cold game on Friday in the first round of the state tournament to the Jefferson Cavaliers in a 5-3 loss ending the Govs season.
Jefferson opened up with a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a double by Brody Jacobson and then an RBI ground out from Easton Riley. The lead went to 4-0 in the second with a two run single by Jacobson as he finished with three RBIs in the win for the Cavs. Noah Grabow made it 5-0 in the bottom of the third with an RBI single and Jefferson seemingly was in control. But in the top of the fourth Pierre would load the bases and with two outs and a 3-2 count, Carter Schiefelbein would strike out on a pitch that would get to the backstop and the throw from the catcher would sail over the first baseman and would score Hudson Shaffer, Hudson Stoeser and Bridger Babcock to make it 5-3. However, Pierre couldn’t string enough hits together as Everett Salonen and Matnel Jensen would give up a combine four hits as Salonen went the first five innings and Jensen would get the save in the final two innings. Jerren Deal had two of the four hits while Parker O’Bryan and Jackson Goodman had the other two hits. Pierre had first and second in the top of the seventh with two outs, but were unable to score. Carter Templeton would be tagged for three runs on four hits in one plus inning of work before Brennen McCullough would settle things down allowing just two runs on four hits over five innings of work, keeping the Cavaliers off the scoreboard in the final three innings.
Pierre finishes the season at 22-9 making the state tournament for the first time since 2023 and only the second time since 2018. Baseball now turns to Post 8 which begins Wednesday at home against Harrisburg. Coverage of Post 8 baseball will be on KCCR and on YouTube at KCCR Sports throughout the summer.
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