For the first time in four years and the 45th time in history, the Rapid City Post 22 Hardhats are state champions defeating Sioux Falls West 8-3 Saturday afternoon in Rapid City on the Hardhats home field.
On Friday, Sioux Falls West would shutout Watertown with an 8-0 win, their second shutout of the state tournament to advance to championship Saturday. Then it would be Post 22 in a dogfight with Yankton as Post 12 would take a lead 3-2 on an Easton Feser home run as Yankton tried to be the third team to qualify for championship Saturday. However, Post 22 would score two runs in the bottom half of the fifth to reclaim the one run lead and hold on in the seventh to eliminate Yankton advancing to the championship on Saturday.
On Saturday, Sioux Falls West came out with two hits in the first three at bats to take a 1-0 lead. However, the bats would cool off to just three hits the rest of the way and Post 22 would score twice in the third and after it was a 3-2 lead for West in the fifth, the bottom of the fifth would prove to be the difference as the Hardhats scored four runs in the inning and another two in the sixth as Hudson Ogle had two RBIs along with an RBI from Kain McLeod and Brixton Steen as the 7-8-9 hitters would get the job done having four RBIs in the game. Brayden Stapert would get the win on the mound going five innings allowing just five hits and three runs on a walk and four strikeouts. Ryan Neugebauer finished off the six out save striking out two and allowing just one base runner, on an error.
Rapid City Post 22 will advance to the Central Plains regional beginning on Thursday when they face Dubuque County, Iowa, the state champion in the first game of the entire double elimination tournament in Mandan, North Dakota. First pitch is at 11:00 AM.
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