Pierre takes third place in State VFW 13-14 tournament

SIOUX FALLS -- Pierre Post 8's Young Eights came within one out of advancing to the championship game and showed their character as they bounced back to take third place Sunday in the State VFW 13-14 tournament.

It is the second year in a row Pierre placed third after losing by one run in the semi-finals.

Pierre led for six innings in the semi-final Sunday against Rapid City Blue. Pierre was ahead 6-4 entering the bottom of the seventh and final inning. With two outs and no runners aboard, Blue put together two singles, a walk and game-winning double to win 7-6.

Quinn Reimers pitched the first five innings. He left with a 5-2 lead. He struck out two while allowing five hits and five walks. Justin Berheim threw the final two frames. He allowed five runs on four hits and four walks.

Blue outhit Pierre 9-8. Leading Pierre at the plate in the game with two hits apiece were Trey Campbell, including a triple, and Layne Hohn, while Max Reinke and Connor Ryan had two RBI each.

Rapid City Blue proceeded to win the championship 8-3 over defending champion Brookings. Brookings made the finals by defeating Rapid City Red 10-5. Last season Brookings beat Pierre 2-1 in the sem-finals.

In the third-place contest, Pierre pulled in front early by eight runs and didn't surrender the lead for a 10-8 victory over Rapid City Red.

Pierre finished with four wins and one loss in the tournament.

Against Red, Nick Rabern was the winning pitcher. He went five innings, striking out one while allowing five runs on five hits and eight walks. Layne Hohn threw the final two innings. He gave up three runs on one hit and three walks while striking out two.

Quinn Reimers led Pierre at the plate with two hits.

Coach Jordan Heckenlaible said he was proud of the players' effort and their resiliency. "Overall, we had a great year," he said.

After the opening round of pool play, in which Pierre won all three of its games, Pierre was seeded No. 3 in the final four round of the tournament.

The 13-14 team's strong finish gave the three Post 8 Teeners team a combined record of six wins and five losses in the two state VFW tournaments during the past weekend.

Teener state wrap-up

After Pierre Green lost to Brandon 6-2 on Saturday in the State VFW 15-16 tournament, once-beaten Watertown eliminated Brandon 13-1. Watertown went forward to defeat unbeaten Sioux Falls West twice, 12-2 and 10-9, Sunday for the championship. West previously beat Watertown 10-4. West was the No. 1 seed from the South Division and Watertown was the No. 1 seed from the North Division.

Pierre makes final four at 13-14 state tourney

SIOUX FALLS -- The fundamental rule of baseball is the team scoring more runs wins. Pierre Post 8's Teeners did that Saturday, refusing to quit in a game that saw the lead change sides five times, and advanced to the final-four championship round of the State VFW 13-14 tournament.

Coach Jordan Heckenlaible's squad faces Rapid City Blue in an 11 a.m. contest Sunday. The winner goes to the championship game.

Pierre won its three pool-play games Friday and Saturday. The climax came when Pierre defeated Sioux Falls West 15-14 on Saturday afternoon. Neither team scored in the final two innings of the seven-inning contest.

Pierre used four pitchers in the game, with Connor Ryan getting the win. He allowed one run.

The score was 9-8 in West's favor, when Pierre erupted for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning. West stormed back with five runs in the bottom half.

Pierre had 18 hits, West 11. Pierre's first three pitchers issued 10 walks and allowed eight hits as West scored its first 13 runs.

Matt Booth paced Pierre at the plate. He was 4-for-5 and scored five runs. Connor Ryan was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in. Layne Hohn had two hits.

Coach Heckenlaible said the game was a good learning experience for his team, as the entire Pierre lineup contributed on offense on a day when Pierre pitchers had trouble throwing strikes.

Pierre took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, expanded the margin to 5-0 in the top of the second, and saw West tighten the score to 5-3 in the bottom of the second.

Pierre added a run in the third but West put five on the board in the bottom to go up 8-6.

Pierre fought back with two runs in the fourth but West put a run across in the bottom to get back in front 9-8.

The fifth inning proved decisive as Pierre outscored West 7-5. With the game on the line neither team could cross the plate with its final six outs.

Brandon eliminates Pierre Green from state tourney

BROOKINGS -- Pierre Green's hitting struggles took the toll Saturday as Brandon won 6-2 in an elimination game at the State VFW 15-16 tournament.

Green finished with two wins and two losses in the tournament. Pierre White was eliminated Friday with its second loss and no victories.

Green managed just six hits against Brandon on Saturday. Green had defeated Brandon 13-10 in the tourney opener Thursday.

Coach Scott Hesla sent Cooper Walton back to the mound Saturday after pitching four scoreless innings against Brandon Thursday. This time the results were different.

With just one day of rest, Walton worked hard, pitching the full seven innings, but received little support from his offense. Brandon broke a 2-2 game open with three runs in the fifth inning. Walton finished with seven strikeouts while allowing one walk and eight hits. Three of Brandon's runs were unearned.

Green received two hits apiece from Austin Wagner and Alex Gray.

One set of statistics told the real story of the game. Brandon's eighth and ninth batters in the order had two hits each and scored a combined three runs. Five of Brandon's runs came from the bottom four slots of the batting order. Green had one hit and no runs from the bottom five slots of its order.

Tournament officials gave Pierre Green the sportsmanship award. Green finished fourth in the eight-team tournament.

Green splits against Sioux Falls teams

BROOKINGS -- Sioux Falls West showed why it came in as the top seed in the State VFW 15-16 tournament with its 5-3 win Friday morning over Pierre Green. Green showed why it remains a force  with a 6-1 victory Friday night over Sioux Falls East.

Willie Welch pitched the best game of his Teeners years as he went the complete seven innings against East. He had all of his pitches working effectively and East managed just a handful of hits.

Green now has two wins and one loss in the double-elimination tournament.

Green scored five runs in a chaotic first inning against East, running the bases well and slamming the ball to the third base side where the setting sun made fielding difficult. Green's shortstop Cash Anderson and third baseman Alex Gray were able to hold off East's attacks on that side of the diamond, and Welch's fastball, curve and change-up kept East's batters from comfortably settling in.

East managed one run in the fifth inning but Green got the run back in the sixth when East turned an odd double play on a ground ball, with a back-pick play for the second out at second base while Green's lead runner hustled home.

More details be added when they become available.

Against top-seed West, Green jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning but West came back with two runs. Green tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third but West came back again with a run in the bottom half. West tallied two more in the fourth to pull ahead 5-2. Green got a run in the sixth but couldn't score in the seventh.

Starting Green pitcher Cody Honeywell went four innings and Cash Anderson threw a scoreless final two.

Each team had nine hits and one error. The difference according to Coach Scott Hesla was Green's hits didn't come at the right times and West's hits did.

That was reflected in the batting stats. Two Green players had six of the nine hits. Austin Wagner led Green with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate including a triple. Carson Eisenbeisz had two hits.

Pierre White ends season with tough loss

BROOKINGS -- Pierre White was eliminated Friday with its second loss of the State VFW 15-16 tournament, falling 8-1 to Brandon.

White was in the game until the seventh inning when Brandon scored four runs.

Coach Sam Koenecke's squad had been a strong-hitting team throughout the season but struggled at the plate in both games at the tournament.

Teener 13-14s come up with big hits, win first two games of tourney

SIOUX FALLS -- Pierre Post 8 swept its two opening games Friday in the State VFW 13-14 tournament, defeating Yankton 7-4 and Sioux Falls South 18-2.

Isaac Grode showed in the Yankton win why he's become the No. 1 pitcher in Coach Jordan Heckenlaible's rotation. Yankton scored in the first inning but Grode was able to keep them off the scoreboard again until the sixth. Yankton added two runs in the seventh. He struck out four and gave up four runs, two earned, on five hits.

At the plate Pierre pounded three doubles and three triples among its 10 hits. Justin Berheim was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, scoring two runs. Matt Booth and Layne Hohn each had two hits, with Booth getting a double.

Against Sioux Falls South, the outcome became clear early as Pierre rolled to a 10-0 lead through two innings. Pierre scored six runs in the fifth to end the game under the mercy rule.

Connor Ryan had one of those rare games that hitters never forget. He went 5-for-5 with two doubles.

Ryan also pitched one inning of scoreless relief, striking out one.

Winning pitcher Nick Rabern went four innings, striking out four. He held South scoreless until the fourth inning.

Max Reinke and Matt Booth scored three runs apiece for Pierre. Landon Badger was 2-for-2 with two walks. Justin Berheim was 2-for-2 with a walk and hit a triple.

Green wins opener over Brandon, White puts up hard fight against West

BROOKINGS -- Pierre Green broke to a 7-0 lead and never trailed en route to a 13-10 victory Thursday morning over Brandon Valley in the first round of the South Dakota VFW age 15-16 state tournament at Bob Shelden stadium.

Pierre White lost 7-1  in a Thursday afternoon matchup against Sioux Falls West, the tournament's top seed. 

 Against Brandon, Green saw Cooper Walton dominate for four innings on the mound as he held Brandon scoreless. He struck out eight of the first 10 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until the fourth.

Three of Pierre's early runs came on passed balls. Kyle Sarringar crushed a 344-foot solo home run.

Alex Gray relieved Walton to open the fifth inning with a 7-0 lead. Brandon put five runs up to pull within 7-5 through the middle of the fifth. But Green bolted back out 13-5 in the bottom half of the frame, using good baserunning while taking advantage of walks, infield errors and some general confusion.

Brandon batters struck out 16 times in the seven-inning game, including four times in the first inning when a ball got away and the batter reached first base safely. Walton struck out 10, Gray six.

Top Green hitters were Austin Wagner and Cooper Walton with two hits apiece.

Against West, Pierre White couldn't get the bats going. White managed just three hits.

Even so, the teams were tied at 1-1 after the first inning. West kept chipping away at White starting pitcher Graham Protexter, scoring one run or two in five of the six innings West batted.

It's state tournament time for Teeners!

All three of Pierre Post 8's Teeners teams are headed for state tournaments this week. The Green and White teams began play Thursday at Brookings in the 15-16 tourney, which is double elimination. The 13-14 team starts play Friday morning at Sioux Falls with two days of pool play followed by a championship bracket.

Teeners 13-14 matchups

SIOUX FALLS -- Pierre Post 8's Teeners play at 9 a.m. Friday against Yankton in their first game of the State VFW 13-14 tournament at the Sioux Falls complex.

Pierre next plays Sioux Falls  South in a Friday afternoon game and meets Sioux Falls West on Saturday morning to complete pool play. Top finishers advance to the championship rounds.

The Yankton contest features two coaches who formerly played for Post 8 together. Pierre is coached by Jordan Heckenlaible. Yankton is coached by Jason Livermont. Both were assistant coaches for Post 8 last season. They were teammates through the 2009 season.

State 15-16 games set for White and Green teams

BRANDON -- The first time is the charm for Pierre Post 8's decision to play two teams this summer in the State VFW 15-16 League.

Both of Pierre Post 8's teams have made the state tournament that opens Thursday in Brookings.

Pierre Green plays the first game at 10 a.m. Thursday against Brandon. Green lost to Brandon 5-4 Monday night.

Pierre White plays the second game at 1 p.m. Thursday against Sioux Falls West. White lost to West 21-6 in July.

Green was the only team to beat West in league play this summer, taking a 6-5 win in June.

White's berth in the tournament was cemented Monday night when Mitchell defeated Huron.

Both first-round games in the tournament are at Bob Shelden Field in Brookings.

Brookings, as the host team, reconfigured the tournament game times so that Brookings can play the 7 p.m. game on Thursday. Consequently, game times are now different than shown on a previously distributed bracket.

Skippers of the two squads are White's Sam Koenecke and Green's Scott Hesla.

If one or both of Green and White win, they advance to the second round and play at 10 a.m. Friday at Bob Shelden Field. A victory in that game advances the team to round three for a noon game Saturday against the other remaining unbeaten team.

If one or both loses in the 10 a.m. game Thursday, the next game is at 10 a.m. Friday at Erv Heuther Field. A victory in that second game would advance the team to a 4 p.m. game Friday. Two losses for a team eliminates the team from the tournament.

The tournament runs through Saturday and Sunday. Look here for further updates.

Pierre White enters the tournament with a league record of three wins and 12 losses. White placed fourth of the six teams in the North Division, ahead of Huron (2-13) and Aberdeen (2-13). Watertown won the division with a record of 12-3. Pierre Green placed second under a tie-breaker ahead of Brookings, both with records of 10-5.

White's first-round opponent, Sioux Falls West, won the South Division with 13 wins and one loss. Sioux Falls East placed second at 10-4, followed by Brandon at 7-7, Yankton 6-8 and Mitchell 5-9.

League standings and tie-breakers are used to determine the eight teams in the state tournament. Huron, Aberdeen and Mitchell fell short of the cut.

Green loses in regular season finale

BRANDON -- Pierre Post 8's Teeners Green team fell 5-4 to Brandon in Green's final State VFW 15-16 League contest of the 2011 season Mondday evening. The game was played at the Valley Springs field.

Green finished its regular season with a league record of 10 wins and five losses. Starting pitcher A.J. Dorschner went five innings. Pierre knocked 12 hits, led by Carson Eisenbeisz with three including a double. Austin Wagner had two doubles. Alex Gray and Cash Anderson had two hits apiece with a double each. 

Greens take a sweep from White, narrowly

The matchup they've been trying to have all summer finally went down Sunday evening at Hyde Stadium as Teeners Green took both ends of a doubleheader from Teeners White in a State VFW 15-16 League battle.

Green won the opener 7-6, as White left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and final inning. In the nightcap, Green hung on to win 19-15, after scoring four runs in the top of the seventh. White scored one run in the bottom of the seventh and left the bases loaded.

Both games of the doubleheader counted in the league standings.

Green seemed to have control of the first game but White kept chipping away. In the second game, Green had led 9-0 after the second inning, but White again kept scratching and fighting. White took a 14-12 lead, but Green came back to tie and then lead 15-14. Green seemed to again ice the W with four runs in the seventh, but White had the tying run at the plate when the final out was made.

Further details will be posted as the box scores become available.The doubleheader took approximately five and one-half hours to complete. It was the final home date for Post 8 teams this summer.

One inning costs Teeners White

Pierre Post 8's Teeners White squad fell 13-3 to Brookings in a State VFW 15-16 League game Saturday afternoon at Hyde Stadium, as Brookings came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie in the fourth and scored nine runs in the fifth inning.

Brookings had used the same big-inning magic to defeat Teeners Green on Friday night, scoring six runs in the sixth inning off two Pierre pitchers en route to an eventual 9-6 victory in an extra eight inning.

For White, starting pitcher Ben Leidholt took the loss Saturday. He was knocked to the ground hard but held onto the ball for an out in a collision with a Brookings runner in the fourth inning during a rundown between third base and home plate. He returned to the mound to start the fifth but ran into early trouble. With the score 4-2 for Brookings and bases loaded with one out, Coach Sam Koenecke summoned Jon Albright in relief. Brookings batters kept finding holes for hits and Pierre's infield committed two errors as Brookings scored seven more runs in the inning. For the game, Leidholt wound up being charged with seven runs and Albright eventually with six. Five of Brookings' runs were unearned in the game.

Pierre repeatedly hit long fly balls for outs caught by Brookings' well-trained outfield. The only White batter with more than one hit was Graham Protexter, who was 2-for-3 with a walk.

In the non-league second game of the doubleheader, White posted a victory 8-5 over Brookings behind solid pitching from Alex Meagher and determinedly strong hitting from Ben Leidholt.

Meagher went seven innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and three walks while striking out four. Leidholt led White at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one RBI and three runs scored.

White won the second game with a five-run fourth inning. Alec Norwick ignited the rally with a lead-off double and scored on Leidholt's triple. Bo Atkins was hit by a pitch, and Brookings committed an error on Blake Dean's groundball to third base scoring Leidholt. Taylor Dowling singled to load the bases, and Tim Fuerst was hit by a pitch to push home Atkins. After a Brookings change of pitcher, Shay Reinke drove a sacrifice fly to center field to score Dean. Meagher next nailed a double to score Dowling. That put White ahead 6-2.

Brookings pulled back to within 6-4 with two runs in the top of the fifth, but White came right back a run in the bottom half. Leidholt led off with a single, Atkins reached on an infield error, Dean drew a walk to load the bases and Dowling drew an RBI walk to push in Leidholt.

Leidholt got it going again for White with a two-out single in the sixth. He stole to advance and scored on Atkins' RBI single.

Pierre's first run of the game came on the speedy Reinke's triple that knocked in Fuerst in the third inning.

In case you missed it...

Here are prize winners from the Post 8 Baseball drawing:

 Twins tickets -- Steve Sprenger;

Rockies tickets -- Wayne Schmidt;

Pheasants tickets -- Laura Weber;

Ramkota weekend -- Jean Denton;

Holiday Inn Express weekend -- Kristi Catlin;

Slumberland recliner -- Susan Coolidge;

Don's Sinclair $100 gas card -- Adam Deneke;

Don's Sinclair $50 gas card -- Mary Vandel;

Wells Fargo $100 savings bond -- Rich Kueter;

Boyd Conzemius/American Family Insurance $50 -- Jessica Filler;

Reinke Gray Wealth Management $50 -- Ann Propst;

Tree Pro planted 6-foot tree -- Luke Breckenridge;

Rillings pork bundle -- Yvonne Huffman;

Pierre Flower Shop $50 gift certificate -- Laurie Understock;

Oahe Speedway passes (four each) -- Rick Gordon, Jim Protexter, Luke Breckenridge;

Sutley's $25 gift certificate -- Kay Lebert;

Pizza Hut one large monthly/six months -- Lana Laurenz;

WW Tire alignment -- Mick Heckenlaible;

WW Tire oil change (one each) -- Cindy Ryan, Madonna Long. 

13-14s whip Mitchell 13s

MITCHELL -- Mitchell sent its age-13 team out Friday, and the Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 squad swept the doubleheader by scores of 21-4 and 16-6. The games were Pierre's final of the regular season.

At Mitchell, Pierre won the first game easily as the batters found repeated success, scoring at least two runs each inning. On the mound, Jack Wollman made his debut as a starting pitcher and went three innings. He allowed four runs on two hits and seven walks while striking out three. Landon Badger pitched the final two innings for Pierre, giving up two runs on two hits and five walks, while striking out one and picking off two Mitchell baserunners.

Isaac Grode smacked a triple to the right-field wall for three RBI in the first inning. Connor Ryan also had a triple and four RBI. Matt Booth had his bat and his legs working, finishing 3-for-4 with four runs scored. The same was true for Justin Berheim who was 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Brevin Kaiser also had three hits and scored thrice.

In the second Mitchell game, Pierre roared to a 16-0 lead through the middle of three innings, with Nick Rabern pitching well. After Rabern was removed, Mitchell drew nine walks in the fourth inning and scored six runs. Landon Badger, Cooper Carter, Layne Hohn and Max Reinke had two hits apiece. Badger scored three runs. Carter tripled as he hit the ball hard throughout the game.

Brookings rallies past Pierre Green

Brookings defeated Pierre Post 8's Teeners Green team in State VFW 15-16 League action Friday evening 9-6.

Green led 4-0 after three innings and was on cruise control when Brookings scored six runs in the sixth inning off Green starting pitcher Cooper Walton and reliever Alex Gray.

Green knotted the score at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning as Willie Welch crushed an RBI triple to right-center with two outs. Green then loaded the bases but couldn't get Welch home.

In the extra eighth inning, Brookings put three runs up and Pierre went down quietly.

The defeat ended Green's chance to overtake Watertown in the battle for the North Division's top spot and could drop Green behind Brookings in state tournament seeding.

Further details will be reported as they become available.

If you see Bob Sullivan...

Tell him thanks for the three years he's given the Pierre Post 8 program as American Legion coach and for his two years of work before that with our Teeners program. He's moving to the Omaha area for personal and professional reasons. While Bob is leaving, the work he's done in helping select and train our Legion and Teener players, and his help to our Teeners coaches, will be reaping results for years to come. 

Eights come up short in season-ending defeat

YANKTON -- Pierre Post 8 fell 9-5 to Sioux Falls West and was eliminated Thursday from the South Dakota American Legion state baseball tournament.

The loss was Pierre's second in the double-elimination tournament. The Eights had pulled within 6-5 with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

West added three insurance runs in the top half of the ninth, helped by two two-out errors and two walks.

Coach Bob Sullivan's team finished with a record of 28 wins and 26 losses.

Pierre never led against West.

The Eights trailed 6-0 when they finally put three runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. The first run scored with bases loaded as Brandon Heckenlaible crossed the plate on a Jared Neilan sacrifice fly. Scott Cichos tripled down the right field line for a two-run hit with two outs to score Tanner Wolf and Brailey Benton. Nolan Merrill was called out on a high third strike leaving Cichos at third base.

Neither team scored in the sixth and or the seventh.

Merrill made a stunning catch in the eighth, then led off Pierre's bottom of the eighth with a double over the centerfielder's head. Adam Deneke ripped a double to score Merrill. West pulled starting pitcher Brady Aldrich after Deneke's at-bat. Royce Pease laid a perfect bunt down the third base line to advance Deneke to third base, with Pease safe at first as the potential tying run. Garrett Weber lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Deneke to make the score 6-5. A double play ended the Pierre rally.

West got its lead-off batter aboard to start the ninth inning with a walk and advanced to second base on an 0-2 wild pitch. The runner moved to third on a ground out. With the infielders at the grass, a base hit bounced through the right side to score the runner for a 7-5 lead. A second walk led Coach Bob Sullivan to summon reliever Tayler Owens to replace starting pitcher Deneke, who was making his longest appearance of the season.

A double-play attempt on the first batter faced by Owens led to an off-target throw from second baseman Heckenlaible for another run. A high throw from shortstop Benton allowed another run to score for the 9-5 lead.

Dylan Schiltz pinch hit for Pierre in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a one-out single. A line drive by Neilan was turned by West's third baseman into a double play to end the game.

Sioux Falls West scored one run in the second inning for the early lead. West broke loose with four runs in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs through the help of a walk and an error. An infield squib hit, another error and a two-out two-run single up the middle did the damage.

West added a sixth run in the top of the fifth. With two outs, West got a single and a walk followed by a RBI double.

A lead-off double in the bottom of the third by Pierre's Tanner Wolf went for naught on a pop-up bunt, fly-out and infield out. A lead-off single by Nolan Merrill in the fourth ended in a double play as he broke for third base and was out as Royce Pease pinch-hit for a fly out. A lead-off single by Wolf in the seventh was followed by three outs.

Deneke pitched well enough for Pierre but for some bad bounces. He pitched into the ninth inning. Pierre's defense, anchored by third baseman Wolf, got progressively better as the game moved into the late innings, until the problems erupted again in the ninth.

Teeners White give Watertown a tussle

The continued improvement of Post 8's Teeners White crew showed again Wednesday evening at Hyde Stadium, but an eight-run inning early by Watertown led to a 14-10 defeat for Pierre in a State VFW 15-16 League game.

Watertown also won the non-league nightcap 4-3.

The losses came on the heels of a tough trip to Sioux Falls on July 25 when the White squad lost to West 21-6 in the league game and 18-17 in the development game.

Against Watertown, Coach Sam Koenecke's squad fell behind 9-0 after the visitors scored eight runs in the top half of the second inning. But Pierre didn't quit and scored three runs in the bottom half with the help of some shaky Watertown pitching and defense, with Ben Leidholt, Bo Atkins and Jon Albright crossing the plate.

Pierre put five runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning to bring the game within 10-8. Jon Albright's leadoff single and Josh Sayler's walk next set the table for the big frame. Three more walks forced a Watertown pitching change. The big blow came on Ben Leidholt's triple with two outs and two strikes as he drove in the fourth run of the rally. He scored on a wild pitch.

Watertown tacked on two runs in the fifth and a run apiece in the sixth and seventh, while Pierre couldn't rally again until the two-run bottom of the seventh.

Ben Leidholt led the White offense going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and one RBI, while Bo Atkins was 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and one RBI. Eight Pierre batters had at least one RBI, led by Blake Dean and Alex Meagher with two apiece. Jon Albright scored twice.

Atkins took the loss on the mound, with Shay Reinke throwing the seventh in relief.

In the second game, Watertown scored first but Pierre held a 3-1 lead heading into the fifth. Watertown rallied late for the 4-3 win. Watertown had four hits, Pierre six, including two by Alex Meagher. Tim Fuerst drew a bases-loaded walk for Pierre.

White threw three pitchers: Josh Sayler, Blake Dean and Shay Reinke. All three were effective. Only two of Watertown's runs were earned in the six-inning game.

Against Sioux Falls West, Pierre managed just six hits in the league game that went just four innings. Alex Meagher had two hits and two RBI, while Alec Norwick and Bo Atkins scored twice. Norwick was 1-for-1 with two walks. Blake Dean had two RBI.

 In the development game, West scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 18-17 victory.

Eight different Pierre batters scored in the game. Shay Reinke led the offense with four runs scored and two RBI as he went 2-for-2 with two walks. Tim Fuerst scored three runs and was 1-for-2 with two walks. Alex Meagher was 2-for-4 with a walk, four RBI and two runs. Graham Protexter was 2-for-4 with a walk, five RBI and a run. Alec Norwick and Ben Leidholt had each two hits and one run, with Norwich one RBI and Leidholt two RBI. Bo Atkins scored two runs and had two RBI. Taylor Dowling scored two runs.

Sioux Falls East tops Eights early in Legion opener

YANKTON -- Sioux Falls East took a 10-0 lead through three innings Wednesday morning against Pierre Post 8 and went on to a 14-4 victory in a mercy-shortened eight innings in the opening game of the 2011 South Dakota American Legion state baseball tournament.

Adam Deneke's three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning pulled Pierre within 11-3.

Coach Bob Sullivan removed Pierre starting pitcher Scott Cichos after three innings. East had 10 runs off 11 hits and Pierre committed four errors during his time on the mound. Royce Pease relieved and gave up one run in three innings of work. Alex McGuigan relieved Pease to start the bottom of the seventh.

Facing the prospect of the 10-run mercy rule after seven innings, McGuigan gave up a base hit, then benefited from a line drive double-play started by shortstop Mac Mercer and a nice catch by Nolan Merrill in right field to end the inning.

Jared Neilan jacked a solo home run, his second hit of the game, to open the Pierre top of the eighth inning to pull the Eights within 11-4. Two Pierre runners were left aboard as East escaped the rally without further damage.

East strung together four hits in the eighth off McGuigan to make the score 14-4 to end the game.

Pierre had just four clean hits and five baserunners through the first seven innings.

Second baseman Brandon Heckenlaible and Neilan, with two hits apiece, were the only Pierre batters with more than one hit in the game.

East won its regional tournament last week and was the 2010 state runner-up.

Pierre will play again Thursday in the double-elimination tournament. The second game Wednesday featured Class B state champion Garretson and Brookings. The game was won by Brookings 8-2.

Pierre faces the loser of Wednesday's third game, between Watertown and Sioux Falls West, on Thursday in a loser-out elimination game at 10 a.m. If Pierre wins its Thursday game, the Eights would play on Friday at approximately 5 p.m.

Teeners Green battles past Aberdeen twice

We're awaiting full details, but Pierre Post 8's Teeners Green team won a pair of league games 11-7 and 20-7 over Aberdeen on Tuesday evening at Hyde Stadium in State VFW 15-16 League action. The second game was a league team, with Pierre as the visiting team, in a make-up for a rainout game that had been scheduled in Aberdeen. Pierre was leading in that game after putting nine runs on the scoreboard in the first two innings and an Aberdeen grand slam.

Teeners 13-14 squad takes four from Sioux Falls

A seventh-inning rally allowed Post 8's Teeners 13-14 team to score a 11-10 victory over Sioux Falls South on Sunday evening, as the local 34s took four games from Sioux Falls squads in a weekend cross-state quadrangular that also involved Spearfish.

Pierre won its two games Saturday and both games Sunday. Coach Jordan Heckenlaible's squad is peaking as it heads toward the state tournament next week. They've won 12 of their last 14 games and finish up the regular season with a doubleheader at Mitchell on Thursday.

On Sunday, Pierre beat Sioux Falls East 12-2 in five innings behind a combination of big hits at the right times and solid pitching. Quinn Reimers threw the first four innings, allowing just two hits and two runs, and Max Reinke pitched a clean fifth.

Pierre set the tone from the start when Justin Berheim singled and No. 2 batter Matt Booth executed a hit and run for a triple to center field to score Berheim. Isaac Grode lofted a deep double for two RBI later in the first. The five-run third inning featured a three-RBI double by Nick Rabern. The four-run fourth saw a two-RBI double by Layne Hohn. Connor Ryan, Booth and Grode finished the game with two hits apiece.

The final game Sunday saw Sioux Falls South stay even through five innings 5-5 and pull ahead 10-5 in the sixth with the help of three Pierre errors. Pierre put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth and loaded the bases with two outs. Down two strikes, Max Reinke came through, crushing a ball over the center fielder's head for a three-run double that rolled to the wall, tying the game 10-10.

Pierre kept South off the scoreboard in the seventh and then won without hitting a ball more than 70 feet. Justin Berheim legged out a single on a squibber and took second base on a bad throw. Ben Eisenbeisz bunted to sacrifice Berheim to third base but the pitcher's throw sailed high over the first baseman and Berheim trotted home with the winning run. Eisenbeisz finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

Landon Badger returned to the mound for the first time in about a month and didn't look rusty, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits in four innings of work. Derk Campbell relieved and made it through one and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on three hits, with none of the runs earned. Connor Ryan finished up and received credit as the official winning pitcher.

On Saturday, Pierre defeated Sioux Falls East 12-4 in the opening game. Pierre pitcher Isaac Grode allowed eight hits and struck out three, after carrying a no-hitter into the fourth inning. Trey Campbell was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, while Justin Berheim was 3-for-4 and Brevin Kaiser went 3-for-3 with a triple.

The second game Saturday saw Pierre defeat Sioux Falls South 14-4. Eight of Pierre's nine batters had at least one hit, and all nine reached base at least once and scored at least one run apiece. Connor Ryan hit an inside-the-park homer for three RBI and was 3-for-4, while Justin Berheim was 2-for-3 and three other Pierre batters -- Brevin Kaiser, Cooper Carter and Ben Eisenbeisz -- also had two hits apiece. Max Reinke legged out a triple. On the mound Ben Eisenbeisz turned in another good pitching performance. Two of the four runs scored against him were earned. He allowed just two hits.

Further details on the Sunday games will be added as they become available. Pierre played Spearfish earlier in the season, so the teams didn't play each other during the quadrangular.

Teeners White overpowers Aberdeen for key win

ABERDEEN -- Graham Protexter threw four scoreless innings of relief and his team's offense scored eight runs during the same stretch, as Pierre Post 8's Teeners White team rallied past Aberdeen 11-6 Sunday afternoon in State VFW 15-16 League baseball.

The victory was the third for Coach Sam Koenecke's squad in league play and puts them in clear contention for a state tournament berth.

Six Pierre batters had multiple hits in the game, but perhaps more significantly eight of them had at least one RBI.

Pierre scored four runs in the fifth inning to pull ahead 9-6 and claim the lead for good. Three of the runs came with two outs, including two on Protexter's single.

Ben Leidholt was 4-for-5, Shay Reinke was 3-for-4 with a walk, and Alex Meagher was 3-for-4. Reinke scored four times in the contest. Meagher and Blake Dean scored twice. Protexter had three RBI. Josh Sayler, batting in the ninth slot of the order, was 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Protexter and Bo Atkins had two hits apiece, while Dean drew two walks.

Pierre led 3-2 after two innings but Aberdeen scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Pierre pulled within 6-5 with two runs in the fourth. Pierre added two insurance runs in the seventh.

Protexter's four innings on the mound in relief of Atkins slammed the door on the Smittys. He walked the first batter of the Aberdeen fourth but then recorded six  consecutive infield outs. Aberdeen's first two batters singled to open the bottom of the sixth but the next three went down on infield outs. Aberdeen mounted a rally in the seventh but couldn't get a runner past second base.

Protexter finished with no runs on three hits and two walks with no strikeouts as his defense turned in an error-free performance behind him.

Pierre lost the second non-league game 15-7, as reserve pitcher Taylor Dowling made his debut on the mound. Aberdeen ran out to a 10-1 lead in the first inning and Pierre committed nine errors in the game. Reserve pitcher Jon Albright threw the final three innings, allowing five runs on four hits and walking one. Only three of the runs scored against Dowling and two of the runs scored against Albright were earned.

Taylor Dowling led Pierre at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run and two RBI.

 Yankton's late rally upends Green Teeners

YANKTON -- Too much confidence perhaps played into the defeat that the Post 8 Teeners Green team suffered Saturday evening against Yankton. Cruising along with a 5-0 lead, Green allowed nine runs to be scored by Yankton in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to a Yankton 11-10 victory in State VFW 15-16 League play.

Pierre fought back with three runs in the top of the sixth but Yankton answered with two runs in the bottom half to stay in front. Pierre scored two runs in the top of the seventh.

Alex Gray took the loss on the mound for Pierre, pitching in relief of starter Cooper Walton.

Coach Scott Hesla said two errors helped cost Pierre the game.

Willie Welch led Pierre at the plate with a 3-for-5 game including two doubles, while Cash Anderson went 3-for-3 with two doubles, and Ryan Goodwin added two hits.

Brandon Valley meanwhile declined to make the trip to Yankton to fulfill its leage game against Pierre. Brandon was scheduled to play Pierre at Brandon on Sunday but canceled. League games are used to determine berths in the state tournament.

In the second game at Yankton, Pierre rolled to a 13-0 non-league win behind a six-inning two-hitter from starting pitcher Ryan Goodwin. Austin Wagner was 4-for-5 and Cash Anderson 3-for-5, each with a double. Pierre committed no errors.

Eights face East in American Legion state opener

The official word is that Pierre Post 8 will play at 10 a.m. Wednesday against Sioux Falls East in the opening game of the South Dakota American Legion baseball tournament. The tourney is double elimination and the Eights will play again Thursday, regardless of Wednesday's outcome.

If they win Wednesday, the Eights would play at approximately 5 p.m. Thursday against the winner of the Sioux Falls West-Watertown game. If the Eights lose on Wednesday, they would play at 10 a.m. Thursday against the loser of the West-Watertown game.

Sioux Falls East placed second in the 2010 state tournament, losing to Rapid City Post 22 in the championship. East won its regional Friday without a loss, twice beating runner-up Sioux Falls West.

The state field will be the two Sioux Falls teams, Pierre, Rapid City Post 22, Watertown, Brookings, host Yankton and the Class B champion (Garretson and Redfield were playing Sunday evening for the title).

The opening-day schedule (unofficial) has Pierre vs. East at 10 a.m., followed by  Brookings vs. Class B champion and by West vs. Watertown in the afternoon contests. Post 22 meets Yankton in the 7 p.m. game.

Pierre hasn't played East yet this season.

The Eights came out of the west regional tournament with two wins and two losses, beating Spearfish 11-8 and Rapid City Post 320 by 16-5 but falling twice to Rapid City Post 22. The Eights lost Thursday 5-4 to Post 22. On Friday night in the final round, the Eights gave up 10 runs in the second inning en route to a hard-fought 17-7 loss against Post 22. The game, scheduled for nine innings, was called after eight under the tourney's 10-run rule. Three of Pierre's runs came on Tanner Wolf's homer. More details to come as the box score becomes available.

Teeners White tops Huron in race for playoffs

HURON -- Starting pitcher Alec Norwick and reliever Graham Protexter combined to hold Huron to one run in the final five innings, as Pierre Post 8's Teeners White squad prevailed 9-4 Thursday and won its second State VFW 15-16 League game of the season.

Huron led 3-2 until Pierre tied the score in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Pierre's eighth and ninth batters in the order, Jon Albright and Josh Sayler, reached base on an error and a walk. Shay Reinke put a ball in play that Huron's infield couldn't handle and Albright scored.

Pierre took the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Alec Norwick led off and was hit by a pitch. He advanced to second base on Ben Leidholt's single. Both runners moved up on a loose pitch, and Bo Atkins drove Norwick home with a groundout to shortstop.

Norwick struck out the Huron side in the fifth to keep Pierre on top. His batters came alive in the top of the sixth with four runs. Shay Reinke hit a one-out single, stole second base and advanced to third base on a wild pitch, then scored as Huron's infield couldn't handle Alex Meagher ground ball to third base.  Meagher advanced to second on a wild pitch and Graham Protexter delivered an RBI single. Protexter stole second base and moved to third on Norwick's fly ball to center field. Ben Leidholt came through with another key single to plate Protexter. Bo Atkins followed with a single to advance Leidholt, and Blake Dean hit an RBI single. 

Norwick battled through the bottom of the sixth, giving up a lead-off home run but working out of further trouble as the inning ended with bases loaded from two walks and an error.

Pierre got the run back in the seventh. With two outs, Reinke and then Meagher singled, Protexter was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Norwick delivered an RBI single.

Protexter relieved with one out in the seventh and two Huron runners aboard. Pierre's infielders handled ground balls for the final two outs.

Pierre opened the game with two runs in the first on a double by Reinke, an error on a ground ball to shortstop hit by Protexter on which Reinke scored, and a RBI single by Leidholt with two outs.

Reinke and Leidholt finished the game at 3-for-5 apiece at the plate, with Reinke scoring three runs and Leidholt scoring one run with two RBI. Meagher was 2-for-4 with a run and one RBI. Protexter scored two runs and had two RBI.

Norwick finished with nine strikeouts while allowing seven walks and three hits to get the victory on the mound.

The Pierre White squad is battling for the fourth and final state tournament berth available to the six teams in the North Division. The Pierre Green squad is aiming for the top North berth.

In the non-league nightcap, Huron won 6-5 over White in a shortened five-inning game. Pierre fell behind 4-2 after two innings. Pierre had just four hits, including an RBI single by Taylor Dowling. Jon Albright had three RBI and Bo Atkins one. Blake Dean scored two runs.

13-14 Teeners roll on at Brookings

BROOKINGS -- The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 team defeated Brookings 12-5 Wednesday, then ran out of daylight on an unlit field and lost 8-7 in a shortened five-inning game.

The 34s knocked around Brookings starter Logan Busch for four runs in the top of the first in the opener, with consecutive doubles by Trey Campbell and Isaac Grode. Pierre didn't let up, adding three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and three more in the seventh inning. Justin Berheim, Layne Hohn, Nick Rabern, Campbell and Grode had two hits apiece.

Justin Berheim made his first start as a pitcher this season and performed well over six innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out four. He was aided by his replacement in center field. Landon Badger made diving catches to end Brookings rallies in the fourth and sixth innings.

Because the games were at Mickelson Field which doesn't have lights, each game was limited to one hour and 40 minutes. Pierre fell behind 8-4 in the second game as starter Matt Booth and reliever Brevin Kaiser struggled to throw strikes. Kaiser settled down to allow Pierre to get back within 8-7, but a Brookings reliever struck out the three Pierre batters in the fifth and final inning. Pierre pitchers walked nine Brookings batters and hit one in four innings of work. Trey Campbell finished 3-for-3 with three RBI for Pierre. The game was called to an early finish under the time rule.

Teeners Green sweeps Mitchell

Pierre Post 8's Teeners Green team added another big victory in its march to the State VFW 15-16 League state tournament, defeating Mitchell 11-1 at Hyde Stadium on Thursday evening. Green now has six wins and two losses in league games as Coach Scott Hesla's crew keeps pushing for the top berth in the tourney. In the nightcap non-league game, Green raced past Mitchell 17-7 to complete the sweep.

Cody Honeywell held Mitchell to two hits and struck out two in five innings of work in the opener. His defense committed no errors. Pierre scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game under the 10-run rule. Leading batters for Pierre were Willie Welch (3-for-4), Alex Gray (3-for-4, with a triple), Kyle Sarringar (2-for-4 with a double) and Ryan Goodwin (triple).

Drew Leif started on the mound and got the win in the second game, with Cash Anderson finishing up. Every Pierre batter got at least one hit. Those with two included Austin Wagner, Cody Honeywell, Willie Welch, Alex Gray and Cash Anderson. Kyle Sarringar and Anderson belted triples, while Gray, Wagner, Honeywell and Carson Eisenbeisz hit doubles.

Pierre took a 7-0 lead through two innings in game two before Mitchell came back for five runs in the top of the third. Pierre led 8-7 heading into the bottom of the fourth and erupted for six runs to start to put the win on ice. Pierre added three runs in the fifth to notch the W under the 10-run rule.

Eights advance to state tournament with big win

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8 fell 5-4 to Rapid City Post 22 on Thursday afternoon in a battle of eighth-inning rallies, then bounced back five hours later to deliver a 16-5 win over Rapid City Post 320 to qualify for next week's South Dakota American Legion baseball tournament.

Post 8 and Post 22 square up again this evening to scrap for the regional tournament title in the five-team field.

Adam Deneke pitched a strong seven innings against Post 22 but errors hurt, with only one earned run among the three scored against him.

Pierre took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Jared Neilan started the game with a single and eventually scored. Neilan finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

Post 22 scored single runs in the second, fourth and seventh innnings to pull ahead 3-1. Lead-off walks by Post 22 batters in the fourth and seventh led to those runs, which scored without a hit either time.

Post 8 took the lead 4-3 in the eighth inning. Jared Neilan and Scott Cichos delivered one-out singles, Nolan Merrill drew a walk and Adam Deneke lined a two-run single to plate Neilan and Cichos. Pierre's fourth run came on the same lost gamble Rapid City committed in the first inning, as Rapid City tried to throw out Deneke stealing second with two outs, and the throw was high, allowing Merrill to dart home safely for the lead run.

Nolan Merrill took the mound for Pierre in the eighth inning and Post 22 greeted him with a pair of one-out triples to tie the game at 4-4. A ground ball to shortstop with two outs allowed the eventual winning run to score on Mac Mercer's throw to first base.

Post 22's Asau Rodgriguez threw the complete game, holding Pierre to seven hits and two walks while striking out eight. In addition to Neilan, the only Pierre batters to reach base twice were Deneke with two hits and Merrill with a hit and a walk.

Against Rapid City Post 320, Pierre sent their 2011 winningest pitcher to the mound. Jordan Smith came through for his eighth victory of the year in the 16-5 win in six innings.

The game turned largely on who had the best pitching left in the tournament. The difference was shown in two statistics. Brailey Benton was hit by pitches four times from three different 320 pitchers. Altogether the Eights got free passes to first base a dozen times, as 320 pitchers hit Pierre batters seven times and walked Pierre batters five times. Those equaled the 12 hits by Pierre batters. Smith meanwhile walked one batter and scattered 11 hits while striking out four.

The Eights scored four runs in the second inning to take a lead they never relinquished. Garrett Weber and Tanner Wolf were hit by pitches and Mac Mercer took a single to right field to score Weber. Benton was hit by a pitch. Jared Neilan singled to drive in Wolf. Mercer scored when Cichos was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. Nolan Merrill followed with a sacrifice fly to score Benton.

Pierre added two runs in the third on a Weber double, a Wolf RBI single and a Neilan RBI single. 320 came back with an unearned run in the bottom of the third. Merrill got the run back when he walked and eventually scored on a passed ball in the fourth. Pierre took its lead to 8-1 in the top of the fifth when Neilan drew a bases-load walk to push in Brandon Heckenlaible, who had opened the rally with a single. 320 scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth on a home run, five other hits, an error and a walk.

But the Eights showed their fight by roaring right back with eight runs in the top of the sixth. Adam Deneke led off with a walk, Weber singled and Heckenlaible laced a hit that scored both runners and led to him standing on third base with a triple. Wolf walked, Mercer singled, Benton was hit by a pitch, Neilan nailed a RBI single, and a ground ball hit by Cichos was misplayed by the infield and the outfield into a three-run, three-base error. Cichos later scored on a fielder's choice off Weber's bat.

Facing the 10-run mercy rule, 320 put two runners aboard on consecutive hits to open the bottom of the sixth. But a soft liner to shortstop and a double-play from second baseman Benton to shortstop Mercer to first baseman Cichos ended the game and 320's season while sealing Pierre's second straight trip to the state tournament.

Jared Neilan came through with a 3-for-4 night with a walk, four RBI and one run scored from the lead-off slot in the Pierre order. Garrett Weber was 2-for-4, including a double, and was hit by a pitch, with three runs scored and one RBI. Brandon Heckenlaible was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Tanner Wolf was 1-for-2 with two walks and was hit by a pitch, with three runs scored and one RBI. Mac Mercer was 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.

Coach Bob Sullivan's squad stands at 28 wins and 23 losses so far in the regular season (26-22) and post-season (2-1).

Eights finish great in American Legion regional opener!

RAPID CITY -- Spearfish took a 7-0 lead in the second inning against Pierre Post 8 in the opening round Wednesday afternoon of the South Dakota American Legion west regional tournament. But starting pitcher Scott Cichos didn't give in, and neither did the Eights, as they gradually came back for an 11-8 victory.

Cichos, who came up big last year in the regional and state tournaments, showed his game at its best against Spearfish. Working with catcher Garrett Weber, he struck out 13 while walking one and allowing nine hits in eight innings of work. Five of the hits and the walk, coupled with two Pierre errors, came in the difficult second inning.

With lead-off batter Jared Neilan going 3-for-5 with a double, Pierre's entire batting order steadily built pressure against Spearfish starting pitcher Chase Bridges, posting runs while Cichos at times single-handledly shut off Spearfish's offense the rest of the way. His outfielders made several great running catches on deep balls to center and right fields to hold Spearfish off the scoreboard. Nine different Pierre batters scored in the game.

Pierre scored a run in the bottom of the second inning on a John Breckenridge single, a Dylan Schiltz double and Tanner Wolf's sacrifice fly. That set the tone as the Eights chipped away.

Pierre made the score 7-4 in the fifth inning. Mac Mercer opened the rally by reaching on an infield error. Brailey Benton walked. Jared Neilan made Spearfish pay when he delivered a RBI double to drive in Mercer, followed by Brandon Heckenlaible's sacrifice fly to score Benton and Neilan.

The bottom of Pierre's order set up another tally in the sixth. Mercer drew a two-out walk, and Benton smacked a triple to right center for the RBI to pull the Eights within 7-5.

Cichos kept rolling on the mound to give Pierre's offense more time to work. He allowed just one hit and no walks in the third through seventh innings, as Spearfish couldn't score.

Pierre busted loose in the bottom of the seventh. Heckenlaible singled to lead off, and Nolan Merrill showed his savvy. The right-handed hitting Merrill went with an outside pitch, driving the ball into the crosswind and over the right field fence for an opposite-field two-RBI home run.

With the scored tied 7-7, Adam Deneke raced all the way to third base on an outfield error, Schiltz walked and Tanner Wolf delivered what would stand as the game-winning hit, a two-RBI single. Wolf eventually worked around to third base and Benton was hit by Bridges' last pitch of the game. Neilan delivered once again, pelting a RBI single. Heckenlaible came through again too, nailing a RBI single to put Pierre up 11-7.

Cichos went back to the mound for the eighth and gave the rest of his best. Spearfish greeted him with a single, put another man aboard on an infield error, and got another single to load the bases. Cichos struck out the next batter, then Spearfish singled again to score a run and pull within 11-8. Cichos struck out the next batter and got the third out on a fly to right.

Tayler Owens pitched the ninth for the save. Spearfish had two runners aboard with two outs but Deneke alertly threw to Mercer to catch the Spearfish runner too far off second base to end the game.

Cichos has won five games and lost two so far this season with a 3.30 ERA. Owens now has four saves to go along with his record of four wins and one loss.

Heckenlaible and Wolf had three RBI apiece, Neilan and Merrill two each. Mercer and Benton scored twice. One small but important key was Weber had no passed balls and Cichos and Owens had no wild pitches.

Post 8 took a regular-season record of 26 wins and 22 losses into the tournament, including four wins and no defeats against Spearfish.

The victory Wednesday gave the Eights a break until Thursday at 2 p.m. MT, when they meet the winner between Rapid City Post 22 and Rapid City Post 320. The two Rapid City teams met for the first time this season in the late game Wednesday.

Post 320 defeated Sturgis 12-6 in the early game Wednesday. Sturgis and Spearfish played in a loser-out game Wednesday evening. Results weren't available for that game or the 320-22 game at the time of this report.

If Pierre wins its 2 p.m. game Thursday, the Eights are guaranteed a berth in the state tournament and a shot at the regional championship on Friday. If the Eights lose the Thursday afternoon game, they will play again at 8 p.m. Thursday in a loser-out game.

The double-elimination tournament will send two teams to the South Dakota American Legion state tournament in Yankton next week.

KCCR-AM radio (1240) plans to broadcast Pierre's regional games.

Check here for updates as the regional progresses.

 Teeners White puts it together to topple Yankton

Coming off a successful weekend in the Webster tournament, the Pierre Post 8 White Teeners didn't let an early deficit keep them down Tuesday afternoon at Hyde Stadium. Instead they rallied three times and then put the victory on ice with a five-run sixth inning to defeat Yankton 11-5 to keep their playoff hopes alive in a State VFW 15-16 League battle.

Bo Atkins pitched a solid five innings to get the win. Yankton scored two runs in the first but Pierre's outfielders, led first by Blake Dean and then Alex Meagher, played long balls well in the subsequent innings. Pierre gradually pulled ahead 6-4.

Blake Dean was 3-for-4 at the plate with one run and three RBI to lead Pierre. Shay Reinke was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Alex Meagher was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Graham Protexter and Alec Norwick each went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI apiece. Ben Leidholt drew three walks and scored two runs. Bo Atkins, Jon Albright and Josh Sayler each scored a run.

Ben Leidholt worked two innings for the save.

Norwick's two-run single with two outs tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning. Meagher's two-run double with two outs put Pierre ahead 4-3 in the fourth. Dean's two-out double for two runs took Pierre in front for good 6-4 in the fifth. In the sixth, Dean's two-out two-run single capped the five-run burst.

The second game was shortened to five innings because of the heat. Pierre White was victorious 5-4 with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Every Pierre batter reached base at least once, led by Tim Fuerst, who had one hit and drew two walks and scored once from the No. 9 slot in the order, and Graham Protexter, who had a hit and two walks while scoring once with two RBI . Shay Reinke and Ben Leidholt had two hits apiece. Tyson O'Daniel had a hit, scored once and had two RBI.

O'Daniel delivered a pivotal hit in the game. With Pierre trailing 4-2, he nailed a two-run double with two outs to plate Protexter and Leidholt and later scored on Blake Dean's RBI single for the decisive run.

Alex Meagher pitched the five-inning victory, allowing seven hits and one walk while striking out four.

Green Teeners make short work twice of Huron

The Pierre Post 8 Green Teeners won another key game Monday in State VFW 15-16 League play, powering past Huron 15-0 in four innings. Pierre completed the sweep with an 18-8 win in five innings in the non-league nightcap of the doubleheader.

Starting pitcher Cooper Walton showed his increasing presence on the mound, allowing just three hits and striking out three in the opener. Pierre gave him a 4-0 lead in the first inning as Cash Anderson belted a bases-loaded double.

Pierre kept the pressure on, scoring in all four innings. Willie Welch led the offense with a 3-for-3 night including a double. Kyle Sarringar was 2-for-3 with a double, and Ryan Goodwin was 2-for-3.

In the second game, Willie Welch returned to the pitching rubber after a long injury rehabilitation. Ryan Goodwin finished up. Pierre led 11-2 after two innings as the Green offense gave the pitchers a good margin. Huron scored five runs in the third inning to tighten the game but Pierre's batters kept rolling, scoring in all five innings.

Kyle Sarringar helped the lead the way again, going 3-for-5 with two triples. Ryan Goodwin was 3-for-4 with a triple, Cash Anderson was 3-for-5 with a double and Drew Leif got rolling again with a 2-for-3 night.

Coach Scott Hesla's squad climbed to 24 wins and 12 losses so far this season, including both Teeners and Split Squad games. Green now has five wins and two losses in the State VFW League standings, putting the squad on a solid path toward making the state tournament.

White Teeners win two of three in Webster tourney

WEBSTER -- Strong pitching can make all the difference, as the Pierre Post 8 White Teeners found Saturday and Sunday, winning two of three games in the Webster 15-16 tournament.

Alec Norwick struck out nine Watertown batters and allowed just one unearned run in seven innings of work as Pierre won its opener 10-1. Graham Protexter was 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and three RBI. Other multi-hit Pierre batters were Ben Leidholt with 3-for-4 and Blake Dean 2-for-3 with a walk. Dean and Jon Albright had two RBI each, as six Pierre batters knocked in at least one run, while Shay Reinke and Leidholt each scored twice as eight Pierre batters crossed the plate at least once.

Graham Protexter struck out eight Webster batters in a complete-game victory as Pierre won 4-3 in the second game Saturday. Josh Sayler, Blake Dean, Alec Norwick and Shay Reinke had two hits apiece, with Reinke scoring two runs and batting in one run. Norwick had a run and an RBI. Ben Leidholt delivered two RBI. Dean scored one run.

Webster tied the score 2-2 in the top of the fourth, but Pierre came back in the bottom half to lead again. Shay Reinke and Bo Atkins reached on consecutive errors at third base, and Alec Norwick eventually drove Reinke in with a single. Webster threw out Pierre's trail runner at the plate on the play to keep the game close.

Pierre rolled out front 4-2 in the fifth inning. Blake Dean led off with a single, Taylor Dowling sacrifice bunted him to second base, Josh Sayler kept the rally alive with a two-out single and Shay Reinke delivered the RBI single that proved to be the game-winning hit.

Webster rallied for one run in the seventh and had two runners aboard but Protexter recorded the third out on a called third strike.

Against Flandreau on Sunday, Pierre struggled and managed just one hit and one walk in four innings. Pierre committed six errors in three innings in the field. Flandreau won 12-0 on just six hits.

Pierre wins Kirley title but suffers loss to Huron

Huron hadn't won a game yet in the round-robin and Pierre hadn't lost yet Sunday afternoon when the two Teener 13-14 teams met in the final contest of the 2011 Joe Kirley Memorial Tournament at Hyde Stadium. Huron scored eight runs in the top of the seventh inning and then held on to defeat Pierre 10-7.

Pierre finished with three wins and one loss to place on top in the three-day tournament. Aberdeen, previously beaten by Pierre, also finished with a 3-1 record after a 9-7 win Sunday morning over Rapid City Post 22's Cadets. The Cadets finished 2-2, while Watertown and Huron each went 1-3.

Watertown defeated Huron 19-16 in the other game Sunday.

Against Huron, Pierre fell behind 2-0 in the second as Pierre committed its second and third errors of the game to put on base the first two batters of the inning  Both came around later to score.

Pierre tied the score in the third inning as Connor Ryan laced a one-out triple and Layne Hohn followed with a double. Brevin Kaiser was hit with a pitch and Nick Rabern and Jack Wollman delivered two-out singles to load the bases, but Pierre left the bags full.

In the fifth inning Pierre pulled to a 5-2 lead. With two outs, Nick Rabern singled, pinch hitters Justin Berheim and Isaac Grode drew walks, Ben Eisenbeisz singled and Landon Badger and Connor Ryan drew walks. The next Pierre batter popped up on the first pitch.

Pierre starting pitcher Nick Rabern had steered through trouble with his defense playing well behind him. As Huron rallied in the seventh, he was replaced by Connor Ryan, who inherited several runners. Three Pierre errors in the inning, two walks and several two-out hits put Huron ahead 10-5.

Pierre rallied to score Ben Eisenbeisz and Connor Ryan on Trey Campbell's single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh and loaded the bases with two outs but couldn't draw closer.

Pierre had earlier secured the tournament title when the local 34s won a pair of games on a sultry Saturday, defeating Rapid City Post 22's Cadets 6-5 and outgunning Watertown 17-9. In other Saturday contests, Rapid City outlasted Huron's late rally 5-4 and Aberdeen rallied past Huron late 3-2.

Pierre's pitchers helped make a key difference in the 100-plus heat Saturday, as Ben Eisenbeisz went a full seven innings and Quinn Reimers battled through six innings to secure the victories.

Against Rapid City, Pierre took a 2-0 lead in the second inning behind back to back triples from Trey Campbell and Isaac Grode. Rapid City tied in the top of the third, but Pierre came right back for a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the frame as Ben Eisenbeisz, hitting from the nine slot in the order, led off with a double and Justin Berheim reached base on a strikeout that escaped the Rapid City catcher. Both eventually scored, with Connor Ryan contributing a key single.

Rapid City loaded the bases in the fourth but Eisenbeisz got the third out on a called strike-out. Rapid City tied the game again in the top of the fifth, but the Eisenbeisz-Berheim connection did it again. Eisenbeisz led off with a walk, Berheim singled and both eventually scored without the help of another hit.

Rapid City scored a run in the top of the seventh after a lead-off double but Pierre's defense held as Berheim made a key catch in center field.

For the game Ben Eisenbeisz allowed five runs on the three hits and three walks while striking out three. He was 1-for-1 with a walk and scored two runs. Justin Berheim scored two runs. No other Pierre batter reached base more than once.

Against Watertown, Pierre saw the scrappy visitors use some good baserunning to get a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Pierre took advantage of Watertown's inexperienced pitching to put up seven runs in the bottom half against the Black Sox. That set the tone for the game, as Watertown took advantage whenever possible of Pierre misplays and kept the pressure on the basepaths.

Pierre never trailed again but never could put the Black Sox away under the tournament's mercy rules until Trey Campbell's two-run single in the sixth inning.

Landon Badger scored four runs for Pierre, going 2-for-2 with two walks. Justin Berheim scored three times and was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Connor Ryan scored three runs and reached base all five times he went to the plate. Trey Campbell scored one run, had four RBI, and was 2-for-2 with two walks and a sacrifice fly. Campbell and Ryan had back to back triples in the second inning. Jack Wollman and Quinn Reimers each scored twice. Eight of Pierre's batters scored at least one run.

Friday's action saw Aberdeen defeat Watertown 10-1 in five innings. Rapid City Post 22's Cadets held off Watertown 6-3. Pierre took down Aberdeen 10-2 in five innings. The tournament has an eight-run mercy rule that takes effect after five innings.

Pierre played error-free defense and never trailed against Aberdeen. The local 34s worked out of a first-inning jam and took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Justin Berheim and Connor Ryan scored while Trey Campbell singled.

Aberdeen tied the score in the third inning but Pierre came right back in the bottom half. Trey Campbell reached on an error with two outs. Isaac Grode singled, Layne Hohn walked and Brevin Kaiser singled as Campbell and Grode scored.

Pierre tore the game open in the bottom of the fourth with six runs. Matt Booth led off and reached by error. Berheim singled, Ryan tripled, and the trio of Campbell, Grode and Hohn rapped consecutive singles. One out later, Cooper Carter reached by error. Booth hit a two-out single to keep the rally going. When Aberdeen finally recorded a final out, Booth, Berheim, Ryan, Campbell, Grode and Hohn all had scored.

Starting pitcher Isaac Grode increasingly took control as the game progressed. He finished with five strikeouts and allowed two runs on four hits, one walk and two hit-by-pitch. He and his infield shut down Aberdeen 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth to end the game.

Pierre was coming off a 4-win, no-loss tournament showing at Aberdeen last weekend, including Pierre's first victory over Aberdeen this season.

Smittys outhit Eights in a tough sweep

ABERDEEN -- The Aberdeen Smittys scored in only three innings, but Pierre Post 8 scored in only one inning. That told the story of Thursday night's American Legion doubleheader in Aberdeen, as the Smittys scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to win the opener 1-0. The Smitty won the nightcap 8-2 as they put up seven runs in the second inning in a rally that began with no runners on base and two outs.

The pair of losses left Post 8 with a final regular season record of 26 wins and 22 losses. The Eights open post-season play Wednesday in a 2 p.m. MT game against Spearfish at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City. Pierre needs to win two games without first losing two in the West regional tournament there in order to advance to the South Dakota American Legion Baseball state tournament in Yankton the following week.

Scott Cichos pitched six scoreless innings in the opening game Thursday night, dueling with Aberdeen lefty Christian Cox. After Royce Pease opened the seventh inning on the mound for Pierre, Aberdeen got a basehit, put a second runner aboard on a misplayed sacrifice bunt attempt, and scored on a line drive that bounced off the left field wall. John Breckenridge had two of Pierre's three hits in the game.

In the second game, Pierre was held hitless until the sixth inning when the Eights scored two runs. Aberdeen had exploded for seven runs in the second inning, starting with a pair of soft two-out singles up the middle and then kept on rolling to a 7-0 lead. Aberdeen added a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Trailing 8-2, Pierre loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out but couldn't score. Aberdeen ran a backpick play at first base to catch the trail runner in no-man's land to squash the rally. Tyler Ness pitched the six innings for Pierre.

Pierre's two top-hitting regulars didn't have a plate appearance in either game. Tyler Ness, who's batting .463, was a reserve in the first game as he prepared to pitch the second, with a designated hitter taking his slot in the order in the second game. Post 8 head coach Bob Sullivan used the DH slot in the first game for Brandon Heckenlaible to get some at-bats as he returned to play from a shoulder injury. Nolan Merrill, who's batting .423, was ill and didn't make the trip to Aberdeen.

Nine other Pierre regulars finished the regular season above the .300 mark in batting average: Adam Deneke, Jared Neilan, Royce Pease, Brandon Heckenlaible,  Garrett Weber, Eliott Coughlin, Dylan Schiltz, John Breckenridge and Scott Cichos.

Split Squad -- what else? -- splits with 320 Shooting Stars

Pierre Post 8's Split Squad lost 8-7 and won 4-3 Thursday night at Hyde Stadium in two hard-fought games with Rapid City Post 320's Shooting Stars.

Pierre committed six errors in the first game, saddling starting pitcher Tayler Owens with the loss. Pierre had nine hits, each from a different player, with Cody Honeywell hitting a double. Willie Welch scored twice for Pierre. Ryan Goodwin had two hits. Alex McGuigan reached base three times as he went 1-for-2 with two walks.

320 scored what would prove to be the winning run in the top of the seventh after Cody Honeywell relieved Owens to take a 8-4 lead. Pierre scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh as Goodwin opened with a one-out single and pinch-hitters Cash Anderson and Cooper Walton drew walks. 320 made a good relay from right field on Honeywell's deep hit to tag him out at third base for the second out. Carson Eisenbeisz followed with a two-out single and advanced to second on a 320 error but a ground-out by Alex Gray left him stranded.

Pierre won the nightcap in walk-off fashion. Alex McGuigan reached base to lead off the seventh, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Alex Gray's game-winning single.

Alex Gray received credit as the winnng pitcher after relieving Alex McGuigan to start the seventh. McGuigan allowed just two runs in six innings on three hits while striking out nine Post 320 batters.

Austin Wagner, Cash Anderson and Gray had two hits apiece to pace Pierre's offense.

Pierre took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Drew Lief led off with a single and eventually scored. Carson Eisenbeisz and Austin Wagner hit two-out singles and eventually scored. Pierre left the bases loaded.

In the top of the sixth, 320 put two runs on the board, then tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh after Chase Coppedge led off with a single off reliever Gray and eventually scored.

Teeners Green handles Webster

WEBSTER -- The Pierre Post 8 Teeners Green team rolled past Webster in a non-conference game Wednesday 14-3. Green made the stop on the return leg of an overnight road trip to Watertown. Green is coached by Scott Hesla, the previous coach of the Webster American Legion program.

Drew Leif was the winning pitcher, giving up three runs and striking out six Webster batters in five innings of work. Cash Anderson powered up at the plate, belting a grand slam, a double and a single in a 3-for-3 day. Alex Gray and Willie Welch each contributed two hits, with a double apiece. Ian Coughlin returned from a knee injury suffered last month to hit a double.

Green players return to action Thursday evening in a Split Squad doubleheader.

Teeners Green shutout Watertown behind Walton, defense

WATERTOWN -- Pierre Post 8's Teeners Green team handed Watertown its first defeat of the State VFW 15-16 League season Tuesday as Cooper Walton threw a one-hitter in the 12-0 victory.

Walton struck out nine Watertown batters in six innings on the mound, while every Pierre batter in the lineup contributed at least one hit to the Green monster of offense. Austin Wagner was 3-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, Carson Eisenbeisz nailed two hits including a triple and Cash Anderson banged two hits.

Pierre Green climbed to a record of four wins and two losses in the conference standings, which determine state tournament berths and seedings. Watertown now stands at six wins and one loss.

In the second game, a non-conference contest, Watertown prevailed 9-5. Carson Eisenbeisz, Willie Welch and Kyle Sarringar had two hits apiece, including a double for Eisenbeisz. Green's overall record so far this summer now stands at 20 wins and 11 losses.

 Eights sweep through Spearfish

Pierre Post 8 won both games of an American Legion baseball doubleheader Tuesday evening at Spearfish with a 11-1 victory in six innings and a 12-1 victory in five innings.

Adam Deneke pitched the whole way in the opener while Jordan Smith went the distance in the second game.

Deneke struck out five while walking one and allowing just three hits. Smith struck out three while walking three and allowing just three hits.

Smith has won seven games while losing once this season as a starting pitcher. That is the top W-L record among the Eights' mound staff. His earned run average improved to 3.61, third-best among the pitching staff's regulars, behind Nolan Merrill (1.33 ERA, 3-0) and Scott Cichos (3.13 ERA, 4-2).

in game one, Pierre broke open a 2-1 battle with seven runs in the fifth inning. The Eights' outburst came through a combination of four hits, three walks, one hit by pitch and smart baserunning.

Adam Deneke, John Breckenridge and Mac Mercer had two hits apiece in the first game. Jared Neilan, Scott Cichos, Nolan Merrill and Garrett Weber had two RBI apiece. Merrill, Deneke, Breckenridge and Tanner Wolf each scored twice.

Pierre put game two on ice with six runs in the fourth inning. All six scored with two outs.

Dylan Schiltz led the way on offense in the second game, with two hits, three RBI and a run scored. Tyler Ness had three hits and Adam Deneke two. Jared Neilan and Scott Cichos had two RBI apiece. Scoring two runs each were Nolan Merrill, Ness, Orin Burke and Mac Mercer.

The Eights have won 26 games and lost 20 so far this summer, and they wrap up their regular season Thursday night with a doubleheader at Aberdeen, with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Eights meet Spearfish again Wednesday, July 20, in a 2 p.m. MT opening-round game of the West region tournament at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City. Pierre needs to win two games in the five-team double-elimination field to advance to the state tournament later this month at Yankton.

Brandon Valley defeats Teeners White

The Pierre Post 8 Teeners White squad took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning Monday morning but the early birds didn't get the worm this time. Brandon Valley defeated the Pierre White 10-2 in an important State VFW 15-16 League contest at Hyde Stadium. Pierre managed just four hits off Jacob Bruget. Scoring Pierre's runs were Tyson O'Daniels and Jon Albright.

The first game of the doubleheader counts in the league standings that determine state tournament berths. Coach Sam Koenecke's squad is scrapping to make the tourney and face three big tests this week, with trips next to Brookings and Aberdeen. The Whites' league game scheduled for Huron on Saturday was postponed at Huron's request because of a scheduling problem. No date has been set for it to be played.

Huron, Aberdeen and Pierre White are battling for what likely will be the fourth berth from the six-team North Division.

In the nonconference second game Monday, Brandon Valley broke through with four runs in the fifth inning to bust open a 2-2 tie. Despite Pierre posting two runs in the sixth, Brandon hung on for the 6-4 win. None of the runs scored by Brandon was earned, as Pierre's defense committed five errors.

Alec Norwick led Pierre's offense in the game, going 1-for-2 with two walks and two RBI.

Pierre wins Aberdeen 13-14 tournament

ABERDEEN -- The Pierre Post 8 Teeners went undefeated in the Aberdeen 13-14 tournament to take the title. Pierre, coached by former Post 8 standout Jordan Heckenlaible, defeated Brookings 7-3 and Groton 7-6 on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep. Pierre won two games Saturday (see report on the Saturday games a few items down on this site).

Against Brookings, the 34s provided solid defense behind starting pitcher Isaac Grode, who threw a complete six inning victory. The defense committed just one error, while he struck out two and allowed six hits. Pierre trailed 3-2 before breaking loose for five runs in the fifth inning. Connor Ryan clubbed a bases-loaded double for three RBI and scored from second base when the relay throw went awry. Landon Badger added a key two-out RBI hit in the rally. Ryan led the offense with his hit and two walks. Layne Hohn had two hits.

Against Groton, an overconfident Pierre squad fell behind 4-1 in the first inning. The 34s finally pulled ahead 7-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pierre's defense turned shaky, committing five errors. That put starting pitcher Matt Booth in a deeper hole. Two of the six runs scored by Groton off Booth were unearned. Justin Berheim relieved Booth with one out in the fifth inning and managed to hold Groton hitless the rest of the way. Matt Booth helped his own cause with a walk, a hit and two runs scored. Quinn Reimers worked two walks and scored three times. Cooper Carter played "a great second base all weekend," Coach Heckenlaible said, and capped it off with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate in the Groton game.

Eights, Split Squad win a pair for Coach Sullivan's finale, as Eights capture Koester Tournament title

Pierre Post 8 won the championship Sunday in the Koester Memorial American Legion Baseball tournament with an 11-3 victory over Winner. The Split Squad also battled past Winner, as the two Pierre teams posted wins in the last home contests for Bob Sullivan as Post 8 head coach.

The games also were the final Hyde Stadium appearance for many of his team members as Legion players. The varsity Eights took an early lead against Winner with five runs in the first inning and put the game away in the fifth inning under the tourney's eight-run margin rule.

Scott Cichos was the winning pitcher, with John Breckenridge throwing a shutout inning of relief. Dylan Schiltz laced two big hits for four RBI -- including a bases-loaded triple in the first inning -- and Jared Neilan creamed a three-run homer in a decisive four-run fifth inning to help put the game away. Garrett Weber's bases-loaded single with no outs drove home the final run.

The Eights came out of Saturday's opening round action with a pair of wins. They downed Valley Springs 10-2 in five innings Saturday evening, with Mac Mercer going the distance as the winning pitcher, then rallied to win 14-13 over Mandan in their final inning Saturday night, as relief pitcher Tayler Owens came through dependably again with another big performance. Owens allowed just two runs in more than three innings of work.

The Valley Springs game saw a home run and a double from Adam Deneke as he made a spot start at shortstop rather than his usual slot in centerfield. The Eights had five doubles in the game, with two from Nolan Merrill and one apiece from Scott Cichos and Tanner Wolf.

In the Mandan shoot-out, Orin Burke drew a lead-off walk in the seventh and eventually scored the winning run on Brailey Benton's deep single over the drawn-in Mandan defense. Mandan's pitchers walked Burke in all four of his trips to the plate, and the Pierre batters behind made Mandan pay. Burke scored three times and had one RBI, while Benton went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI. Two of Benton's hits were doubles, and the third would have been too but the game ended as Burke scored.

The Split Squad got a great performance from pitcher Tyler Ness in his final Hyde Stadium start as a Legion player but errors spelled a 7-3 defeat against Mandan on Saturday afternoon. The Split Squad, a combination of some American Legion players and some Teeners Green players, defeated Winner 14-12 on Sunday. Cody Honeywell steadied the ship on the mound as the third Pierre pitcher against Winner and he was hot at the plate with a 3-for-4 afternoon, including a key two-run basehit.

In a non-tournament American Legion triangular on Friday, Pierre defeated Valley Springs 6-5. Pierre trailed 6-3 against Mandan when the game was stormed out in the fifth inning, with two Pierre runners on base and no outs.

The four weekend wins saw the Eights climb to a record of 24 wins and 20 losses. They finish their regular-season campaign on the road this week with doubleheaders Tuesday at Spearfish and Thursday at Aberdeen. They open regional tournament play next Wednesday against Spearfish at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City.

 Teener 13-14s get it done right in Aberdeen tourney

ABERDEEN -- Playing what coach Jordan Heckenlaible described as his squad's best day of baseball so far this season, the Pierre Post 8 Teener 13-14s won their opening two games Saturday in the Aberdeen tournament.

The 34s topped Brookings 7-3 behind a dominant, complete-game performance from starting pitcher Quinn Reimers. He struck out five and his defense held Brookings to four hits, while timely hitting made the difference at the plate. Connor Ryan was 4-for-4 and Matt Booth went 2-for-3 to lead the way.

Pierre stayed up and defeated Aberdeen for the first time this season, winning 9-6. Starter Ben Eisenbeisz got the win, going five innings, with Connor Ryan holding off an Aberdeen rally for the save. Brevin Kaiser was repeatedly tested at third base and repeatedly came through with his glove, while going 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles. Justin Berheim also went 3-for-4 and Connor Ryan was 2-for-4.

"We got outstanding pitching and our defense played extremely well behind them. We continued to hit the ball well as we have all season," Coach Heckenlaible said.

Pierre faces Brookings again and Groton in the Sunday action.

Eights prepare for big weekend of Koester Tournament

Pierre Post 8 takes the diamond Friday afternoon and evening in an American Legion baseball triangular against two familiar foes, as the Eights prepare for their annual Doug Koester Memorial Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Hyde Stadium.

The Friday non-tournament games feature the Eights hosting Valley Springs at 3 p.m. and the Eights meeting Mandan at about 7:30 p.m. Mandan and Valley Springs will play at approximately 5:15 p.m.

Valley Springs, Mandan and Winner join the Post 8 American Legion varsity team and the Post 8 Split Squad in the five-way Koester Tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

Season passes are good for the Friday games, while regular tournament daily admission of $5 per adult will be charged for the Saturday and Sunday slates.

The Friday games are sponsored by two of Post 8 Baseball's great supporters, Wegner Auto and South Dakota Intrastate Pipeline.

The Saturday action starts at noon with Valley Springs meeting Winner. The 2:30 p.m. game features Mandan against the Post 8 Split Squad. At 4:45 p.m. Valley Springs meets the Post 8 varsity. The 7 p.m. game pits Mandan against the Post 8 varsity. Games could start later than scheduled, depending on progress of the previous games.

Sunday action starts at 10 a.m. with Mandan facing Valley Springs. The 12:30 p.m. game features Winner against the Post 8 Split Squad. The 2:45 p.m. finale has Winner against the Post 8 varsity. It will be the last home game for Post 8 head coach Bob Sullivan, who is moving to the Omaha area after the summer season.

The Eights head into the Friday triangular with a season record so far of 20 wins and 20 losses. The Eights lost Tuesday to Watertown 14-4 and 5-2.

Eights finish tough week with a duel in the sun

Pierre Post 8 split against Brookings in an American Legion doubleheader Saturday, ending a grueling week with a pitching duel that both teams and their fans should long remember.

Pierre won the opener 7-6 with a seventh-inning rally that saw the bottom four of the Eights' batting order -- Brandon Heckenlaible, Tanner Wolf, Eliott Coughlin and Brailey Benton -- deliver four consecutive one-out hits. The big blow was Coughlin's double to deep center that drove in one run and put the winning run at third. Benton came through next with a sharp single.

The game saw nine errors -- five by Pierre, four by Brookings -- that helped the lead see-saw throughout the seven innings. Brookings starting pitcher Joey Texley went the distance, with only five of the runs earned. Tayler Owens pitched the final two innings for Pierre in relief for the win, with only one of the two runs scored against him earned. Pierre starter Mac Mercer threw five innings, with only two of the four runs scored against him earned.

Brandon Heckenlaible led the way for Pierre at the plate on his mother's birthday, as he went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Scott Cichos and Tanner Wolf had two hits apiece. Unfortunately for the Heckenlaible family, Brandon was injured sliding back into first base at the end of the second game and there is no definite timetable for his return from the shoulder injury.

The second game, won 2-0 by Brookings in nine innings, saw a pitching duel between Pierre's Tyler Ness, who moved to the area this season from the state of Washington, and Brookings' Landon Busch, who previously played for the Pierre Teeners before his family moved to Brookings a season ago.

Righty Ness and lefty Busch gave no quarter and their defenses had on gold gloves behind them as they battled through eight scoreless innings. Brookings finally put two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth through a combination of a single, a hit-by-pitch and a two-out bloop single by Joey Texley that neither Pierre's shortstop nor left fielder could quite get. Brookings relieved Busch for the bottom of the ninth, and Pierre got a rally started with Brandon Heckenlaible's single prior to his injury, but the Eights couldn't further respond.

Pierre left 10 runners on base for the game, including bases loaded in the fourth inning, while Brookings stranded five. Busch finished with 15 strikeouts -- he struck out 10 different Pierre batters -- and Ness struck out five in a pair of great performances. Each team committed one error.

For Pierre, the split marked the end of a grueling week that began with five games in three days at the Fargo-Moorhead tournament. After returning home, the Eights went 4-4 for the rest of the week, falling to Coon Rapids in a 9-inning game, handling Huron in a 9-inning game, losing a one-run game to Mitchell and falling to Yankton in the Mitchell triangular, sweeping Spearfish at Hyde Stadium on Thursday, and splitting the Brookings twin bill. Head coach Bob Sullivan's team stands at 20 wins and 18 losses so far this season.

Changes made to White Teeners schedule

Team coach Sam Koenecke has finished some rearrangements of the White Teeners schedule. Both sets of changes involve road games.

The White squad will travel to Brookings on July 13, with first pitch at 5:30 p.m. This doubleheader replaces the previously scheduled July 20 date.

The White squad will travel to Aberdeen on July 14 and will play on Aberdeen's secondary field, which doesn't have lights. This doubleheader will start at 4 p.m.

The Post 8 American Legion team is traveling to Aberdeen on July 14 and the two Pierre teams will share a bus. The Legion team's doubleheader starts at 5:30 p.m. on Fossum Field as previously scheduled. Because of the White games, the Pierre bus will depart Pierre at 11:30 a.m.

Thanks again to American State Bank!

American State Bank sponsored the Saturday doubleheader of American Legion baseball between our Eights and visiting Brookings. Fans won prizes every inning and were treated to 17 innings of highly competitive baseball on a beautiful afternoon. Thanks again to American State Bank and to all of our supporters, fans, players and families.

American Legion regional schedule is now set

Pierre Post 8 has drawn Spearfish as the Eights' opening-round opponent on July 20 in the South Dakota American Legion west regional that will be played at Fitzgerald Stadium, the home park of Rapid City Post 22.

The game is at 2 p.m. MT. In the 11 a.m. game that day, Sturgis meets Rapid City Post 320. The winner of the Sturgis-320 game then faces Post 22 at 8 p.m. that same day.

The losers of the Pierre-Spearfish and Sturgis-320 game meet in an elimination game that same day at 5 p.m. MT.

The winner of the Pierre-Spearfish game doesn't play again until July 21 at 2 p.m. MT. The winner of the Pierre-Spearfish game faces the winner between Post 22 and the winner of the Sturgis-320 game.

In summary, Pierre plays for certain at 2 p.m. MT on July 20. If Pierre loses, Pierre plays again the same day at 5 p.m. MT in a loser-out game. If Pierre wins the first game at 2 p.m., Pierre plays next day on June 21 at 2 p.m.

There are further games on July 21 and July 22. Teams will remain alive in the competition until they have been eliminated with two losses. The July 22 games will crown the regional champion. Two teams will advance from the regional to the state tournament in Yankton.

Teener 13-14s win hard-fought sweep at Spearfish

SPEARFISH -- There's nothing like close games to build character in young baseball players. Pierre Post 8's Teeners 13-14 team came away a little stronger from a hard-fought pair of wins at Spearfish, taking 4-2 and 10-9 victories.

The 34s committed just one error and received a much-needed pair of big pitching performances in the first game. Pierre jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and made it stand, while Ben Eisenbeisz and his defense held Spearfish to one run on four hits into the sixth inning. Connor Ryan took the mound for the save, allow one unearned run in his 1 and 2/3 innings of work. Layne Hohn homered to give Pierre a big insurance run. Justin Berheim and Max Reinke each had two of Pierre's six hits.

The second game featured some timely hitting from the No. 9 man in the Pierre order. Matt Booth crushed a two-run homer in Pierre's four-run second inning, then he nailed a RBI single in the seventh as Pierre scored four runs to rally to win. Isaac Grode, Jack Wollman and Connor Ryan stroked hits in the late surge as all nine Pierre batters went to the plate.

Pierre had gone ahead 5-2 early but shaky defense allowed Spearfish to score six runs in the bottom of the third inning. Pierre used a string of pitchers to stay in the game, with Quinn Reimers throwing effectively for two innings as he returned from a hand injury, followed by Isaac Grode enduring the defense's troubles in the third and then setting Spearfish down in order in the fourth. Layne Hohn threw the fifth and sixth frames, allowing no runs while striking out four. Justin Berheim took the mound for the seventh, getting into some trouble before striking out three batters in a row with runners at second and third bases.

The pair of wins reflected the young team's improvement. "We got solid pitching and solid defense to go along with some timely hitting to overcome some tough Spearfish pitching," Teeners 13-14 coach Jordan Heckenlaible said.

Split Squad bounces Spearfish

SPEARFISH -- The Pierre Post 8 Split Squad of some American Legion and some Teeners Green players took two wins from Spearfish Friday by scores of 11-1 and 10-2. Spearfish was unable to catch up with Pierre's pitching all night.

In the first game, Alex McGuigan struck out nine Spearfish batters in three innings, followed by Cash Anderson striking our four in two innings and Cody Honeywell striking out one in one innings. At the plate, Willie Welch was 3-for-4 with two doubles, Drew Leif was 3-for-4 with a double and Alex McGuigan was 2-for-4 with two doubles.

In the second game, starting pitcher Kyle Sarringar struck out eight Spearfish batters over five innings while Cash Anderson struck out three in relief, while Alex Gray led the offense, going 3-for-5 with two doubles.

Head Teeners coach Scott Hesla praised the whole team's efforts and noted the work by Kyle Sarringar on the mound as he returns from some arm problems incurred in various sports. "He is one kid that we are looking for to pitch in big games for us," Coach Hesla said.

Teeners Green wins important league game

BROOKINGS -- Pierre Post 8's Teeners Green team out-scrapped Brookings for an 13-11 victory Wednesday night. With the win, Green improved to a 3-2 record in the State VFW 15-16 League standings used for post-season tournament seeding. Brookings slipped to a 3-2 record.

Alex Gray picked up the win on the mound for Green in relief of starter Cooper Walton. Both teams slammed the ball over the park. Pierre posted 17 hits in the seven-inning contest, led by Ryan Goodwin's four, three apiece from Austin Wagner and Alex Gray, and two each by Carson Eisenbeisz, Cash Anderson and Drew Leif.

In the non-conference nightcap, Brookings prevailed 17-16. Pierre had just 11 hits but patience at the plate produced key walks. Willie Welch, Ryan Goodwin and Cody Honeywell each knocked two hits to lead the way. A.J. Dorschner pitched some key innings of relief to help keep Pierre in the game after Brookings wore down starter Drew Leif. Brookings won in the final at-bat.

2011 Koester Tournament field, schedule now set, special triangular added

Winner, Mandan and Valley Springs travel to Hyde Stadium to join Pierre Post 8's Varsity and Split Squad teams for the annual Koester Tournament July 9-10. See the "Tournaments" tab at upper right on this page for all game times.

The teams will play a triangular-style format on Friday, July 8, that is independent of the tournament. Post 8 season passes will be good for those Friday games. The standard tournament admission of $5 daily for all adults will be charged for the Saturday and Sunday games. The tournament admissions help offset the additional costs for hosting tournaments.

The Friday lineup has Pierre playing at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. against Valley Springs and Mandan. The 5:30 p.m. game is between Valley Springs and Mandan.

Saturday tournament games for Pierre have the Split Squad facing Mandan at 2:30, while the varsity Eights squad plays Valley Springs at 4:45 p.m. and Mandan at 7 p.m. . Sunday tournament games for Pierre have the Split Squad facing Winner at 12:30 p.m. and the varsity Eights playing Winner at 2:45 p.m. in the Eights' final home game of the 2011 campaign.

Royce rolls as Eights ace Huron

Royce Pease pitched one of the finest games of his American Legion career for Pierre Post 8, as he went seven innings to lead the Eights back into the win column with a 12-2 victory over Huron on a breezy but beautiful Tuesday afternoon at Hyde Stadium.

The contest was scheduled for nine innings but was halted after seven under the 10-run mercy rule. Early RBI hits by Adam Deneke and Jared Neilan gave Pease and the Eights the only runs they would need. Deneke, Nolan Merrill and John Breckenridge had two hits apiece, and seven different Eights had at least one RBI.

Huron managed one unearned run early and didn't score again until the seventh. Among the highlights: Third baseman Dylan Schiltz made a replay-reel catch of a towering foul ball in the strong wind. Pease finished with seven strikeouts while allowing six hits and three walks.

Split Squad nipped by 320's Shooting Stars

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8's Split Squad of some American Legion and Teener Green players lost a pair of games Tuesday night against Rapid City Post 320's Shooting Stars.

The teams battled an extra two innings before Rapid City scored in the bottom of the ninth to win 5-4. Pierre made five errors in the game. Pierre lost the nightcap 9-5, managing just four hits.

Teener White on wrong side of split with Aberdeen

The Pierre Post 8 Teener White team lost 9-6 Tuesday night to Aberdeen in the game that counted in the State VFW 15-16 League standings, then crushed the visiting Smittys 13-1 in five innings of error-free baseball in the nightcap.

Starting pitcher Graham Protexter did what he could in the league game, but he and reliever Ben Leidholt fell behind 8-1 through five innings. Six walks by the Pierre pitchers and three errors by the defense added some of the fuel to the Smittys' two big rallies in the second and fifth innings.

Pierre's offense finally broke loose for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, helped by three Aberdeen errors. Protexter led the Whites at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Shay Reinke and Jon Albright had two hits apiece. 

Bo Atkins struck out nine, walked none and allowed just one run on three hits to lead Pierre from the mound in the second game. Pierre batted 11 men in the first inning en route to a 8-0 lead. Alec Norwick and Graham Protexter went 3-for-3 and Shay Reinke was 2-for-2 with a walk for perfect nights at the plate, setting the table for Ben Leidholt and Blake Dean who each delivered four RBI.

Scoreboard electric meter spins crazy,

as Aberdeen sweeps Post 8 Teeners in 13-14 play

ABERDEEN -- Second-year coach Jordan Heckenlaible is still a young man but he might never see something like this again. He certainly hadn't seen 61 runs scored before in a doubleheader.

His Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 team lost two more games to Aberdeen on Monday afternoon, as the Smittys ran their season record to five wins and no losses against the 34s. These defeats were maybe the most heart-breaking yet for Pierre, losing 16-15 and 16-14.

The first game saw Aberdeen jump out to a 7-1 lead but Pierre fought back to pull ahead 13-12 in the top of the sixth inning. Aberdeen got back in front in the bottom half, but Pierre tied the score at 15-15 in the seventh. Aberdeen won in the bottom half.

Neither team was sharp, with 13 errors between them, six by Pierre. The 34s also lost Trey Campbell for at least a week with a knee injury suffered while breaking up a double play.

At the plate Pierre was led in the game by Cooper Carter and Brevin Kaiser with three hits apiece. Kaiser scored three runs, while Layne Hohn had two hits, two walks and scored four runs. Ben Eisenbeisz replaced Campbell and delivered two hits.

The second game was a mirror opposite of the opener, as Pierre this time took the big early lead 8-2. Aberdeen posted five runs in the bottom of the second inning. The teams kept scoring, with Aberdeen going 12-10 in the bottom of the third. Pierre reliever Brevin Kaiser managed to slow Aberdeen's pace down to four runs over the next three innings.

Every Pierre batter had at least one hit in the second game and eight of the nine scored at least one run. Pierre's 14 runs came on 20 hits and six walks. Pierre finished with an offensive trifecta, as Jack Wollman, Justin Berheim and Layne Hohn each was 3-for-5 with a double -- and Hohn added a triple.

Four of Pierre's losses to Aberdeen this season have been by either one run or two runs.

 A whole lot of smackin' goin' on as Eights fall to Coon Rapids

Pierre Post 8 received a taste of top Minnesota baseball as Coon Rapids opened with a two-run homer and kept outslugging the Eights for a 15-6 victory in American Legion action Monday evening at Hyde Stadium.

Coon Rapids, en route to Rapid City Post 22's annual Firecracker tournament, ripped 21 hits in the nine-inning game while Pierre had seven. The Eights' outfielders received plenty of work tracking down hard-hit line drives. But errors elsewhere didn't help starting pitcher Tyler Ness against a tough offense, as he gave up nine runs with just four earned.

Pierre trailed 9-3 after four innings and never got closer than six runs again. Orin Burke delivered a solo home run for Pierre, while Jared Neilan had two hits and drew two walks, while an increasingly bruised Nolan Merrill had one hit and was hit three times by Coon Rapids pitchers.

Tough luck follows Eights in Fargo-Moorhead tourney

MOORHEAD -- Pierre Post 8 won once and lost four times -- including twice by one run -- in the American Legion baseball tournament at Fargo and Moorhead.

The Eights opened action Friday with a heart-breaker of a 3-2 loss, as Moorhead took advantage of Pierre's only error -- on a sacrifice bunt attempt -- to score the tying run from first base and put the eventual winning run on third base in the bottom of the seventh. A sacrifice fly ended the game. Scott Cichos had pitched a gem to that point. Tyler Ness led Pierre's offense with two hits and two RBI.

The Mandan Chiefs, a team Pierre had beaten twice on a road trip earlier this month, crushed the Eights in game two Friday 12-1. Mandan batted in just four innings in the mercy-shortened game, taking apart Pierre pitchers Adam Deneke and Royce Pease. Nolan Merrill had two of Pierre's five hits.

Saturday started tough for the Eights as they fell 6-3 to the Tri-City Reds. Pierre starting pitcher Jordan Smith allowed four earned runs in six-plus innings. Jared Neilan and Eliott Coughlin had two hits each for Pierre, while Garrett Weber and Orin Burke each doubled. Pierre left just six runners on base, including two in the seventh. Tri-City's Jake Hanzalik threw the final two innings and struck out five Pierre batters.

Pierre defeated Bloomington Gold 10-1 in the second game Saturday, as the Eights scored eight runs in the fourth inning to bust open the contest. Five Pierre batters had two hits apiece: Jared Neilan, Adam Deneke, Garrett Weber, Tanner Wolf and Mac Mercer. Pierre starting pitcher Nolan Merrill went the distance, striking out eight while allowing five hits and four walks.

Sunday's finale should have been the Adam Deneke show, as he blasted three home runs and had five RBI. But Post 8 lost 9-8 to Wayzata in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pierre starting pitcher Mac Mercer saw a 6-0 lead eventually evaporate as he surrendered five runs in the bottom of the third inning and Wayzata tacked on single runs in each of the last four innings. Deneke led off the Pierre seventh with a home run to tie the score at 8-8, but Wayzata used a lead-off walk against Eights' reliever John Breckenridge, followed by a sacrifice bunt, a single and a fielder's choice to win. Scott Cichos and Eliott Couglin each had two hits for Pierre.

The string of tough luck left the Eights with a season record so far of 16 wins and 15 losses. Eight of the 31 games so far have been decided by one run; of those, the Eights have won three and lost five. That's the difference between being 13-18 or 21-10. They're hanging in there against good competition.

Strong pitching rules as 13-14s split at Sioux Falls West

SIOUX FALLS -- Pierre Post 8's Teener 13-14 squad showed its potential again with a 9-6 win in the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday at Sioux Falls West. The 34s scored used 11 hits and six walks while their starting pitcher Isaac Grode threw a complete seven-inning victory, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out six. "Grode was able to overcome a very aggressive offense by using his fastball, curveball and change-up effectively to keep Sioux Falls batters off balance all game," Pierre coach Jordan Heckenlaible said.

The coach also praised his club's hitters for their approach at the plate. Justin Berheim was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Connor Ryan, Isaac Grode and Brevin Kaiser each had two hits.

The 34s ran into a tough left-hander in game two, and the combination of a hard fastball and sharp curveball never allowed Pierre's batters to get comfortable in West's 12-2 win. Pierre managed just three hits while striking out six times. Trey Campbell had two of Pierre's hits, while Ben Eisenbeisz and Connor Ryan tallied the RBIs.

Rain shuts down second day of Teeners 15-16 tournament

Pierre Post 8's pair of Teener 15-16 teams won three games and lost once Saturday in the opening round of the annual Stephens Memorial Tournament at Hyde Stadium. Unfortunately, the Sunday games had to be canceled because of persistent storms overnight and throughout the morning.

Pierre White defeated Mitchell 10-8, behind a six -run burst in the second inning. The eight and nine men in the Pierre batting order came through big in the game, as Tyson O'Daniels scored three runs and had two hits and one RBI, while Jon Albright scored once and nailed three RBI.

Mitchell handled Groton in game two. Pierre White rallied with four runs in the last at-bat to win 7-6 over Rapid City Post 320's Shooting Stars, as White strung together a single, an out and six consecutive singles for the comeback. Delivering the hits were Shay Reinke, Alec Norwick, Graham Protexter, Ben Leidholt, Alex Meagher, Blake Dean and Tyson O'Daniels. Protexter and O'Daniels each went 3-for-4 in the game.

Pierre Green put away Groton 12-3, as lead-off batter Carson Eisenbeisz had two hits and scored three times. The 4-5-6 slots in the order drove home all of Green's runs, with three RBI apiece from Kyle Sarringar and Cash Anderson and four from Ryan Goodwin. Sarringar also scored three times and Anderson twice.

In the evening finale Pierre Green fell 7-2 to the Rapid City Shooting Stars. Green's starting pitcher Cody Honeywell did his job but defensive lapses allowed the Shooting Stars to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning, leading to Honeywell's departure with three of the runs unearned. Green pulled within 4-2 with an A.J. Dorschner walk in the third that led to him scoring an unearned run and a RBI single by Honeywell in the fourth. Green's batters couldn't put a ball in play in the fifth and sixth inning, striking out six times.

The tournament's final game that was scheduled Sunday evening between Pierre White and Pierre Green will be rescheduled because it will count in the VFW State League standings for post-season tournament berths.

Pierre White takes a tough split against Rising Stars

Starting pitcher Alec Norwick homered and held Rapid City Post 320's Rising Stars hitless in a 17-2 victory Thursday night. Graham Protexter started a great night at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance that included three runs scored and two RBI. Alex Meagher was right there too at 2-for-2 with two runs and three RBI. Shay Reinke was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Bo Atkins had a hit, a run and three RBI. Blake Dean was 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs. Ben Leidholt was 2-for-2 with a walk, three runs and one RBI. Jon Albright scored a run and had three RBI.

The second game turned into an extra-innings duel, as 320 came through with a run in the seventh inning to tie and scored three times in the top of the ninth to win 7-4 in a finely played game by both squads. Graham Protexter had two hits, Alec Norwick scored two runs and Alex Meagher delivered three RBI for White.

Teeners Green take a beating from East in conference game

One of the few highlights Wednesday night at Hyde Stadium was a two-run homer hit by Drew Leif in the final inning of a 14-3 thumping delivered by Sioux Falls East to Pierre Post 8's Green 15-16 team in a State VFW League contest. Green committed six errors. Cash Anderson homered for Green in the non-conference second game of the doubleheader, as Green won that game 12-5. Kyle Sarringar was 2-for-2 with a pair of triples, while Ryan Goodwin and Cody Honeywell each had two hits. Green had just swept three Sioux Falls team including East last weekend in a wood-bat tournament won by Green.

 13-14 Teeners swept by Post 22 Cadets

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8's 13-14 Teeners had a long bus ride home Wednesday after dropping a pair of games to Rapid City Post 22's Cadets. Pierre fell 17-7 in the first game, giving up seven runs in the first inning as Rapid City sent nine batters to the plate after Pierre had recorded two outs. Trey Campbell had two hits for Pierre in the mercy-shortened six inning contest.

The second game saw Pierre lead through five innings and take a 11-6 advantage into the sixth, when Rapid City plated nine runs. Eight of those nine came with two outs, and five of the runs were unearned. Rapid City went on to win 15-11. Pierre had five errors in the game. Layne Hohn finished 2-for-2 at the plate for Pierre with two walks. Other Pierre batters with two hits were Nick Rabern, Landon Badger, Isaac Grode and Justin Berheim.

Eights rained out at RC 320Rain, rain, go away...

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8 was leading 3-0 over Rapid City Post 320 after one inning Tuesday night when the game was halted by rain two pitches into the second inning. The umpires and coaches eventually decided the diamond wouldn't recover in time and the American Legion doubleheader was cancelled.

Teener White, Teener Green bring home tourney titles!

Pierre Post 8's two Teener 15-16 teams won championships Sunday as they allowed just one run in three games.

Teener Green captured the Sioux Falls wood-bat tournament championship with 6-0 and 3-0 victories against a pair of Sioux Falls teams, West and East.

Meanwhile Teener White took down Valentine 11-1 in the title game of the Winner tournament.

Green, coached by Scott Hesla, finished with four wins and one loss at Sioux Falls over three days. White, coached by Sam Koenecke, won all three of its games at Winner for the weekend.

The three-part formula of effective pitching, solid fielding and smart at-bats proved successful for both squads throughout both tournaments.

For Green, the pitching of Kyle Sarringar, Alex Gray and Cody Honeywell delivered the shutout of West on a combined two-hitter. With the title on the line, Cooper Walton and Honeywell brought it home in the championship game. Walton allowed East just one hit through five innings, and Honeywell truly shut the door as he struck out five in the final two innings.

Green had defeated Sioux Falls South 15-0 on Saturday morning, giving Pierre a clean sweep through the Sioux Falls 15-16 organization for the weekend. Green's only loss in the tournament came Saturday evening against Brandon, 9-0, as Pierre's bats went silent while Brandon kept finding gaps.

At Winner, White's victory came behind the arm of Bo Atkins who threw all five innings of the mercy-shortened title game against Valentine. Atkins allowed just three hits while striking out five and walking three.

Pierre jumped to a 4-0 lead over Valentine in the first inning behind a two-out double from Alex Meagher that drove home two runs, and Pierre kept tacking on runs through the innings after.

Meagher finished with three hits including two doubles and two RBI. Shay Reinke, Tyson O'Daniels and Bo Atkins each had two hits, and every batter in the Pierre starting nine had at least one. Seven different White batters -- Reinke, Atkins, Alec Norwick, Graham Protexter, Ben Leidholt, Meagher and Jon Albright -- had at least one RBI.

Against Sioux Falls West, Drew Leif came through with a key two-run single for Green and Cooper Walton was 2-for-3 with a double. Against Sioux Falls East, Willie Welch doubled, Cash Anderson went 2-for-3 and Ryan Goodwin had a hit. 

In the Sioux Falls South game Saturday, Ryan Goodwin and A.J. Dorschner held South to one hit in the mercy-shortened three-inning contest. Alex Gray was 2-for-2 with two doubles, Cody Honeywell was 2-for-3 and Kyle Sarringar doubled.

The one hiccup in the tournament came against Brandon later Saturday. Brandon managed to score six runs on six hits in two innings and added three more in the fifth inning to force an early end to the contest under the tournament rules. Pierre managed just two hits while Brandon had 11. Each team had one error.

13-14 Teeners win both ends of doubleheader 

Split Squad takes a pair from Spearfish

Pierre Post 8's depth was on display Wednesday night at Hyde Stadium as the Split Squad -- a combination of 15-16 Teeners and some American Legion players -- topped Spearfish twice.

The opener saw Alex McGuigan toss a five-inning no-hitter en route to a 10-0 Pierre win. Four Pierre batters -- Orin Burke, Kyle Sarringar, Nate Buscher and Austin Wagner -- each had two hits including one apiece for extra bases. Burke blasted a towering three-run homer over the left-field fence.

McGuigan struck out 11 and walked four in what Pierre Split Squad coach Scott Hesla called "a phenomenal game." The win marked the second time in a week that McGuigan blanked Spearfish. The no-hitter was preserved with a highlight-reel fielding play in the fifth when shortstop Mac Mercer ranged far behind second base to reach a bouncer and made a clean throw to first base.

Pierre won the second game 15-0 in three innings as Spearfish ran short of pitching. John Breckenridge and Jared Neilan combined to throw the short shutout for Pierre, allowing one hit. Coach Hesla said the pitching was "outstanding" in both games as all three followed the game plan and found success.

"All three did a great job keeping hitters off balance by mixing up their pitches. They all threw strikes and got big outs when they needed to," he said.

Orin Burke's bases-loaded triple and a double were two of five Pierre hits Cooper Walton, playing his first season as a member of the 15-16 Teeners, ripped a line-drive double that hit the center-field wall on the fly. 

Eights shut down Sturgis behind leadership of Cichos, Merrill

Pierre Post 8 took its 13th victory of the 2011 American Legion baseball season Tuesday night with a 4-0 win over Sturgis at Hyde Stadium.

Starting pitcher Scott Cichos struck out nine Titans in seven innings as he threw the complete-game shutout. He gave up five hits and walked one. Cichos gave no quarter each time Sturgis moved into scoring position. He struck out two Titans in a row to end the Sturgis half of the second inning after back to back doubles. He struck out two more Titans in the Sturgis half of the third after an error and a single put two Titans aboard.

Pierre outfielder Nolan Merrill rocked Sturgis starter Michael Baldwin three times, ripping two triples and blasting a two-run homer. Merrill finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Jared Neilan had two hits and scored two runs. Pierre catcher Garrett Weber continued his hot hitting with two more sharp singles. Tyler Ness worked out of a hole to line a RBI single for Pierre's last insurance run.

The second game of the doubleheader was halted in the first inning as a downpour left the field unplayable for several hours. Sturgis elected to go home rather than wait for a possible late-night restart of the game.

Coach Bob Sullivan's club, now 13-8 for the summer, takes a four-game winning streak on the road Thursday in a trip to Huron.

Eights sweep a pair from Mitchell

Pierre Post 8 showed what hard hitting and effective pitching can mean Monday with a doubleheader sweep of Mitchell in American Legion baseball.

The Eights rallied for a 5-4 victory in the bottom of the seventh inning in the opening game, as Nolan Merrill bashed a double to deepest center field and Garrett Weber laced another laser for the game-winning RBI. Then the Eights rolled to a 14-1 win in five innings in the nightcap.

Weber, who caught both games, finished with five hits in seven at-bats.

The opener saw starting pitcher Adam Deneke take a 2-1 lead early, only to have Mitchell plate three runs in the third with a two-out rally on two Pierre errors, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He went five innings, allowing just two Mitchell hits, while striking out 11, walking three and hitting three batters.

Tayler Owens threw the sixth and seventh innings without allowing a run to get credit for victory. He wriggled out of a jam in the sixth when Mitchell put men at second and third bases with no outs. He struck out the next batter and second baseman Brandon Heckenlaible made a key play when he caught a line drive for the second out with the infield playing on the grass. Owens allowed two hits, struck out two and walked none.

Pierre had taken its 2-1 lead in the second inning when Orin Burke, batting as the designated hitter from the ninth slot in the order, crushed a bases-loaded single to deep center to drive in Weber and Heckenlaible.

The Eights rallied run by run in the final three innings of the game. Merrill reached base on an error in right field and came home on a Tyler Ness RBI single in the fifth. Heckenlaible led off the sixth with a single and scored on a Jared Neilan RBI sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game at 4-4.

The nightcap quickly turned one-sided in Pierre's favor as the Eights handed starting pitcher Mac Mercer a 5-1 lead after the first inning. Pierre added a run in the second and eight runs in the fourth.

Nolan Merrill scored three of Pierre's 14 runs, as he reached on two singles and a walk. Adam Deneke and Garrett Weber each doubled and singled.

Mercer allowed three hits and struck out four while walking three and hitting two Mitchell batters with pitches in his five innings of work.

 Teener Green takes two more on the road

HURON -- Pierre Green turned loose its bats Monday night and defeated Huron in both games of a 15-16 Teeners doubleheader. Neither went the seven-inning distance.

The Greens won the first game 15-3 in six innings to notch a win in the State VFW League standings. The Greens took the second non-league contest 12-2 in six innings.

In the league game, Austin Wagner, Willie Welch and A.J. Dorschner each went 2-for-4 at the plate for Pierre, with Wagner and Dorschner cranking doubles. Pierre scored 10 runs in the first inning, and Huron didn't get a run on the scoreboard until the fifth inning.

Coach Scott Hesla said his hitters' patience at the plate led to 12 walks and, after a pitching change, they starting knocking strikes all over the park.

Starting pitcher Drew Leif turned in another bulldog performance. He threw six innings, allowing just four hits. He walked nine and struck out one on a tough night for pitchers from both teams.

The nightcap saw Pierre play shutdown baseball behind starting pitcher Cody Honeywell. He went five innings and left with a 7-1 lead. He allowed one hit, struck out seven and walked eight.

Cash Anderson returned from an injury break in a big way with a 3-for-4 game, including two doubles. Alex Gray was 3-for-3 with a double, and Willie Welch was 2-for-4.

Coach Hesla said his team played two solid games. Hesla praised Leif for battling on a night when he didn't have his best stuff -- "He kept the hitters off balance very well by mixing up his pitches" -- and described Honeywell as an innings-eater who has been dominant in the last two outings. "(Cody) is carrying the load for a banged-up pitching staff," Hesla said.

 Post 8 teams take a pair of second places

The Pierre Teeners 13-14 team finished in second place Sunday at the Watertown tournament, defeating Madison 20-5 to reach the championship before falling 6-4 to Aberdeen for the title. Aberdeen, still unbeaten on the season, nipped Pierre twice in the tournament.

The Post 8 Split Squad meanwhile took second place at Rapid City Post 320's Jim Scull/Pepsi tournament. The Split Squad members were mostly 15-16 players with a handful of first-year American Legion players. Pierre finished 3-1 in the tournament, losing 7-4 to Casper in the title game Sunday afternoon. Casper posted a pair of three-run innings to lead 7-1 through the middle of five. Pierre plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth, and neither team could score in the sixth or seventh.

Split Squad earns berth in 320 tourney finals

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8's Split Squad stood unbeaten after the opening two days of Rapid City Post 320's Jim Scull/Pepsi tournament. Pierre's pitchers allowed one run in 15 innings of work over three games to advance to the championship set for 3 p.m. MT Sunday.

After the 7-0 shutout by Alex McGuigan of the Spearfish jayvee squad Friday, Pierre defeated two 320 squads Saturday. Pierre defeated Rising Stars Blue 13-1 in five innings behind a five-hitter from pitcher Ryan Goodwin, then downed Rising Stars White 13-0 in three innings behind a one-hitter from pitcher Cody Honeywell.

In Saturday's first game Pierre had nine hits, with two apiece from Austin Wagner, Alex McGuigan, Joel Jochim and Cody Honeywell. McGuigan doubled and tripled. Willie Welch also tripled.

The second game Saturday saw Alex Gray rap two doubles and a triple to lead the way. Alex McGuigan's two hits included a two-run homer. Willie Welch was 2-for-3 with a triple. Drew Lief knocked a two-run single. Cooper Walton and Joel Jochim were 2-for-2 apiece, including a double for Walton.

The Split Squad includes players from both of Pierre's 15-16 teams and some young American Legion players. The 320 tournament features a variety of teams of different depth from the multi-state region.

Teeners win, lose in opening day at Watertown

WATERTOWN -- The Pierre Teeners 13-14 team defeated an always-tough Milbank club 17-0 and slipped 8-6 against Aberdeen that hasn't lost yet this year, in the opening round of play Saturday at the annual Watertown 13-14 tournament.

Nick Rabern needed only 34 pitches to finish the four-inning victory over Milbank, striking out six. Coach Jordan Heckenlaible's squad saw every Pierre player in the game reach base and score at least one run. Connor Ryan was 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs and two RBI. Other strong batting performances came from Justin Berheim (2-for-4, two RBI), Isaac Grode (2-for-3, three runs, four RBI) and Matt Booth (2-for-3, two runs).

The Aberdeen-Pierre contest went back and forth for six innings. Isaac Grode pitched effectively the whole way for Pierre, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strike-outs. Trailing 8-4, he held Aberdeen scoreless while Pierre's offense fought back, getting two runs across and stranding runners at second and third in the final frame.

Layne Hohn showed pop with a triple, a double and two RBI. Justin Berheim had two hits, including a double, and scored three runs from his lead-off slot. Landon Badger showed his promise going 3-for-4 with a triple and one RBI.

Pierre meets Madison on Sunday morning in the 11 o'clock game, with the winner advancing to the 5 p.m. championship.

Eights split at Bismarck, finish N.D. trip 3-1

BISMARCK -- Pierre Post 8 lost and won Friday night at Bismarck in American Legion baseball.

Bismarck starting pitcher Jordan Kenner held the Eights to three hits and no walks with six strike-outs in a 13-1 five-inning victory in the opening game. Bismarck put up nine runs against Pierre starter Tyler Ness and added four unearned runs against Pierre reliever Royce Pease in the fourth inning with the help of two Pierre errors.

The Eights won the nightcap 3-2 with a run in the seventh inning. Jared Neilan led off with a double and moved to third when Scott Cichos singled. Tayler Owens drove a ball to center field for the sacrifice fly to score Neilan.

Neilan finished 2-for-4, Cichos 3-for-3 with a RBI, and Garrett Weber 2-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Nolan Merrill started the game on the mound for Pierre and went five strong innings. He was tagged with one unearned run and allowed six hits and three walks while striking out seven.

Tayler Owens received credit as the winning pitcher in relief. He allowed one run in the sixth inning when Bismarck tied the score 2-2. He didn't give up a hit in two innings of work and walked two.

Pierre pulled ahead 1-0 in the third inning as Garrett Weber led off with a single, Brailey Benton sacrifice bunted him to second and Scott Cichos delivered a two-out RBI single.

Pierre went up 2-0 in the fourth when Brailey Benton lifted a RBI sacrifice fly with bases loaded and one out. A Pierre error led to Bismarck pulling within 2-1 in the fifth inning. Bismarck tied the game in the sixth without a hit, behind a walk, a sacrifice bunt, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly.

The split Friday meant a winning road trip for the Eights, as Coach Bob Sullivan's squad finished the North Dakota two-day swing with three wins and one loss. They also stayed above the .500 mark for the season so far with 10 wins and eight losses.

Post 8 returns to action Monday night with a home doubleheader at Hyde Stadium against Mitchell.

Split squad wins opener at 320 tournament

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8's Split Squad won its opening game Friday at the Jim Scull/Pepsi tournament hosted by Rapid City Post 320. Pierre defeated Spearfish 7-0.

Alex McGuigan pitched a complete game, allowing just two hits over seven innings while striking out 10 Spearfish batters.

Joel Jochim was 3-for-3 for Pierre with two doubles. Carson Eisenbeisz hit two doubles. Willie Welch had three hits including a double and a triple.

Misspellings...

We've had a few misspelled names brought to our attention. Thanks. If you spot others in the game reports or the team rosters, let us know. (Bobmercer1@aol.com)

Eights start N.D. trip strong with a pair of solid wins, get back above .500

MANDAN, N.D. -- Pierre Post 8 showed the efficiency that made the difference Thursday night with a road sweep of the Mandan Chiefs in American Legion baseball.

The Eights made the most of eight hits and eight walks to win 8-4 in the opener. The turning point was a four-run sixth inning that saw doubles by Brandon Heckenlaible and Adam Deneke and a single by Tyler Ness, combined with an error and a lead-off walk by Garrett Weber.

Scott Cichos displayed his reliability on the mound, holding Mandan to three earned runs while allowing nine hits and four walks with four strike-outs in the complete seven-inning win.

Weber had a perfect night at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two walks and scoring two runs from the 9 hole in the Pierre batting order. The top five of the order -- Jared Neilan, Heckenlaible, Nolan Merrill, Deneke and Ness -- each had at least one hit (Ness two) and at least one RBI.

Pierre won the second game 11-5. Rain shortened the contest to five innings. Pierre trailed 4-3 but scored five runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to salt away the victory, raising the team's season record to nine wins and seven losses.

The foursome of Cichos, Merrill, Deneke and Ness combined for 10 of the Eights' 12 hits, eight runs and nine RBI from the 2 through 5 slots in the batting order.

Cichos went 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored, Merrill 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, Deneke 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs and four RBI, and Ness 3-for-4 with two RBI. Adding to the offensive power were lead-off batter Neilan who singled, walked and scored twice, and Eliott Coughlin who drew two walks and scored once.

Neilan, Cichos, Merrill (twice) and Deneke doubled, while Ness tripled.

Pierre starting pitcher Jordan Smith delivered again, allowing four earned runs in five innings of work. Mandan was able to get just five hits against him, while he walked three and struck out one. Smith is now 3-0 this season.

Coach Bob Sullivan's crew returns to the field this evening (Friday) for a 5:30 doubleheader at Bismarck.

QUICK HITS: Mandan left 12 runners on base in the first game.... Pierre's five-run burst in game two started with three walks by Coughlin, Neilan and Cichos, with a Brailey Benton sacrifice bunt... Pierre's three-run fifth in game two was highlighted by all of the runs scoring with two outs as Merrill, Deneke and Ness got base hits in a row...Ness, who moved to the Pierre area from Washington state to work here on his relatives' farm, leads the Eights regulars in batting average at .471 through Thursday. Neilan at .449 is the other regular starter above .400.

Teener Whites get a tough lesson against SF East

SIOUX FALLS -- The Pierre Teener 15-16 Whites lost 16-6 to Sioux Falls East in a South Dakota VFW League game Wednesday.

The Whites fell behind 8-0 in the first inning. They kept battling, scoring in the next three innings, but East came back with five runs in the bottom of the third to dig a hole Pierre couldn't escape.

Six Whites had base hits and scored runs in the five-inning game, led by Blake Dean's 3-for-3 and the 2-for-3 performances of Josh Sayler and Alec Norwick.

East came out hitting the ball against Pierre starting pitcher Graham Protexter. Shay Reinke pitched the final three and one-third innings.

The second game featured potent offense from both clubs, with East winning 22-14 in seven innings. The Whites fell behind 1-0 in the first, but eventually took a 9-8 lead in the top of the fifth. East came roaring back with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth and five more in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away.

Alec Norwick was 4-for-4 with a walk, two runs and three RBI from the 3 slot in the Whites' batting order. Alex Meagher was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Seven different Pierre batters had at least one RBI, and eight had hits, including two hits apiece from Shay Reinke, Bo Atkins and Tyson O'Daniel.

Four different Pierre pitchers took the mound in the game, each giving up at least three earned runs.

The White roster is filled with 15-year-old players and one 16-year-old. Post 8 fielded two 15-16 teams in the South Dakota VFW League this season because of the abundance of talent at the 15-year-old level and the desire to provide strong competition for them. The Green squad, which also plays in the state league, is primarily 16-year-olds with three 15s. Pierre previously had an A's team that played in the league and a Bees team that played other B teams and smaller communities' teams.

320's Jim Scull Tournament game times changed for Pierre

The tournament format, pairings and game times for Pierre in the Rapid City Post 320 Jim Scull/Pepsi tournament this weekend have been switched around several times. The current schedule calls for a mixed team of Pierre 15-17 year olds to play Friday against Spearfish at 12:30 MT and Rapid City 320 Rising Stars (White) at 5:30. On Saturday, Pierre plays one game, at 7:30 a.m. MT, against 320 Rising Stars (Blue). The Pierre team will stay overnight Friday and return home after the Saturday morning game, while it awaits a time for one game in the Sunday round. The team will ride the bus Friday and Saturday, and stay overnight as a team. Parents will drive for the Sunday trip. This eliminates lodging expense for one night for the team and the bus driver. Parents who want to stay in Rapid City for the weekend will be allowed to have players stay in Rapid City, rather than make the return trip on the team bus, if they choose. Pierre originally was scheduled for five games (two Friday, two Saturday, one Sunday) at specific times, but now will play four games, with the Sunday time uncertain. Under the original schedule, Pierre would have been able to send three different sets of players -- one group per day -- so that more players would have been able to participate. The latest revisions in the schedule no longer make that possible.

Practice schedule is posted

Because all four of Pierre Post 8's American Legion and Teener teams are now practicing at Hyde Stadium following the flood-related shutdown of Kelley Field, the Post 8 coaching staff is coordinating their practice schedules. They also are working with Rattlers adult amateur team. The June schedule for practices and game-use of Hyde Stadium can be found on this website under the Home tab. A copy also is posted at Hyde Stadium's new kiosk near the ticket booth.

Rapid City Post 22 pitches in for flood relief

RAPID CITY -- American Legion Post 22 and the parents, friends and fans of Rapid City Post 22 baseball donated $1,374 on Tuesday night to the Pierre and Fort Pierre flood relief program. The money was generated through in a pass-the-hat fundraiser as part of Post 22's doubleheader at Fitzgerald Stadium with visitiing Pierre Post 8.

Too many walks hurt Teener 13-14s

The Pierre Teener 13-14 team is off to a mixed start, winning one game and losing twice so far in high-scoring contests, as some of the squad's young pitchers went through some early-season struggles with their control.

The 34s fell 16-9 to Brookings in their season opener at Hyde Stadium, falling behind early 8-1 before closing to within 8-7, only to see the visitors pull away in the end. Trey Campbell went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and four RBI. Justin Berheim, Quinn Reimers and Ben Eisenbeisz each logged two hits.

Pierre then defeated Brookings 15-11 in game two, with Nick Rabern striking a decisive two-run double in the sixth inning and Ben Eisenbeisz throwing four solid innings of relief, allowing just three runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks. Isaac Grode knocked in five runs, Landon Badger scored three times, and Grode, Brevin Kaiser and Justin Berheim had two hits apiece.

On the road at Huron, Pierre slipped 18-17 when Huron broke the tie in the seventh inning. Four Pierre hurlers combined for 13 walks and hit three Huron batters with pitches. Pierre's batters patiently waited out Huron, however, building an 11-3 lead through three innings behind starting pitcher Quinn Reimers. Both clubs put up runs by the bunches after that against each other's bullpen pitchers. Pierre still led 13-9 through five innings, but Huron pulled ahead 17-13. Pierre knotted the score in the top of the seventh and Huron won with a walk-off single to end the contest after three hours and 15 minutes.

Layne Hohn led Pierre's offense, going 2-for-3 with two walks, three RBI and four runs scored. Max Reinke, Pierre's final pitcher, showed his potential at the plate, reaching base all five times. He was 3-for-3 with two walks and four RBI.

Because of the long first game, the coaches agreed to play five innings In the second game. Pierre had bases loaded trailing 8-7 in the top of the fourth inning when Huron's field lights went out, forcing the contest to stop and be called as an unofficial game by agreement of the coaches.

Jordan Heckenlaible, in his first year as head coach after serving as the 13-14s assistant coach last season, has been closely using pitch-count limits in the early games to so that many players get experience on the mound. Many of the pitchers so far showed jitters against the first batters they faced before settling in for the rest of their turns.

Pierre travels to Watertown for a Saturday-Sunday tournament.

Teener Green tumbles against Watertown

First-inning difficulties put the Pierre Post 8 Teener 15-16 Green team in a deep hole Tuesday night against Watertown. The eight-run deficit was too much to overcome as Watertown defeated the Greens 13-7 in a VFW State League game.

Austin Wagner was 4-for-4 with two RBI, Willie Welch went 2-for-3 with three RBI  and Ryan Goodwin was 3-for-4 with a double to lead the Green attack. Starting pitcher Cooper Walton took the loss.

The second game featured more offense and some solid pitching from Pierre in a 17-7 victory. Drew Leif struck out eight Watertown batters in five innings, while Pierre's batters clubbed 23 hits, including 11 for extra bases. A.J. Dorschner belted a two-run homer, while Austin Wagner stayed hot, going 4-for-5 with two triples and two RBI. Willie Welch went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI. Ryan Goodwin nailed two triples. Carson Eisenbeisz, Cody Honeywell and Cooper Walton had two hits apiece.

Pierre Green's record stood at one win and one loss in league standings. Only the first games of doubleheader count in those standings. Overall Pierre Green has two wins and two losses.

Teener White squad gets first win

RAPID CITY -- The Pierre Post 8 Teeners White team put its first W in the 2011 scorebook Monday evening with a 5-4 win over the Rapid City Post 320 Rising Stars.

The game was shortened to five innings because of rain. Ben Leidholt was the winning pitcher, going the distance. The Whites strung together runs in four different innings, taking advantage of walks, errors and timely singles, as five different Pierre batters scored. One key was Pierre's fielders didn't commit an error.

Shay Reinke, Pierre's lead-off batter, had one hit and drew a walk, while No. 2 batter Bo Atkins had two hits. Blake Dean, batting in the six hole, had one hit and drew two walks.

Rapid City won the second game 13-12 with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Alec Norwick, Graham Protexter and Blake Dean proved to be a potent 4-5-6 combination on offfense for Pierre. Norwick led Pierre at the plate, going 4-for-5, scoring five runs and notching an RBI. Protexter was 2-for-3 with a walk, one run and four RBI, while Dean was 3-for-4 with one run and four RBI. Bo Atkins was 3-for-6 with a run, while Jon Albright and Alex Meagher each scored twice.

Pierre used three pitchers and committed three errors on defense. Those miscues contributed to three unearned runs of the 10 scored by Rapid City in the second and fourth innings against Pierre starter Jon Albright and reliever Alex Meagher.

Pierre rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 12-12. Alec Norwick pitched well for Pierre in relief, giving up two runs in three innings and took the loss.

The split put the 15-16 Whites' season record at one win and three losses. The Whites are scheduled to return to 15-16 VFW State League action on Wednesday (June 8) with a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Sioux Falls East.

Eights drop a pair against Post 22

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8 showed spark with a rally but Rapid City Post 22 showed its strengths in sweeping an American Legion baseball doubleheader Tuesday night at Fitzgerald Stadium.

Post 22 won the opener 11-8 with a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, after Pierre had tied the score with five runs in the top half of the frame, including a grand slam by Adam Deneke. Pierre fell behind 7-0 early and left a total of seven runners on base in three of the first four innings. John Breckenridge pitched the final three innings in relief of Pierre starter Royce Pease and took the loss.

In the nightcap Pierre scored first with a two-out double by Nolan Merrill and a RBI single by Adam Deneke. But the Eights came up empty the rest of the way against Rapid City starter Hunter Jackson, and Post 22 cruised to a 14-1 victory.

The Hardhats patiently shelled Pierre starter Mac Mercer with singles and stole second base at will to accumulate four runs in the first inning and four more in the second before a scoreless third. Post 22 added six runs in the fourth against reliever Steve Nielson, including a lead-off homer and an inside-the-park homer. The game was called on the 10-run mercy rule after Pierre batted in the top of the fifth.

The defeats dropped Post 8's season record to seven wins and seven losses. The Eights travel to Mandan and Bismarck for a pair of doubleheaders Thursday and Friday.

 Teeners Green 15-16s overtake SF West in seventh

The Post 8 Teeners Green team won its opening conference game of the 2011 season Sunday afternoon with a seventh-inning rally to defeat Sioux Falls West 6-5 at Hyde Stadium.

Ryan Goodwin came through with a two-run triple and Cody Honeywell hit a walk-off RBI single to lead the Greens to the win.

West held Pierre to just five hits, putting pressure on Pierre's pitching and defense to hold the line. Willie Welch pitched four innings, Alex Gray two and Cody Honeywell one. Honeywell got the win in relief. 

Under the South Dakota VFW League rules, only the first games of 15-16 doubleheaders count in the standings for state tournament seeding. The victory gave the Greens a strong start.

The second game saw Pierre jump to a 5-1 lead through two innings but West began smacking the ball around after that, winning 23-9. Starting pitcher Ryan Goodwin took the loss and was relieved by Kyle Sarringar and Austin Wagner.

Carson Eisenbeisz had two hits, Austin Wagner tagged two doubles and Ryan Goodwin had his second triple of the afternoon.

The Greens return to action Tuesday evening with a 5 p.m. doubleheader against rival Watertown at Hyde Stadium.

 Eights take second place in Yankton

YANKTON -- Pierre Post 8 defeated Aberdeen 3-1 to advance to the championship game Sunday at the Lewis & Clark Wood Bat Classic tournament but lost to Brookings 7-1 for the title.

The Eights finished the three-day tournament with five wins and one loss. They improved to seven wins and five losses for the season so far.

In a top performance, starting pitcher Adam Deneke and reliever Tayler Owens combined to keep Aberdeen in check in the semi-finals.

The hard-throwing Deneke notched eight strike-outs and hadn't allowed a run but got into a bad jam in the sixth inning. Owens took the mound with two outs, bases loaded and a 3-0 lead. He worked a 3-2 count into a strikeout to end the threat. Owens pitched the seventh and gave up one run.

Pierre put the first run on the scoreboard in the first inning. Jared Neilan led off with a single on the first pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third base and scored on a Nolan Merrill RBI single.

Pierre tallied two runs in the fifth inning. Tanner Wolf was hit by a pitch. Pinch runner Mac Mercer advanced on a sacrfice bunt. Jared Neilan singled and moved to second base when the throw to the cutoff got away. Scott Cichos lofted a single over the infielders to score both runners.

In the championship Pierre's bats found too much leather and not enough grass. Meanwhile Brookings erupted for three runs in a controversial third inning to chase Pierre lefty Alex McGuigan, making his first American Legion start on the mound. Brookings added four runs in the fifth inning against reliever Tayler Owens, who was sent back out to work again after his save in the preceding game three hours earlier.

Trailing 7-0, the Eights got their first hit of the championship game when Tyler Ness singled to open the bottom of the fifth. He eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Eights are on the road again this week, with a doubleheader in Rapid City against Post 22 on Tuesday and an overnight trip to play doubleheaders Thursday and Friday against Mandan and Bismarck.

Teeners White squad runs into a bump in opener

The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 15-16 White team opened its 2011 season on Saturday afternoon at Hyde Stadium with a tough 23-11 conference defeat at the hands of Huron.

The visitors pulled loose from a 3-3 tie with several big innings, tallying six runs in the second inning, five in the fourth and four in the sixth against the White's developing staff of pitchers. Pierre used four pitchers who together issued 15 walks while striking out five Huron batters.

Pierre's offense showed its potential with a trio of three-run innings. Pierre was patient at the plate, drawing 13 walks while striking out just three times. Lead-off batter Shay Reinke had one basehit and four walks in five trips to the plate, scoring four runs and driving in two. Clean-up batter Ben Leidholt drew four walks in four trips. Alec Norwick scored two runs while Bo Atkins was 2-for-4 with one walk, a run scored and two RBI.

The second game saw Pierre fall 19-4 in three innings. Blake Dean had one of Pierre's two hits. He also scored a run and knocked in one.

Under South Dakota VFW rules, only the first games of league doubleheaders count in the conference standings that determine berths in the state tournament. Pierre is fielding two squads -- White and Green -- in 15-16 conference play this season.

Post 8 wins two more, advances to title round at Yankton

HARTINGTON, Neb. -- With two victories Saturday, Pierre Post 8 ran its record in the Lewis & Clark Wood Bat Classic to four wins and no losses and won the Hartington pool, earning the Eights a berth in the Sunday championship round at Yankton.

For Post 8 it's the best performance at the tournament in Coach Bob Sullivan's three years at the helm. Pierre finished 2-2 in 2009 and 2-2 in 2010. In the four games so far this weekend, the Eights have scored 48 runs while allowing 12, and they haven't needed a pitcher from the bullpen yet.

The Eights defeated host Hartington 17-3 in five innings in Saturday's opening game, then came right back to top Creighton 11-4 in a game stopped after six innings because of the time limit.

Nolan Merrill was the winning pitcher for Pierre against Hartington, allowing just five hits while overcoming three defensive errors by his fielders.

Pierre took a 11-0 lead with a 10-run third inning. Jared Neilan's three-RBI triple was the big blow in that rally. Garrett Weber smashed a two-run double to help fuel a six-run burst for Pierre in the fourth inning.

Against Creighton, Tyler Ness pitched six innings of three-hit ball with seven strikeouts, including taking down the side 1-2-3 on Ks in the sixth.

Pierre sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring eight runs on four hits. Those were RBI singles by John Breckenridge and Dylan Schiltz; a two-run single by Scott Cichos; and a RBI double by Nolan Merrill.

The Eights added three runs in the fourth on Jared Neilan's two-run double and a RBI single from Scott Cichos, both with two outs.

The Eights improved their season record to six wins and four losses through Saturday.

Post 8 starts strong with two wins at Lewis & Clark

HARTINGTON, Neb. -- Pierre Post 8 stormed past Sioux Falls West 9-1 and Valley Springs 11-4 on Friday afternoon in the opening round of pool play in the Yankton Lewis & Clark American Legion baseball tournament.

The two wins put the Eights in strong position in their pool standings. They face pool host Hartington at 11 a.m. Saturday and Creighton at 1:15 p.m. Winners of the three pools and one wild card advance to the championship round Sunday in Yankton.

Starting pitcher Scott Cichos held West to five hits in the opener Friday, while Orin Burke belted three doubles to lead the Pierre offense. Nolan Merrill made the defensive highlight reel with a catch of a line drive to right field and a throw to the plate for the double play that snuffed a West rally in the fourth inning.

Pierre scored five runs in the sixth inning, including four runs with two outs, to end the game early under the tournament's eight-run margin rule.

The second game of the day saw the Eights make the most of 11 errors by Valley Springs, while starting pitcher Jordan Smith went the full seven innings for the victory.

Pierre sent a dozen batters to the plate in the third inning and scored seven runs, with Brandon Heckenlaible belting a two-run double with bases loaded.

Eights on wrong end of broom at Sturgis

STURGIS -- Pierre Post 8 lost both ends of an American Legion baseball doubleheader Wednesday night against Sturgis.

The Eights pulled to a 3-0 lead after two innings in the first game, but the Titans took advantage of an error, a hit batsman and a walk to load the bases in the bottom of the third inning with none out and went on to score four runs in the frame. Neither team scored again.as Sturgis won 4-3 in seven innings.

Pierre fell behind 6-0 through three innings in the second game, then eventually fought to a 6-6 tie on a Tanner Wolf RBI triple; and pulled ahead 8-6 in the top of the seventh on a Jared Neilan triple, a Scott Cichos sacrifice fly, a two-out triple from Adam Deneke and an RBI infield single by Tyler Ness. But Sturgis tied the score in the bottom of the seventh, then won 9-8 in the bottom of the eighth after loading the bases with no outs.

Strong winds made the outfielding difficult for both teams throughout the night. Sturgis effectively used hit-and-run plays to power the fourth-inning rally in the first game, driving the ball through the right side of the infield. Three plays at the plate shaped the second game's outcome. A Pierre baserunner was called out in the first inning, while Sturgis baserunners were safe in the seventh and eighth innings.

Pierre starter Mac Mercer took the loss in the first game as he went six innings, while reliever Adam Deneke took the loss in the second game, pitching the eighth following starter Royce Pease (three innings) and Tayler Owens (four innings).

The losses dropped Post 8 to a record of two wins and four losses so far this season. The Eights go back on the road Thursday to travel to Yankton, where they will participate in the Lewis and Clark wood bat tournament this weekend. They face Sioux Falls West at 1:15 and Valley Springs at 3 p.m. in the Friday games at Hartington, Neb. On Saturday they play Hartington at 11 a.m. and Creighton at 1:15 p.m. Top teams from the three pools at Yankton, Hartington and Vermillion will square off Sunday in the finals round.

Hyde Stadium baseball ahead!

All three Pierre Teeners teams are scheduled for home doubleheaders in the days ahead. The White 15-16 team hosts Huron on June 4 in a 4 p.m. doubleheader. The Green 15-16 team hosts Sioux Falls West on June 5 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The first games of both twin bills count in the South Dakota VFW League standings. The 13-14 teams hosts Brookings on June 6 in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.

Change in contact information

Coach Bob Sullivan has a new email address. It is bobbyjsullivan@yahoo.com and this should be used rather than his old school-district email address. The school-district address is no longer functional because of his decision to leave employment with the Pierre school district. He will be moving to the Omaha area for personal reasons after completion of the 2011 American Legion season.

 Season pass information

The renewal letters have been sent to 2010 season pass-holders. We had a bit of a hiccup this spring and the letters were mailed without the passes! Please accept our sincere apology. We log all of the payments, so if you've sent your renewal check, you can pick up your pass at the ballpark's ticket window when you come to the next game. (Many of you already have. Thanks!) Here are some other ways to do it:

1) You can also pay for your pass at the ticket window if you prefer, rather than send a check.

2) If you would like to get your pass in the mail, please include a note when you mail in your check.

3) And if you've already mailed your check, and you prefer to have your pass mailed to you rather than pick it up at the ballpark, we can do that for you too. You can call Post 8 Baseball president Bob Mercer at 224-0399 (if I'm not there, leave a name and number so that I can call you back to confirm your address) or you can email me at Bobmercer1@aol.com.

We will do our best to serve you, because we treasure your support of Pierre Post 8 Baseball. This should be an exciting season. Thanks again!

 Attention Post 8 Baseball players!

If you haven't completed your raffle ticket sales, please make an effort to get them sold. You won't be allowed to play in your team's official games until you turn in the appropriate amount of money. 

 Post 8 cookbooks can be picked up at home games 

If you placed an advance order for a Post 8 Baseball cookbook, or want to buy some that you didn't order, stop at Hyde Stadium during home games to pick up your copies. The price is $10 per book. We'll also be making the cookbooks available for pickup and for sale at Hyde Stadium throughout the season, but the early birds catch the worms.

2010 Season News Below

Teener Bees fall short in fight for third place

BRANDON -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees headed into the third-place game Sunday with two wins and one loss in the South Dakota VFW Varsity AA Minors state tournament. Unfortunately, their great year ended with a hard-fought loss 5-2 against Yankton.

The Bees, coached by Sam Koenecke and Michael Gardner, had split two games Saturday, defeating Yankton 13-3 before running into a tough Sioux Falls Central team. Central won 6-0, with Bees' Drew Leif smashing a double in the seventh inning to break up the no-hitter.

Jackson Bruce provided a big bat for Pierre throughout the tournament. His double against Brandon set the stage for Cody Honeywell's game-winning home run in a 2-1 victory Friday, as Pierre's defense solidified with three double-plays including a strike-out/throw-out at first and home as catcher A.J. Dorschner blocked the plate.

Bruce was 3-for-3 in the first game against Yankton, with two runs scored, while Ben Leidholt was 3-for-4 with a double and Joel Jochim was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

The rematch against Yankton saw Mark Ray draw three walks for the Bees and bat in a run, while Leidholt was 2-for-4, Bruce had a hit and a walk and Jochim came up with another hit in the low-scoring struggle.

Teener A's fall to Aberdeen in season-ending loss

SIOUX FALLS -- Their luck finally ran out and determination alone eventually just wasn't enough. The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's lost 10-7 Saturday to Aberdeen in an extra-inning ending to their season, as the A's were eliminated from the South Dakota VFW Varsity AA Majors state tournament.

Aberdeen went on to defeat Yankton and earn a berth in Sunday's championship round against Sioux Falls East. Pierre, coached by Bill Gayton and Jason Livermont, finished the tournament with two wins and two losses, good enough for fourth place in the eight-team state field.

The A's had defeated Aberdeen in all four of their regular-season games. On Saturday, however, Aberdeen took a 2-0 lead in the second inning against starting pitcher Willie Welch, and the A's led only once.

The A's pulled within 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning on the combination of a Chase Lettau double and a Carson Eisenbeisz sacrifice fly. Aberdeen got a run back in the fourth to lead 3-1.

With Kyle Sarringar pitching in relief of Welch, the A's tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth, scoring two runs while getting only one hit. Lettau singled and stole second base, Mac Mercer walked and Lettau eventually scored on an errant pickoff play at first base while Austin Wagner was batting. Wagner walked, and Eisenbeisz drove home Mercer with a sacrifice fly.

Aberdeen got a run in the sixth, but the A's came back in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 6-4. The three Pierre runs came without a hit. Eliott Coughlin was hit by a pitch, Sarringar walked, Alex McGuigan was hit by a pitch, and Lettau was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to force in a run. Mercer hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the second run. Then McGuigan scored from third base as Lettau stayed alive long enough in a pickle between first and second base on a pickoff play.

Trailing 6-4, Aberdeen's batters put the pressure on Pierre's defense in the seventh and forced an assortment of infield errors and mistakes. The game nearly ended in a Pierre victory on a home-to-first double play attempt, but the throw hit the runner at first base. Instead Aberdeen eventually scored three runs to pull ahead 7-6.

Pierre tied the score at 7-7 on a fielder's choice by Jared Erickson and had the bases loaded again but couldn't get the winning run home.

Aberdeen scored three runs in the eighth inning off reliever Ryan Goodwin and Pierre couldn't score. Pierre struggled throughout the game to get hits and finished with just four. Of Pierre's first 15 outs, 13 were popups or outfield flies.

The A's finished the year with an overall record of 37 wins and 11 losses. 

Teener Bees win opener at state on Honeywell homer

BRANDON -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees took a 2-1 victory over host Brandon in the opening game of the South Dakota VFW Varsity AA Minors state tournament Friday behind top pitching by Drew Leif and a two-run homer from Cody Honeywell.

Leif threw a complete seven-inning game for the victory. Honeywell's blast cleared the fence in left-center field with Jackson Bruce on base. Brandon had recently beaten the Bees in regular-season play.

The Bees play two games Saturday, starting at noon vs. Yankton and at 8 p.m. vs. Sioux Falls Central. The top two finishers in pool play advance to the championship Sunday in the six-team tournament, while the No. 2 finishers in pool play will battle for third place.

Teener A's split on day two of state tournament, make final four

SIOUX FALLS -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's started strong but went scoreless for the final five innings Friday afternoon, falling 6-4 to Sioux Falls East in the second round of play at the South Dakota VFW AA Varsity Majors state tournament.

The A's stayed alive in the double-elimination tournament by defeating Watertown 16-6 in six innings Friday night, ripping open a one-run game with nine runs in the bottom of the sixth and ending Watertown's chance for a second-straight state championship.

Pierre stands with a record of two wins and one loss in the tournament heading into the third round of action in the eight-team field. Pierre faces Aberdeen in a loser-out elimination game at noon Saturday. If Pierre wins, the team will play again at 3 p.m., facing the loser of the Yankton-East showdown that also starts at noon. The championship round is Sunday.

Against East, the score seesawed in the opening frames. Pierre tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning as Austin Wagner walked, Carson Eisenbeisz singled and Jared Neilan batted them in with a double. East climbed ahead again with a run in the top of the second inning, but Alex McGuigan cranked a two-run homer after Willie Welch had singled, giving Pierre a 4-3 lead.

East scored a run in the fourth to tie the game against starting pitcher Chase Lettau, then managed to plate two more in the fifth against reliever Welch. He held East scoreless the rest of the way, but Pierre couldn't muster any sustained offense against East reliever Derek Sahr, who was credited for the win with 4-plus scoreless innings.

Against Watertown, Pierre came out hustling and agressive. Singles by Austin Wagner and Carson Eisenbeisz set the table for an RBI single by Jared Neilan and a two-run triple by Eliott Coughlin, who motored home on an overthrow at third base to score on the play, giving Pierre a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Second baseman Jared Erickson made a highlight-reel catch and throw deep in the first-base hole to shut off a Watertown rally in the second inning. Chase Lettau drew a walk and Mac Mercer lined a run-scoring double in the bottom of the frame to put the A's up 5-0.

Watertown finally got a run on the scoreboard in the third inning against Pierre starting pitcher Alex McGuigan. Watertown added a run in the fourth on a combination of a walk and a single.

Kyle Sarringar relieved McGuigan to start the fifth inning with a 5-2 lead. His teammates gave him a 7-2 cushion on Lettau's bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single. The extra runs came in handy when Watertown took advantage of several Pierre errors to score four runs in the top of the sixth inning and pull within 7-6.

Then the wheels fell off for Watertown. Eisenbeisz smashed a grounder that the shortstop couldn't handle, Neilan singled on a 0-2 pitch through the third-base hole, Coughlin followed with a clean single, and Erickson worked back from an 0-2 count to draw a bases-loaded RBI walk for an 8-6 Pierre lead.

The A's plated another run when Sarringar was hit by a pitch for an RBI. Nate Buscher flared a single to right field for an RBI. During Lettau's at-bat, Erickson scored on a wild pitch, and Lettau eventually drew a walk to re-load the bases. Mercer drew a walk to push home another run. Wagner ripped a line drive into straight center for two RBI. Mercer scored on a passed ball during Eisenbeisz's second at-bat of the inning, and Eisenbeisz walked.

With Watertown's infielders playing in, Neilan belted a sacrifice fly deep enough into center field to push home the final run needed to make the score 16-6 and give Pierre the victory on the 10-run mercy rule.

Other second-day results saw Yankton explode for eight runs in the sixth inning and defeat Aberdeen 12-6, and Aberdeen later eliminating Mitchell 5-4. In Thursday elimination games, Watertown had bounced Sioux Falls West 7-2 and Mitchell sent Huron home 8-2.

The remaining four teams are East with two wins, Yankton with two wins, Pierre with two wins and one loss, and Aberdeen with two wins and one loss.

Mitchell and Watertown each finished with one win and two losses, while West and Huron made the earliest exits with two losses.

Teener A's State Tourney Day One: Pierre 2, Mitchell 1

SIOUX FALLS -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's won their first-round game Thursday in the South Dakota VFW Majors AA state tournament, defeating Mitchell 2-1. The A's play Sioux Falls East at 4 p.m. Friday.

The A's trailed 1-0 when Carson Eisenbeisz and Jared Neilan singled to break up a no-hitter and put two runners aboard in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs and Eisenbeisz on third base and Neilan at second, Ryan Goodwin squibbed a ground ball that Mitchell's second baseman couldn't handle. Goodwin dove into first safely, while Eisenbeisz scored. Neilan read the play and raced home from third to beat the throw to the plate, scoring what would stand as the winning run.

Mac Mercer pitched the complete seven-inning game, striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh for the win. Mercer gave up three hits, struck out seven, walked two and hit one batter. The infield of third baseman Chase Lettau, shortstop Goodwin, second baseman Jared Erickson and first baseman Austin Wagner played errorless defense behind him on repeated ground balls, and the outfield of Eisenbeisz, Neilan and Nate Buscher made no mistakes.

Mitchell had defeated Pierre 4-1 in a conference game last week at Mitchell. Pierre beat Mitchell in their two other games this season 15-0 and 14-1.

Pierre's Friday opponent, Sioux Falls East, won 8-7 over Huron in 12 innings Thursday evening. In other first-round games, Yankton edged Watertown 2-1, while Aberdeen upset top-seeded Sioux Falls West 9-5. The tournament is double elimination.

First-round games set:

Teener A's face Mitchell,

Teener Bees take on Brandon

The seedings appear to be complete, and the Pierre Post 8 Teener A's will play Mitchell in the first round of the VFW Teener 15-16 AA Varsity Majors state baseball tournament.

According to bracket posted on the website of the host Sioux Empire Baseball Association, Pierre will be playing at 4 p.m. Thursday at one of the fields at the Sioux Falls Harmodon complex.

All eight of the teams in the tournament will play simultaneously at 4 p.m. Thursday on one of four Harmodon fields, according to the bracket posted by SEBA. (The South Dakota VFW hasn't posted a bracket yet.)

The matchups are Pierre as the North No. 1 seed against Mitchell as the South No. 4 seed; Huron as the North No. 3 seed against Sioux Falls East as the South No. 2 seed; Watertown as the North No. 2 seed against Yankton as the South No. 3 seed; and Aberdeen as the North No. 4 seed against Sioux Falls West as the South No. 1 seed.

Pierre finished conference play with 10 wins and three losses, the defeats coming against Mitchell 4-1, East 7-2 and West 5-3. Pierre went 8-0 against North Division opponents.

The four teams that lose in the first-round games will play again that evening in elimination games at 7 p.m. Thursday. The two losers of the 7 p.m. games would be eliminated from the double-elimination tournament with their second losses.

Winners of the first-round games will play each other in the second round at 4 p.m. on Friday. The two winners of the Friday 4 p.m. games would advance to Saturday play.

The two losers of the two 4 p.m. games on Friday would play again Friday evening at 7 p.m., against the winners of the Thursday 7 p.m. elimination games. Losers of the Friday 7 p.m. games would be eliminated from further play with their second losses.

The remaining four teams would advance to third-round play on Saturday with two games starting at noon. One game would feature the remaining two undefeated teams, and the winner would advance to Sunday's championship round.

The other game at noon Saturday would feature the remaining two once-beaten teams, with the loser eliminated. Another elimination game would be played Saturday at 3 p.m. between the two remaining once-beaten teams, with the loser eliminated while the winner advances to Sunday's championship round.

The championship round on Sunday has the first game scheduled for noon. If a second game is necessary, game time would be 3 p.m. The 3 p.m. game would be necessary only if the unbeaten team lost to the once-beaten team in the noon game.

The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees open their six-team state tournament at Brandon with a 2:30 p.m. game Friday against host Brandon Valley. They have two games on Saturday, facing Yankton at noon and battling Sioux Falls Central at 8 p.m.

The six teams are split in two pools. One pool has Sioux Falls South, Yankton and Huron. The other pool has Brandon Valley, Pierre and Sioux Falls Central.

The teams will be re-ranked after completion of the pool-play rounds. The two teams which finished second in their respective pools will play Sunday at 10 a.m. for third place. The two teams which finished first in their pools will play for the championship Sunday at 3 p.m.

The tie-breaking system for the Bees' tournament is record, followed by head-to-head, then least runs allowed and finally most runs scored.

Pierre Teeners lose 2-1 in VFW 13-14 state semi-finals, defeat Huron for third

HURON -- Brookings scored two runs in the sixth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and defeated the Pierre Teeners 2-1 Sunday morning in the semi-final round of the South Dakota VFW AA Majors 13-14 state tournament.

Brookings went on to defeat Sioux Falls West 15-5 for the state title, while Pierre beat Huron 11-1 for third place in four innings behind starting pitcher Cash Anderson and extra-base hits by Connor Ryan and Blake Dean.

Pierre finished the tournament with four wins and one loss, as did Brookings. Pierre went into championship Sunday unbeaten behind its deep staff of solid pitchers, standing as the No. 1 seed after three straight wins in the earlier rounds Friday and Saturday. Pierre gave up just eight runs in five games in the tournament. Overall the 34s finished with 29 wins and eight losses for the summer, after a 1-4 start.

Pierre broke open a scoreless battle against Brookings with a run in the fifth inning. Justin Berheim reached base on an infield error, moved up on Alec Norwick's single and scored on Cash Anderson's RBI single with one out.

But the inning ended in frustration for Pierre as Norwick and Anderson were stranded on third and second. Pierre left six runners on second and third base in the tight game.

Brookings knotted the score at 1-1 on a freak play in the top of the sixth inning. A lead-off double put a Brookings runner at second base, and he tried to steal third while Pierre's infield was still regrouping. He seemed to be out, but the ball slipped out of the Pierre fielder's glove on the tag and rolled far enough away for the runner to race home.

The next Brookings batter singled and Garrett Gerstner delivered the game-winning hit when he smashed a double to the right-center wall for an RBI and the 2-1 lead.

Cooper Walton had pitched a sterling game for Pierre to that point. In six innings of work he struck out nine Brookings batters, walked one, hit one with a pitch and allowed five hits. Alex Gray pitched a scoreless seventh inning for Pierre, giving up three hits but wriggling out of a bases-loaded no-out jam.

The defeat put Pierre into the third-place game later Sunday afternoon.

Pierre defeated Rapid City Blue 6-1 and Mitchell 4-2 on Saturday. Isaac Grode was the winning pitcher against Rapid City, while Graham Protexter was the winning pitcher against Mitchell, each going four innings. In each game Austin Christopherson took the mound in relief for a pair of scoreless three-inning saves.

Against Rapid City, a two-out error and a hit-by-pitch led to two unearned runs when Cooper Walton lined a double down the right field line for a 2-1 Pierre lead in the third inning. Another two-out error followed by a Walton double on a hit-and-run play put Pierre ahead 3-1 in the fifth.

Back to back bunts by Nick Rabern and Christopherson, and eventually a RBI sacrifice fly by Justin Berheim and a two-out missed fly ball hit by Cash Anderson for two more runs led to Pierre's final 6-1 margin.

Against Mitchell, an outfield error on a fly ball hit by Walton gave Pierre a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Pierre added two runs in the third on an Anderson double to the wall in left-center, a RBI single by Alex Gray and eventually an RBI groundout by Graham Protexter.

Twice Mitchell ran into double plays on combinations of Grode strike-outs and catcher Norwick catching Mitchell runners trying to steal third base.

Mitchell got a run in the fourth but a superb fielding play by shortstop Anderson and a called third strike thrown by Grode ended that threat. Mitchell pieced together another run in the fifth on a walk, a sacrifice and an two-out infield error.

Teener 13-14s start strong with a big win at state

HURON -- Pierre Post 8 won its opener in the South Dakota VFW AA Majors State Tournament for age 13-14 teams, taking a commanding 12-2 victory in a mercy-shortened five innings against Sioux Falls West.

Eleven of Pierre's runs scored with two outs. Pierre controlled the strike zone on offense and defense and that made the difference. Pierre batters drew nine walks while striking out only twice. West batters walked once while striking out four times.

West took the lead 2-0 in the first inning on a home run over the 266 centerfield fence, but those would be the only runs they would manage against Pierre starting pitcher Cooper Walton and reliever Alex Gray.

Walton struck out three, picked off a runner, walked one and allowed three hits in four innings of work, while the defense committed just one error. Gray took off the catcher gear and pitched the final 1-2-3 inning for a mercy-rule save, as first baseman Walton and Gray combined on a slick 3-1 putout to end the game.

Kasa Field has a regulation infield but has a short-distance outfield that's 269 feet down the left line, 266 to dead center and 214 down the right line. Tournament organizers were forced to use the field in addition to Memorial Stadium, because Huron's new second regulation field next to Memorial isn't finished.

West's home run bounced off the top of the centerfield fence and cost Pierre an outfielder, as Justin Berheim crashed into the fence post and had to leave with only two outs into the game.

West's starting pitcher failed to make it past the first inning, as he issued seven walks against Pierre's steady-eyed batters. Walton tied the game on an 0-2 count with a single to right that sent two Pierre runners home. Five walks in a row later, including RBI passes with bases loaded to Austin Christopherson, Connor Ryan and Shay Reinke, Pierre led 5-2.

Cash Anderson singled in the second inning and eventually scored on a sharp grounder up the middle by Walton that was mishandled to make the score 6-2.

Pierre scored six runs in the third inning on back-to-back singles by Christopherson and Ryan followed by a walk to Reinke, a two-out walk to Anderson, a two-run throwing error on Gray's grounder to shortstop and Walton's three-run homer to right field.

Trailing 12-2, West rapped two straight singles to open the fourth, but Walton struck out the next two batters and Anderson snagged a soft liner up the middle to end the threat.

Gray induced a popup to second, struck out the next batter and beat the third batter to first base on a ball hit to Walton's right to end the game.

Pierre, coached by former Post 8 standouts Mike Fisher and Jordan Heckenlaible, plays its second game Saturday. The 10 a.m. contest at Memorial is against the Rapid City Pony All-Star Blue squad.

Pool-play results from Friday and Saturday will determine the teams that advance in tournament play and teams that will be slotted in the friendship round. It is likely, based on Pierre's win and its low runs-allowed in the first game, that Pierre will play another game later Saturday in the final eight bracket.

The final-four championship round is Sunday. The teams making it to Sunday will all play two games with a semifinals followed by contests for first place and third place. The Pierre 34's took a record of 25 wins and eight losses (and two games with unreported results) into the tournament.

A's finish regular season with a sweep

HURON -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's returned to form Wednesday, taking both games of a doubleheader against Huron.

Mac Mercer was the winning pitcher in the 16-1 four-inning victory in the opener as Huron managed just one hit. Chase Lettau was the winning pitcher in the 16-5 five-inning win in the nightcap, with Kyle Sarringar throwing the fifth for the mercy-rule save. Among the many batting highlights was Nate Buscher's performance in the second game, when he went 3-for-3 and a walk.

The A's, coached by Bill Gayton and Jason Livermont, wrapped up their regular season with a record of 35 wins and nine losses. The opener against Huron was their final conference game of the summer, pushing their record in the VFW standings to 10-3 and placing them in position for a high seed at the state tournament in Sioux Falls that opens Thursday, Aug. 12.

Teener A's stumble in split at Mitchell

MITCHELL -- A hot bus ride didn't help but wasn't an excuse for the 4-1 defeat the Pierre Post 8 Teener A's suffered Tuesday night against Mitchell.

The A's came back to win the nightcap 14-1 in five innings, but the first-game loss dropped the A's to a VFW conference record of nine wins and three losses. Only the first games of conference doubleheaders count in the standing, which are used for determining state tournament berths and seeding.

Willie Welch pitched well enough to keep Pierre in a position to win, allowing only two earned runs and spreading seven hits across six innings. But on a still, humid evening when neither team's offense could generate much, two throwing errors by Pierre shortstop Mac Mercer to start Mitchell's half of the first and fourth innings led to two unearned runs.

The A's managed just four hits against long-time nemesis Michael Sadler, the Mitchell starting pitcher, including a first-inning triple by Austin Wagner that gave Pierre its only run.

The A's showed much more spirit as they began the second game. Ryan Goodwin was the winning pitcher, allowing just one run in four innings. Kyle Sarringar returned from a medical layoff to pitch the fifth and get the mercy-rule save. One big hit was Alex McGuigan's triple to help break the game open in the fourth inning.

The A's stand at 33-9 as they travel to Huron today (Wednesday) for their final conference doubleheader of the 2010 season. The VFW state tournament for the large-city age 15-16 teams including Pierre starts Aug. 12 in Sioux Falls.

Teener 13-14's show efficiency against Huron

 The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 team won two games against Huron at Hyde Stadium on Saturday afternoon in their final scheduled play before the state tournament that opens Friday in Huron.

The 34's defeated Huron 12-3 in six innings in the opener and 9-6 in the second game as they rolled out eight pitchers.

Huron jumped to a 3-0 lead in the opener but the 34's tied the score in their half of the first inning and didn't allow another run. Pierre offensive highlights included a two-run 3-for-4 performance by Cash Anderson, two runs scored by Alec Norwick and two hits apiece by Alex Gray and Trey Campbell.

The second game saw Huron leading 3-1 through three innings. Pierre put the game on ice with eight runs in the fourth inning. No Pierre batter scored more than one run nor had more than one hit.

A's complete sweep against Brandon behind McGuigan

The Pierre Post Teener A's took a 15-0 victory in six innings Saturday against Brandon to complete the two-game two-day sweep of the Diamondcats.

Alex McGuigan had the big day for the A's. He pitched the whole way, striking out ninewithout issuing a walk, while allowing four hits and hitting two Brandon batters. At the plate, McGuigan was 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple.

Another highlight was Nate Buscher's three-RBI double. The A's plated two runs apiece from Austin Wagner, Carson Eisenbeisz, Eliott Coughlin, Chase Lettau and Buscher. Coughlin and Eisenbeisz had two hits apiece.

The victory improved the A's season record to 32-8.

A's grind out win over Brandon

The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's didn't get as many hits, but they made the most of their scoring opportunities Friday and refused to give Brandon a big inning. as they won 12-5 in a South Dakota VFW conference game.

The A's broke open a 1-1 game with four runs in the second inning and five runs in the third, then added two insurance runs in the sixth inning. Eight different A's scored in the game, including two apiece from Eliott Coughlin, Ryan Goodwin, Alex McGuigan and Mac Mercer. Two singles from Carson Eisenbeisz made him the only Pierre batter with more than one hit.

Brandon's lineup was somewhat of a patchwork, and the game's start was delayed a half-hour by some travel issues. Brandon pitchers issued five walks and hit three Pierre batters, while the Brandon fielders committed three errors.

Starting pitcher Mac Mercer went the full seven innngs for Pierre. He struck out 10 while walking three and allowing 10 hits. He was aided by a variety of strong fielding including key plays by first baseman Austin Wagner, right fielder Nate Buscher and third baseman Chase Lettau.

The A's conference record climbed to nine wins and two losses with the victory. The conference standings determine seeding for the state tournament in two weeks at Sioux Falls. The A's have two conference dates remaining, both on the road, against Mitchell on Tuesday and Huron on Wednesday. Their overall season record stands at 31-8.

Post 8 eliminated from state tournament by Aberdeen

MITCHELL -- Pierre Post 8 ended its American Legion baseball season Friday the same way the Eights began with a loss to the Aberdeen Smittys.

Aberdeen bunched six runs into two innings and defeated Pierre 6-2 in a loser-out game at the South Dakota American Legion state tournament. The defeat was Pierre's second of the tourney and eliminated the Eights from further play.

Aberdeen batters rattled Pierre's three pitchers for 15 hits, while the Eights were able to scratch out just seven -- two by Scott Cichos -- against Aberdeen ace Taylor Morsching. Ryan Lauseng, wrapping up his years as a Pierre Teener and American Legion player, made a strong final showing. He pitched effectively in the final innings to hold Aberdeen in check, but Pierre struggled to capitalize on opportunities throughout the game.

Pierre finished the state tournament with a record of one win and two losses. Their final record for the 2010 season stands at 29 victories and 27 defeats.

Rapid City Post 22 nearly no-hits Eights at state

MITCHELL -- Pierre Post 8 came up with only one hit and lost 14-0 to Rapid City Post 22 in seven innings Friday afternoon in the South Dakota American Legion state baseball tournament.

The Eights stand at one win and one loss. They play again later at 5 p.m. today in an elimination game against Aberdeen on Drake Field. The winner stays alive in the double-elimination tournament to play again Saturday at 5 p.m., while the loser is out. The Smittys dumped Alexandria 15-0 in an elimination game earlier Friday.

Rapid City took a 6-0 lead in the second inning against Pierre starting pitcher Adam Deneke. The six runs came on one hit, five errors, two wild pitches and one passed ball as Pierre struggled to field bunts, throw accurately or play basic infield defense.

Deneke had Pierre's only hit with two outs in the seventh inning off reliever Casey Chilstrom. Together winning pitcher Tanner Chleborad and Chilstrom struck out six and walked one.

Pierre has now been outscored 78-14 by Post 22 this season in seven games, all lost by Pierre.

A's outlast Aberdeen for a sweep

Neither game was pretty, but there was plenty of scoring. The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's defeated Aberdeen 11-10 with two runs in the bottom of the last inning Thursday night at Hyde Stadium. In the second game Pierre won 20-16.

Lead-off man Mac Mercer scored four runs and No. 2 batter Austin Wagner three runs while No. 3 batter Carson Eisenbeisz crashed two triples and scored twice to lead Pierre's offense in the opener. Clean-up hitter Jared Erickson hit the game-winning single in the seventh. Erickson was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Ryan Goodwin. Aberdeen had scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to take a 10-9 lead.

The second game saw every Pierre batter score at least once, including three runs apiece for Eliott Coughlin, Eisenbeisz, Wagner and Mercer. Willie Welch was the winning pitcher in relief. Aberdeen scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game 16-16. Pierre came back with four in the bottom half capped by a two-RBI single by Welch.

The A's improved their season record to 30 wins and eight losses.

Bees gain a split against Central

SIOUX FALLS -- The Post 8 Teener Bees proved to themselves Wednesday they can compete with Sioux Falls Central. The Bees rallied hard but fell short 9-7 in the first game, then took control the entire way in the second game behind pitcher Jackson Bruce and the defense for a 6-4 win.

In the opener Central took a 5-0 lead through two innings against Pierre starting pitcher Bo Atkins. The Bees put four runs on the board in the fourth inning, before Central reached Pierre reliever Cody Honeywell for three runs in the bottom half. The Bees battled back with two runs in the top of the fifth to pull within 8-6, but Central tallied another run in the bottom half.

Jackson Bruce was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, while Ryan Dufour tripled with two runs batted in and Ben Leidholt hit a two-RBI single.

The second game saw Pierre take leads of 2-1 and 3-2 before pulling ahead for good with three runs in the fifth inning. Bruce pitched the complete seven innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out four. Jacob Chambers and Ryan Dufour had two hits each while Drew Leif got on track going 3-for-4 with a run batted in.

Coach Sam Koenecke's Bees stand at 24 wins and seven losses for the season so far.

In another pitching gem, Eights knock down Watertown in state opener

MITCHELL -- Scott Cichos delivered in the clutch once again Wednesday. He pitched a complete nine innings and his hitters came through when needed, as Pierre Post 8 won its opening game of the South Dakota American Legion baseball tournament with a 6-5 victory over Watertown.

The Eights advance in the unbeaten bracket to a 5 p.m. game Thursday against Rapid City Post 22. Pierre hasn't beaten Post 22 this season, including 6-1 and 17-4 defeats in the West regional last week.

On Wednesday, the Eights showed their strengths. Cichos struck out five, including the first batter in the 1-2-3 ninth, and didn't issue a walk. The Eights put out seven consecutive Watertown batters to end the game.

Pierre left fielder Kris Hewlett made a superb catch in the third inning on a deep shot to the gap that was turned into a double play and killed a Watertown rally. Hewlett and third baseman Taylor Owens combined on a relay from left to catcher Garrett Weber to nail Watertown's potential tying run at the plate to end the sixth inning.

Brandon Heckenlaible had scored the winning run for Pierre in the top of the sixth inning on a Nolan Merrill single to break a 5-5 tie. Heckenlaible had singled and taken second on an errant throw. Merrill finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and one run scored. Heckenlaible scored two of Pierre's runs and had one RBI.

Pierre took a 3-0 lead in the second inning and later trailed 5-3 after four innings. Pierre scored twice in the fifth to tie the game. All six of Pierre's runs came against Watertown ace Dom Wieseler

Errors troubled both teams. Pierre committed three and Watertown four. Only two of the runs surrendered by Cichos were earned, and only two of the runs allowed by Wieseler were earned. A dropped third strike was especially costly to Watertown in the top of the fifth, when Adam Deneke reached first base safely with two outs while Merrill scored on the play to tie the score at 5-5. The next batter flew out.

Deneke, Hewlett and Ryan Lauseng each scored one run for Pierre, while Weber had one RBI.

Watertown had defeated Pierre in a doubleheader at Watertown 4-3, a game which Cichos pitched, and 11-1 during the regular season.

With the win Wednesday, the Eights climbed to 29 wins and 25 losses this summer. Watertown fell to 34-12.

Cichos threw a nine-inning shutout against Spearfish in the West regional qualifying tournament last week to keep Pierre's chances of a state tournament berth alive.

A's take three of four at Fitzgerald

RAPID CITY -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's went into Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday expecting to play a pair of doubleheaders against the Rapid City Post 22 Bullets. What they faced instead were a set of mix-and-match teams from the Post 22 system of top Expos, top Bullets and top Cadets, labeled as Expos and Bullets, as Post 22 prepares for its end-of-season tournaments.

The Expos topped the A's, winning 11-1 in the opener, with starting pitcher Mac Mercer taking the defeat for Pierre. The A's came back and defeated the Bullets 5-1 as they took control from the start. Austin Wagner set the tone as he made an impressive debut as the winning pitcher. Ryan Goodwin came in under pressure and delivered the two-inning save.

The Sunday doubleheader turned into a sweep for the A's. The Bullets led 9-7 after five innings. But the A's scored four runs in the sixth and eight runs in the seventh to win 19-9, as Willie Welch came on in relief for the final four frames and kept the Bullets at bay for the victory. Jared Erickson made a key play at third base.

The final game saw Pierre push out to a 11-0 lead as the hitters connected throughout the lineup and win 16-8, with Alex McGuigan pitching six-plus innings and Eliott Coughlin pounding some big hits while catching his second game of the hot day and third of the series.

Pierre's outfielders played key roles on defense and offense Sunday, including center fielder Carson Eisenbeisz and left fielder Nate Buscher in both games and the right-field combination of Joe Snyder and Chase Lettau.

The A's are now 28-8 on the season and play next on Thursday against Aberdeen in a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Hyde Stadium.

 Eights are going to state! Pierre defeats Sturgis 16-6

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8 refused to lose Thursday night, defeating Sturgis and qualifying for the South Dakota American Legion state baseball tournament.

Coach Bob Sullivan's Eights downed Sturgis 16-6 in a win-or-done elimination game. Pierre joins Rapid City Post 22 in going to the state tournament from the five-team western regional qualifying tournament.

Pierre and Post 22 play today (Friday) at Pete Lien Field at 4 p.m. MT (5 p.m. CT) in the championship round of the regional, for bragging rights and for a potentially better matchup in the state tournament at Mitchell that opens Wednesday, July 28.

Pierre would need to beat Post 22 twice today to win the regional title. Post 22 defeated Pierre 6-1 earlier in the tournament, and Pierre hasn't beaten Post 22 all season.

Pierre improved its season record to 28 wins and 24 losses with the victory against Sturgis. The Eights pulled ahead 2-0 in the first inning on Kris Hewlett's two-run single.

Pierre's early lead didn't last long. Sturgis scored three runs in the top of the second against Eights starting pitcher Adam Deneke on a combination of two walks, a hit-batsman, two hits and a fielder's choice that didn't produce an out.

Pierre took the lead back in the bottom of the second inning. Brandon Heckenlaible singled and advanced on Tanner Wolf's sacrifice bunt. Taylor Owens bounced a one-out single to move Heckenlaible from second to third base. Nolan Merrill held up on a 3-2 pitch for a walk to load the bases. A misplayed ground ball to shortstop turned into a two-out two-run single for Garrett Weber to put Pierre back ahead 4-3. An infield single by Deneke re-loaded the bases. Hewlett then snapped a clean two-run single to make it 6-3.

Sturgis went down in order in the top of the third inning on two ground balls back to Deneke and a strike out. Pierre drew two walks but had both runners erased on a caught-stealing and a pickoff rundown.

A run-scoring infield error and a two-run two-out double off the wall by Michael Baldwin pulled Sturgis back into a 6-6 tie in the top half of the fourth. Baldwin's smash was the first hit of the inning and only the third of the game to that point for Sturgis.

Merrill used his bat and his legs to reach third base in the bottom of the fourth, and Deneke skyed a double to the right-center gap to put Pierre up 7-6. A wild pitch allowed Weber to score for a 8-6 Pierre lead. An infield error on Hewlett's ground ball pushed Deneke home to make it 9-6.

Owens' groundout plated Heckenlaible for a 10-6 lead in the fifth.

Second baseman Heckenlaible and third baseman Owens made nice infield plays to bottle up Sturgis in the top of the sixth -- temporarily. A walk, an infield error and the fourth hit batsman loaded the bases, but Heckenlaible made a sharp throw on a slow roller for the third out.

Pierre loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning. John Breckenridge's ground-out knocked in Weber for an 11-6 lead.

Ryan Lauseng relieved Deneke on the mound and was able to set Sturgis down in order in the seventh inning. Lauseng stung a one-out double in the bottom of the seventh but two called strikeouts ended the threat.

Sturgis got a hit but couldn't score in the eighth. Pierre put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the inning. A wild throw on a Hewlett infield groundball scored two runs, followed by a Heckenlaible RBI sacrifice fly, a Lauseng infield chopper and a wild pitch allowing Wolf to run home, put Pierre up 16-6 for the 10-run mercy-rule victory.

Pierre now stands at two wins and one loss in the regional. Rapid City Post 22 has two wins. Rapid City Post 320, the host team, finished with two losses. Sturgis and Spearfish each had one win and two defeats.

Eights win! Pierre downs Spearfish

RAPID CITY -- Starting pitcher Scott Cichos rose to the challenge and whirled a nine-inning shutout Thursday afternoon, as Pierre Post 8 scored five runs in the second inning and shut down Spearfish 8-0 in the South Dakota American Legion baseball west regional tournament.

Taylor Owens singled to drive in the game's first run, Tanner Wolf hit an RBI single, first baseman Ryan Lauseng belted a two-run triple and lead-off batter Nolan Merrill smacked a sacrifice fly in the big rally.

Owens drove a two-out double deep to score Garrett Weber in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 6-0.

Adam Deneke ripped a two-run double with two outs to expand Pierre's lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth. After two hit batters, Pierre left the bases loaded.

The Eights missed another opportunity to end the game early when they weren't able to get a run in the seventh inning  either after loading the bases with one out.

Cichos extended the string of shutout innings to a complete nine as he and the fielders held Spearfish to six hits. Spearfish mounted a rally in the ninth but couldn't score. Cichos struck out five while walking one.

Spearfish was eliminated from the tournament with the defeat and from contention for a state tournament berth. Spearfish had eliminated the tourney host, Rapid City Post 320, earlier Thursday.

Pierre will play again today at 8 p.m. MT (9 p.m. MT). and face the loser of the winner-bracket game between Rapid City Post 22 and Sturgis. The Post 22-Sturgis game starts at 5 p.m. MT.

A Pierre victory tonight guarantees the Eights a berth in the state tournament that starts July 28 in Mitchell.

 Eights lose in regional tournament opener

RAPID CITY -- Pierre Post 8 fell 6-1 to Rapid City Post 22 in the second round of the South Dakota American Legion baseball west-regional tournament Wednesday night.

The Eights managed just one hit in the nine-inning game against 22 starter Tanner Chleborad in his complete-game victory. Tanner Wolf doubled in the sixth inning to break up the no-hitter and eventually scored when he stole home with two outs.

Rapid City greeted Pierre starter Jordan Smith with back-to-back home runs to open the game. Smith generally pitched effectively against the Hardhats, who got 11 hits while striking out three times and walking three times in eight innings.

Rapid City led 5-0 after three innings and Pierre's only glimpse of offense came in the sixth inning. Chleborad struck out 11 Pierre batters and walked one. Post 8 slipped to 26-24 on the season while Post 22 climbed to 41-11.

The Eights play next at 1 p.m. MT Thursday (2 p.m. CT) against the winner of an elimination game that was being played late Wednesday between host Rapid City Post 320 and Spearfish. The game was suspended midway because of a thunderstorm and will be continued today at 10 a.m. MT. Spearfish was leading 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sturgis beat 320 earlier in the day 3-2, and Post 22 defeated Spearfish 16-2. Pierre received a first-round bye.

The Eights are now in a must-win position to qualify for the state tournament that opens July 28 in Mitchell. They need to win at least two regional games without losing again to get a state berth. Post 22 meanwhile is in the driver's seat with two wins already.

A's trump Yankton behind Welch, key hits

The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's posted another win in the conference standings Wednesday with a 5-4 victory over Yankton at Hyde Stadium.

A's starting pitcher Willie Welch went the distance, allowing seven hits and no walks in seven innings, and his fielders repeatedly rose to douse Yankton threats. Welch struck out five and hit one batter.

Mac Mercer's triple to lead off the game set the tone as No. 2 batter Austin Wegner drove him in. Mercer scored two runs, while Wagner scored once and had three runs batted in, including a two-RBI single in the fourth inning to plate Welch and Mercer.

The eventual winning run was pieced together in the fifth, as Eliott Coughlin drew a lead-off walk and courtesy runner Joe Snyder came around on back-to-back singles by Carson Eisenbeisz and Chase Lettau. Lettau also made several key plays on defense at third base.

The second game was halted by lightning that was followed by a long and severe downpour.

 The A's are now 7-2 in the VFW 15-16 state conference standings. The conference records are used to determine state tournament seedings.

The A's head to Rapid City for a four-game set against the Post 22 Bullets in non-conference play Saturday and Sunday. The A's are 25-7 on the season.

Bees post a double no-no

The Post 8 Teener Bees held Mobridge hitless all the way in a doubleheader Tuesday evening at Hyde Stadium.

Starter Sayth Jacobsen was the winning pitcher in the 10-0 victory in a mercy-shortened five innings in the first game. Starter AJ Dorschner was the winning pitcher in the 16-1 mercy-shortened second game.

Combined with Ryan Dufour's five-inning no-hitter against Aberdeen on Sunday afternoon, the Bees have stretched their no-hit streak to three games. The Bees are now 23-6 on the season. They host Platte in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader Friday at Hyde Stadium

 American Legion West regional pairings

Rapid City Post 320 hosts the five-team field including Pierre Post 8 at Pete Lien Field starting Wednesday afternoon. Post 8 will play only one game on the first day.

The opening game (11 a.m. MT, noon CT) features the 320 Stars against Sturgis. The teams have been a match for each other this season, with Sturgis winning three of five games. The second game pits Rapid City Post 22 against Spearfish (2 p.m. MT, 3 p.m. CT).

Pierre Post 8 plays in the third game of the day (5 p.m. MT, 6 p.m. CT), taking on the winner between Post 22 and Spearfish. The day's final game (8 p.m. MT, 9 p.m. CT) is an elimination showdown between the losers of game one and game two.

The time of Pierre Post 8's second game depends on the outcome of the Wednesday game.

If Post 8 loses its opener on Wednesday, Post 8's next game on Thursday would be at 1 p.m. MT (2 p.m. CT) against another once-beaten team in a win-or-out contest. A loss in that Thursday game would eliminate Post 8 from further play. A victory in that Thursday game would allow Post 8 to advance to another win-or-out game Thursday at 8 p.m. MT (9 p.m. CT).

If Post 8 wins its opener on Wednesday, Post 8's next game would be on Thursday at 4 p.m. MT (5 p.m. CT) against the winner of the Post 320-Sturgis game. A victory in that Thursday game would advance Post 8 to the final-two round on Friday and guarantee the Eights a berth in the state tournament that starts July 28 at Mitchell. A loss in that Thursday 4 p.m. game would force Post 8 into the win-or-out game Thursday at 8 p.m.

Friday's final round features the winner of the Thursday 4 p.m. game and the winner of the Thursday 8 p.m. game. The first game on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT (5 p.m. CT) between the only unbeaten team and the only once-beaten team. The second game is set for 8 p.m. MT (9 p.m. CT) if necessary; the game will be played only if the unbeaten team loses in the 4 p.m. game Friday.

The full bracket can be found at the Post 320 web site under the schedule heading (www.post320stars.org) at http://www.post320stars.org/2010%20Region%203A%20Tournament.pdf.

Pierre takes first and second in Kirley!

Pierre Post 8 teams locked down first place and second place in the Joe Kirley Memorial tournament for Teener 13-14 and Teener B teams at Hyde Stadium.

The Pierre 13-14 squad rolled to a perfect 4-0 record with a 11-1 win over an Aberdeen 13-14 B team Sunday. It was the first time a Pierre team won the Kirley tournament. The 34's attack was paced by Shay Reinke's two triples, one single and two runs and by Cash Anderson three hits and three runs.

The Pierre Teener Bees used a no-hitter by Ryan Dufour to top Aberdeen's top 13-14 team 8-0 in five innings Sunday evening. Cody Honeywell and Sayth Jacobsen scored two runs apiece to put the sting in the Bees' offensive attack. The Bees finished 3-1, with their only loss by one run against Rapid City Post 22.

The seven wins and one loss for the two Pierre teams marked the strongest performance in Post 8's years of hosting the tourney. The 34's are coached by Mike Fisher and Jordan Heckenlaible. The Bees are coached by Sam Koenecke and Michael Gardner. The four are former Post 8 American Legion players. 

 Post 8 teams rack up a weekend full of wins

Pierre Post 8 teams won five of the six games they played Saturday. The American Legion varsity Eights split at Huron, rallying for five runs in the seventh inning to tie the score before falling 8-7 in the bottom of the frame. The Eights had just four hits and a whopping 11 walks. They blasted to a 13-3 win in the nightcap as seven Pierre batters -- Nolan Merrill, Brandon Heckenlaible, Scott Cichos, Orin Burke, Tanner Wolf, Stephen Nielson and Chancy Riggle -- had two hits apiece while starting pitcher Royce Pease went six innings without allowing an earned run.

The Teener A's went to Watertown and swept both games. They won the conference first game 13-3 in six innings and took the second contest 11-6 in a weather-shortened five innings. Starters Mac Mercer and Chase Lettau were the winning pitchers going the distance in their respective games. In the conference game, Pierre's defense repeatedly locked down Watertown while the batters eventually broke loose with big rallies in the fifth and sixth innings in a true team victory. The A's have now defeated Watertown in all four of the teams' games this season.

The Teener Bees and the Teener 13-14 squad each won its game Saturday in the Kirley tournament (see above and below).

The American Legion Eights finished their regular season at 26 wins and 23 losses. The Eights now head into the West regional at Rapid City Post 320's home park. The top finishers at the regional earn berths in the South Dakota American Legion state tournament. The regional features five teams -- Rapid City 320, Rapid City Post 22, Pierre Post 8, Spearfish and Sturgis -- at 320's Pete Lien Field. Pierre's first game is Wednesday, July 21, at 5 p.m. against the winner of the 1 p.m. game between Rapid City 22 and Spearfish.

The Teener A's now stand with a 6-2 conference record and are 24-7 for the year. The A's host Yankton at Hyde Stadium on Wednesday in a 2 p.m. doubleheader.

The Bees are 21-6 and the 34s are 22-6.

Pierre teams in the front seats at Kirley

Watertown, three Aberdeen teams and the Rapid City Post 22 Cadets came to Hyde Stadium for annual Joe Kirley Memorial Tournament hosted by the Pierre Post 8 Teener 13-14 squad and the Pierre Teener Bees.

Action started at noon today (Friday) when the Pierre 34s defeated Watertown 10-8. The 2:30 saw the Pierre Bees take a 12-run mercy-rule victory over Watertown. The 34s beat the Rapid City Cadets 4-3 on a two-out single by Alex Gray, while the Cadets slipped past the Bees 4-3 with a run in the sixth inning.

Saturday saw the 34s run their tourney mark to three wins and no losses with a 13-11 victory over the Aberdeen Smittys 13-14 squad Saturday night. Pierre scored two runs in the bottom of sixth inning. The rally started with Isaac Grode drawing a two-out walk, followed by a double by Justin Berheim and Cash Anderson reaching base on an error. Berheim, the team's lead-off hitter, scored two runs. Grode, the teams' No. 9 hitter, scored two runs. Grode reached base in all four trips to the plate with a single, two walks and an error.

The Bees meanwhile climbed to two wins and one loss with a 6-0 shutout pitched by starter Bo Atkins and relief from Cody Honeywell against Aberdeen Gold. The Bees played errorless defense. Second baseman Jacob Chambers was perfect in five chances, including starting a key double play to help erase a n Aberdeen rally. Drew Leif led the offense, going 3-for-3 and scoring two runs.

A's take the broom to Brookings

The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's stumped Brookings once again Thursday, sweeping a doubleheader 12-2 and 10-0 at Hyde Stadium.

Willie Welch was the winning pitcher in the first game, which lasted just five innings under the 10-run mercy rule. In the nightcap Alex McGuigan had a one-hitter through six innings when the game was stopped on the mercy rule again.

Welch scored three runs from the traditional No. 9 pitcher's spot in the batting order, drawing two walks and rapping a single to get on board in every one of his trips to the plate. Mac Mercer, batting leadoff, was 3-for-4 with two runs. Nate Buscher banged a double and a triple and scored twice. Austin Wagner had two hits including a single that opened Pierre's three-run rally in the fourth.

McGuigan turned in his best pitching performance of the season and perhaps so far in his Teeners years. He struck out 11, including nine looking at called third strikes, while walking one. Pierre's defense played error-free behind him. The only Brookings hit was a clean shot to left with two outs in the fifth inning by Sawyer Caldwell.

Carson Eisenbeisz and Jared Erickson, batting from the No. 2 and 3 slots in the order, scored two runs apiece to spark Pierre's offense in the second game. Erickson was perfect in four trips to the plate, working three walks and a knocking a single. McGuigan was the only Pierre batter with more than one hit. He had two singles and a walk.

The A's raised their VFW Teeners conference record to five wins and two losses with the 12-2 win. Only the first game of a doubleheader counts in the conference standings. The A's return to action Saturday afternoon with a conference matchup at Watertown.

The A's beat Brookings in all four games they've played this season.

Post 8 wins two more in American Legion play

STURGIS -- This year's Pierre Post 8 American Legion team has many sides and two familiar ones were on display Tuesday in a triangular against Sturgis and Spearfish.

The Eights choked Sturgis 4-1 behind a complete seven-inning victory by starting pitcher Jordan Smith, solid defense and timely hitting. Then the Eights nearly folded against Spearfish, giving up an eight-run lead and needing an extra eighth inning to rally to a 12-10 victory.

Sturgis defeated Spearfish 5-4 in the triangular, as the three teams prepared for their West regional tournament with host Rapid City Post 320 and Rapid City Post 22 that begins July 20. The top two teams advance from the regional to the South Dakota American Legion tournament in Mitchell.

The Eights previously split a doubleheader at home on June 16 against Sturgis and lost to Spearfish in the Yankton wood-bat tournament in early June. Pierre climbed to 24 wins and 21 losses with the two victories Tuesday. Pierre hasn't beaten either Rapid City varsity team this summer in seven tries.

Adam Deneke provided a key share of Pierre's offense against Sturgis on Tuesday. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. His triple in the fifth inning knocked in Scott Cichos, who had singled, and he scored on John Breckenridge's sacrifice fly to give Pierre a 3-1 lead. Deneke's solo home run in the seventh provided an insurance run.

Smith continued his season-long improvement on the mound. Sturgis scratched out five hits and two walks against him while he struck out two. Pierre's batters meanwhile managed just five hits and four walks while striking out six times against Sturgis pitcher Chris Vinson, who went all seven innings.

Against Spearfish the Eights belted 16 hits and left nine runners on base en route to the extra-inning win. Second baseman Brandon Heckenlaible was 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Adam Deneke was 3-for-4 including a triple with two runs and two RBI. Garrett Weber was 2-for-4, both hits for doubles, with two runs and three RBI. Kris Hewlett was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Dylan Schiltz was 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI.

Pierre seemed to be in the driver's seat, leading 9-1 after their half of the sixth inning. But Spearfish came up with six runs, four of them unearned, after a passed ball on a strikeout by the first batter opened the gate.

Pierre put another run on the board in the top of the seventh as Scott Cichos was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to force home Heckenlabile for a 10-7 lead. Spearfish wasn't done, scoring three times in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out, three-run double by Macin Ager to tie the game. Deneke came on to pitch relief and hurled a strike-out to strand the potential winning run at second base.

The Eights came up with two runs in the eighth as Deneke and Hewlett put their bats and their baserunning to work. Deneke led off with a single, stole second base, took third on a passed ball and scored on Hewlett's RBI single. Hewlett stole second, moved to third on John Breckenridge's groundout and scored on a Heckenlaible RBI single.

Deneke pitched the eighth. Spearfish put two runners aboard through an error and a hit, but he struck out No. 8 batter Jordan Louks to extinguish the threat. Deneke was the winning pitcher. Pierre starter Taylor Owens went 5.1 innings and gave up seven runs, three earned, on 10 hits and no walks. Reliever Ryan Lauseng threw 1.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and a walk.

The Eights return to action with a doubleheader at Aberdeen Thursday.

Pierre falls to Valley Springs, defeats Huron in Koester tourney's second day

O man!

Orin Burke's grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning broke open a one-run game and launched Pierre Post 8 to a 14-10 win over Huron in the final game of the 21st annual Doug Koester Memorial American Legion baseball tournament Sunday night.

Burke's blast was one of two home runs in the game. Adam Deneke had put Pierre ahead 3-2 in the first inning with a three-run shot.

John Breckenridge went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and one run batted in. Deneke was 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI. Scott Cichos was 2-for-2 with two runs. Starting pitcher Royce Pease went four innings for the win, with Stephen Nielson throwing two innings and Taylor Owens one inning in relief. Nielson had to leave the game after being struck hard in the right leg by a batted ball.

The victory evened the Eights' record in the tournament at two wins and two losses. Pierre lost 3-2 to Valley Springs in the early-evening game Sunday. Regina won the tournament with a 3-1 record, while Pierre, New Ulm and Valley Springs all went 2-2. Huron was 1-3.

Against Valley Springs, two errors led to unearned runs and a loss for the hometown Eights. Valley Springs scored two runs in the first inning, the second the result of an error, and added an error-assisted run in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.

Nolan Merrill took the tough loss, pitching the full seven innings. Valley Springs had eight hits and one walk against him, while he struck out seven batters.

Pierre scored its first run in the second inning on the combination of some wildness by the Valley Springs pitcher and the speed of Adam Deneke. Deneke drew a walk, stole second base, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a passed ball.

Pierre trimmed the deficit with a run in the fifth as John Breckenridge singled and Tanner Wolf stroked a RBI double. Pierre had some narrow chances to score again, but Deneke was stranded after his two-out triple in the sixth and Wolf's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh went for naught.

The Eights managed just five hits and one walk against Valley Springs pitcher Derek Fischer. He struck out 12 Pierre batters in the complete-game win.

Koester Tournament results:
Day 1:
Huron  7                 Valley Springs 4
Regina, Sk 8         Huron 0
New Ulm, MN 11   Valley Springs 8
Regina, Sk 7         Pierre   5
Pierre 9                  New Ulm, MN 8  (8 Innings)

Day 2
Valley Springs 10  Regina, Sk  5
New Ulm, MN   12  Huron  0
Regina, Sk 13        New Ulm, MN 11
Pierre 2                  Valley Springs 3
Pierre 14                Huron 10

We have raffle winners!

Each year the Post 8 American Legion and Teener baseball players sell raffle tickets to help pay for the season. Here are the winners drawn Saturday:

Four Twins tickets and $150 -- Kim Paxton; Four Rockies tickets and $100 -- Gary Hoscheid; Four Sioux Falls Pheasants tickets and $50 -- Betty Heron.

Holiday Inn Express weekend -- Keva Jones; Ramkota Inn weekend -- Justin Nagel; 50 pounds ground beef sponsored by American State Bank -- Nancy Heckenlaible; Slumberland recliner -- Dorothy Gray; Don's Sinclair $100 gas card -- Doug Decker; Don's Sinclair $50 gas card -- Jim Laird; $100 savings bond sponsored by Wells Fargo -- Barb Mitchell; $50 cash sponsored by Boyd Conzemius American Family Insurance agency -- Lana Laurenz; $50 cash sponsored by Reinke Gray Wealth Management -- Alex Rodgriguez.

Congratulations to the winners, thanks to the sponsors for another season of help, and most of all thanks to all who helped support Post 8 Baseball by participating in the raffle.

Regina evens score against Eights

Pierre Post 8 split its pair of opening round games Saturday in the annual Doug Koester Memorial Tournament at Hyde Stadium, falling 7-5 to Regina and coming back to edge New Ulm 9-8 in an extra eighth inning on Garrett Weber's two-out single.

The Eights had defeated Regina in a tune-up game Friday evening, but the visiting Athletics used two big innings to win Saturday. The Athletics scored three runs in the fourth inning and three runs in the sixth to overcome Pierre's lead. Pierre didn't score in the sixth or the seventh.

The Eights managed just seven hits off a pair of Regina pitchers. Kris Hewlett was 2-for-3 and Tanner Wolf homered. Starting pitcher Ryan Lauseng took the loss on the mound for Pierre, allowing 10 hits and three walks in five-plus innings of work. He gave up three consecutive hits to open the sixth,with one run scoring. Reliever Jordan Smith walked a batter to load the bases and put on the force, and the Eights turned a double play. But a two-out single sent home the decisive two runs.

In the day's final game, neither Pierre nor New Ulm would relent. New Ulm led 3-0 before the Eights put up a big fourth. Garrett Weber and Adam Deneke ripped consecutive doubles and Tanner Wolf smashed his second home run of the day to give Pierre a 4-3 lead.

New Ulm fired back with three runs in the top of the sixth inning, and Pierre responded with a run created by Deneke's second double of the game. New Ulm got another run in the seventh, and Pierre came back with two runs in the bottom to tie the score at 7-7 as Nolan Merrill led off with a home run, John Breckenridge walked, Garrett Weber sacrificed him to second and Deneke drove him home with a RBI single.

The extra eighth inning opened with New Ulm scoring one run and trying to score a second one. But rightfielder Merrill threw into the cutoff and first baseman Scott Cichos relayed home to catcher Weber to nail New Ulm's runner at the plate.

Pierre needed a run to stay alive but scored two to get the win in the bottom of the eighth. Wolf opened with a single, moved to second on a Cichos sacrfice, took third on a passed ball and scored on Merrill's single. Merrill went to second on a Breckenridge ground out and Weber hit the game-winning single to score Merrill.

Breckenridge pitched the final two innings in relief of starter Cichos to get the win on the mound. Deneke was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Merrill and Wolf each was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI apiece. Weber and Breckenridge each had two hits, Weber with one run and one RBI and Breckenridge with one run.

A's topple Cheyenne

RAPID CITY -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's played up to the level of the competition and knocked off Cheyenne's American Legion split squad 11-10 Saturday in the second round of games in the Rapid City Post 22 Expos tournament.

Pierre's Sunday afternoon game against Lennox was rained out after a half-hour delay. Pierre's Sunday evening game against the host Post 22 Expos was halted in the bottom of the fourth inning as steady rain fell. Pierre sat and waited two and one-half hours to start the last game after the Lennox game was cancelled.

Starting pitcher Chase Lettau battled through five innings to get the win against Cheyenne, with relief from Ryan Goodwin in the sixth and Jared Neilan in the seventh. The A's fell behind early but fought back several times behind patient walks, singles and three big blows. Nate Buscher smashed two doubles and Neilan crushed a triple to drive in six Pierre runs. Mac Mercer drew three walks and singled, scoring three runs, while Austin Wagner and Joe Snyder each scored twice. Snyder's base-hit bunt with two runners aboard ignited Pierre's first big rally.

Goodwin and Lettau made numerous good fielding plays at third base against Cheyenne.

The A's finished 1-1 in the tourney. The Expos went 3-0, while Lennox was 0-3, Wheatland 2-2 and Cheyenne 2-2.

34's win twice on first day of Smittys tourney

ABERDEEN -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener 13-14 squad got off to a strong start Saturday in the Aberdeen Smittys tournament, winning twice. The 34s defeated Brookings 5-4, with Cooper Walton the winning pitcher. They busted loose to defeat Aberdeen 15-5 in four innings, with Graham Protexter the winning pitcher. The tournament continues Sunday. Further details will be posted as they become available.

Bees stay on victory track

FAULKTON -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees put two more games in the win column Friday night, defeating Orient-Faulkton 16-3 in six innings and 6-4. The Bees have now won 11 of their past 12 games. They host Chamberlain at Hyde Stadium on Monday in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader.

Cody Honeywell pitched the opening game against Faulkton. He went all six innings, scattering seven hits while striking out two without a walk. His fielders made just one error. He helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Ryan Dufour was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Ben Leidholt was 3-for-5 with three RBI.

The second game started rough for the Bees, but they overcame a 4-1 deficit to win with five runs in the fifth inning. Jack Bruce threw two-plus innings of relief, allowing just one run on one hit and one walk to get the victory. Drew Leif threw an inning of scoreless relief for the save. Bruce was 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. A.J. Dorschner was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Ryan Dufour was 1-for-3 with a key single for a RBI.

Eights edge Regina in Friday action

Pierre Post 8 tipped the visiting Regina Athletics 8-7 Friday evening at Hyde Stadium in American Legion baseball.

Regina scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Eights showed their backbone, scoring three times in the bottom of the frame on a Brandon Heckenlaible double, a Tanner Wolf single, a Taylor Owens sacrifice fly and a Nolan Merrill two-run homer.

 The Eights stayed hot with two more runs in the fourth, as Kris Hewlett, Wolf, Merrill and Scott Cichos strung together singles. A single by Adam Deneke, a single by Hewlett and two errors allowed Pierre to plate two runs in the fifth.

Regina roared back in the sixth, overcoming a double play to go on to knock in three runs off Pierre reliever Taylor Owens. But Owens set the Athletics down 1-2-3 in the seventh without a ball getting out of the infield.

Regina is one of four visiting teams in Pierre for the Koester tournament this weekend. The game Friday was not officially part of the tourney, which opens Saturday morning. (See schedule and details below.)

Wheatland holds off A's

RAPID CITY -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's rallied for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and loaded the bases again with two outs, but the Wheatland, Wyoming, American Legion team held on to win 11-9 Friday in the first round of Rapid City Post 22's Expos tournament.

The A's face a Cheyenne, Wyoming, American Legion split squad at noon MT Saturday. The A's took only Teeners-level players into the tough field.

Big weekend of baseball with Koester Tournament

Pierre Post 8 hosts the annual Doug Koester Memorial Tournament for American Legion teams this weekend. Regina, Saskatchewan, and New Ulm, Minnesota, join the field with Huron, Valley Springs and our hometown Eights. The teams will play each other once in the two-day tourney Saturday and Sunday.

Regina and Pierre play each other in a single non-tournament game on Friday evening at 7:30.  

On Saturday, Huron meets Valley Springs at 10 a.m., followed by Huron playing Regina at 12:15 p.m. New Ulm and Valley Springs square off at 2:30 p.m. Pierre plays day's final two games against Regina at 4:45 p.m. and against New Ulm at 7 p.m.

Sunday's action starts at 10 a.m. with Valley Springs tangling with Regina, followed by Huron and New Ulm at 12:15 p.m. The 2:30 p.m. game pits Regina and New Ulm. Pierre again plays the day's last set of games, meeting Valley Springs at 4:45 p.m. and Huron at 7 p.m.

Daily admission is $5. No passes will be sold or honored for the Saturday and Sunday games, except POST 8 past players and coaches will be granted one single-day admission if they register at the main ticket gate. Only one free pass per former Post 8 player or coach for the tournament, however. Names of past Post 8 players in attendance will be announced during the Pierre games each day.

Post 8 Baseball's other teams will be on the road this weekend.

The Teener A's, depleted by injuries, will tough it out with a three-day, four-game trip to Rapid City to participate in a Post 22 tournament for American Legion jayvee teams, with games set for Friday 2:30 MT against Wheatland, Wyoming; Saturday noon MT against Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Sunday 2:30 MT against Lennox and 5 MT against host Post 22 Expos.

The Teener Bees travel to Orient for a Friday doubleheader (game time pending) while the Teener 13-14s head to Aberdeen for a two-day tournament, with two games Saturday against Brookings at 4 p.m. and Aberdeen at 8 p.m., and two games Sunday against a pair of Watertown teams at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  

Last chance for 2010 raffle tickets...

Pierre Post 8 Baseball past-president Mick Heckenlaible will draw the lucky winning tickets and start announcing the winners Saturday in the annual raffle held in conjunction with the American Legion Koester Memorial Tournament this weekend. If you still want to purchase $5 white or $2 green tickets, stop at Hyde Stadium during the games Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday evenings. Each spring the American Legion Varsity and VFW Teener players sell the tickets to help pay for the season's activities.

Roundup of recent action: Pierre Post 8 lost to Mitchell 10-6 in the first game of an American Legion baseball triangular Tuesday at Hyde Stadium. The Eights led Rapid City Post 320 in the bottom of the fourth innning 4-3 when the game was stopped because of lightning in the area.

The Teener Bees were slated for a doubleheader at Huron on Wednesday, but wet field conditions prevented the games from being played.

The Teener A's and the American Legion Eights paired up Wednesday at Hyde Stadium for a doubleheader against the Rapid City Post 22 Expos. The Expos beat the A's-Legion combined Split Squad 8-1 in the opener, while the varsity Eights down the Expos 7-0 in the nightcap. Starting pitcher Adam Deneke gave up just three hits in six innings of work and ripped a three-run homer, and Ryan Lauseng completed the shutout with a seventh inning of work for Pierre.

Almost a double no-no for Young Eights!

The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 squad defeated Mitchell 8-0 and 10-0 in stunning fashion Friday night at Hyde Stadium.

Graham Protexter went 6-for-7 at the plate, Cooper Walton whirled a no-hitter in the first seven-inning game and Connor Ryan threw a one-hitter in the mercy-shortened nightcap that was called after five innings.

Walton had 15 strikeouts while walking three and hitting one batter.

The only hit against Ryan was a lead-off triple in the sixth inning and the runner was erased on a ground ball to third baseman Alex Gray who fired home to catcher Alec Norwick. Ryan finished with six strikeouts, including the side in the final fifth inning. He walked three, two in the first inning.

Protexter was 3-for-4 in the first game and reached a fourth time on a fielding error. He was 3-for-3 in the second game with two triples.

Trey Campbell and Alex Gray each scored two runs in the first game. Campbell and Cash Anderson each had two hits in the second game, with Anderson belting a triple. Protexter scored three runs and Alec Norwick, Anderson and Gray each scored twice in the second game.

Pierre's record climbs to 15 wins and five losses with the sweep, after starting the year with a 1-3 mark.

Further details will be reported as they become available.

A's run streak to nine with sweep of Smittys

ABERDEEN -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's won their eighth and ninth games in a row Friday night with 18-6 and 11-0 wins over the Aberdeen Smittys.

The wind howling in from right-center field made for tricky conditions at Fossum Field. Pierre used an eight-run first inning to jump on top early and a seven-run seventh to slam shut the door in the first game.

That victory increased Pierre's conference record to four wins and two losses this season in VFW age 15-16 play. Only the first game of each doubleheader counts in the standings that determine state tournament seeding. The A's are now 19-5 this season.

Alex McGuigan was the winning pitcher in the first game and Willie Welch earned a save with two-plus innings of work. Chase Lettau had a strong game at third base and Kyle Sarringar's diving catch in right field was a key play as Pierre held Aberdeen's rally to three runs that inning.

Leading 11-6, Pierre busted the game back open in the top of the seventh. Austin Wagner delivered on a hit-and-run play to start the fire, and Eliott Coughlin's hard smash to shortstop with bases loaded trickled into the outfield for two RBI.

Pierre had seven hits but hit the ball hard throughout the game all over the field, forcing 11 Aberdeen errors in the tricky howling wind. Even so, Aberdeen's outfielders took away numerous potential extra-base hits that simply stalled against the wind. Pierre made one error as the pitchers kept the ball on the ground most of the game.

In the second game Pierre kept the offensive pressure on, scoring three runs in the first, five in the second and three more in the third. Nate Buscher pitched effectively for Pierre, allowing just three hits through four-plus innings before Willie Welch came back in to get the final two outs. For Welch it was an all-around strong night on the mound, at the plate and in the field at second base.

Eights drop a heartbreaker

WATERTOWN -- A walk, an outfield error and a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the final seventh inning gave Watertown a 4-3 win over Pierre Post 8 in American Legion baseball Friday night.

Pitcher Scott Cichos took the hard-luck loss, allowing just one earned run in his six-plus innings on the mound.

Pierre had taken a 3-2 lead with a three-run fifth inning on back-to-back doubles by Nolan Merrill and John Breckenridge, a walk by Garrett Weber, an error by Watertown pitcher Zak Vinum and a RBI single by Orin Burke.

Watertown tied the game in the bottom of the sixth at 3-3 on a double and a single for the team's only earned run off Cichos.

Watertown pulled ahead 1-0 in the first on a hit-by-pitch, an error by Cichos and a passed ball.

Pierre loaded the bases with one out in the third but couldn't score. Watertown went up 2-0 in the bottom of the third on a single, an error, a passed ball and a single.

Merrill was 3-for-3 at the plate, while Breckenridge and Burke were each 2-for-4.

Vinun went seven innings for the win. He struck out nine while allowing nine hits and two walks. Cichos struck out three while giving up seven hits and one walk. Pierre committed four errors, Watertown three.

The second game was won by Watertown 11-1 in a mercy-shortened six innings. Watertown pitcher Eric Danforth went the whole way, striking out 10 as Pierre managed just four hits, with Nolan Merrill going 3-for-3 to finish the night 6-for-6.

Watertown broke open a 4-1 game with five runs in the fifth inning off Pierre starter Ryan Lauseng and reliever Stephen Nielson. Pierre committed three errors in the game, Watertown two.

Pierre dropped back to the .500 mark at 18 wins and 18 losses with the pair of defeats.

A's roll past Watertown

The last time the Watertown Red Sox played at Hyde Stadium, they won the 2009 state Teeners title. Their return Thursday night was not so pleasant, as the Pierre Post 8 Teener A's held them scoreless in both games of a doubleheader.

The rare double shutout saw the A's win twice under the mercy rules, 10-0 in five innings in the first game and 15-0 in three innings in the second game.

Pierre's conference record rose to three wins and two losses. Only the first games of doubleheaders count in the conference standings that determine state tournament seedings. The A's look to build on that mark when they play at Aberdeen tonight (Friday).

Against Watertown, the A's had all three aspects of their game -- pitching, fielding and offense -- clicking like a train that started slowly, gained speed and became unstoppable by the end.

In the opener, birthday boy Ryan Goodwin went 3-for-3 and lined a two-out single to right field to score Pierre's first two runs. They would be the only runs the A's would need as they repeatedly shut down Watertown rallies.

Pierre turned two line-drive double plays, centerfielder Jerad Neilan's throw to catcher Eliott Coughlin nailed a runner at the plate, and pitcher Mac Mercer struck out five Watertown batters in a row.

Mercer finished with six strikeouts while allowing four hits and two walks in five innings. Alex McGuigan was another sparkplug on offense going 2-for-2 with two walks. McGuigan and Mercer each scored twice in a balanced attack that saw eight A's cross the plate. Carson Eisenbeisz was 3-for-4.

The second game saw Chase Lettau pitch three good innings. The infield preserved the shutout on an odd play in the top of the third.

With runners at first base and second base, and one out, a Watertown batter hit a groundball. The throw to second baseman Willie Welch was slightly wide, pulling him away from the bag, but he stayed with the play and relayed to first baseman Kyle Sarringar. The batter beat the throw but Sarringar turned and fired to catcher Austin Wagner, who tagged out the lead runner trying to score on a headfirst slide.

The A's had scored nine runs in the second inning to take a 12-0 lead and drain any remaining hopes of Watertown. Joe Snyder started the rally with a lead-off single and scored twice in the inning. Jared Neilan sped around the diamond for an inside-the-park homer.

Aaron O'Day had a single and three walks. O'Day, Mercer, Nate Buscher, Sarringar, Wagner, Welch and Snyder each scored two runs.

Bees win a pair from Philip

The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees won two games Thursday against Philip at Kelley Field.

Philip is rejuvenating its dormant baseball program and is playing all of its games on the road this season while a competition-quality field is prepared.

In the opener, Pierre won 15-0 in three innings as Bo Atkins pitched well in his Teener debut. He faced just 10 batters, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four.

Philip's pitching exhibited some difficulties with control. Amid the walks, every Pierre batter had at least one hit.

In the second game, Pierre won 14-2 in five innings. Philip got on the board with two unearned runs in the top of the first, but Pierre put three runs across in the bottom of the frame to take the lead and never gave it up.

Starting pitcher Ryan Dufour went the distance, giving up just three hits and no walks while striking out eight.

Ben Leidholt had two hits with three runs batted in and Mark Ray had two hits with two RBI to lead the Bees on offense.

Eights take down Mobridge

MOBRIDGE -- Pierre Post 8 defeated Mobridge in American Legion baseball Wednesday night 19-1 and 10-5. Pierre rose above the .500 mark to 18 wins and 16 losses, as the Eights prepare to travel to Watertown for a Friday 5:30 p.m. doubleheader and then host Spearfish at Hyde Stadium on Monday in a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader.

In the opener at Mobridge, Nolan Merrill pitched seven top-quality innings. The only run scored against him was unearned and came in the seventh after Pierre led 19-0. He struck out eight while giving up just four hits and walked none.

Meanwhile John Breckenridge moved into the No. 1 slot in the batting order that Merrill normally occupies, and he posted a great night at the plate. Breckenridge was 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two runs batted in.

Right behind in the order, Scott Cichos was 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, and cleanup hitter Adam Deneke was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, a stolen base, three runs and five RBI. Designated hitter Jordan Smith added to the fireworks with a 2-for-3 game with three runs and one RBI out of the nine-hole of the order.

Pierre led 8-0 heading into the final inning and put 11 runs on the scoreboard.
The second game saw Merrill return to the batting order and he led the charge for Pierre as he has much of the season. He was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Designated hitter Cichos was 1-for-2 with a run and two RBI, and Deneke was 1-for-1 with three walks, two runs and two RBI. Ryan Lauseng was 1-for- with a run and two RBI.

Pierre repeatedly took advantage of passed balls and stolen bases to score or put runners into scoring position. Eight different Pierre batters drew walks.

Starting pitcher Royce Pease was effective again but was removed in the sixth inning as a precaution after getting hit in the leg on a ball back through the middle.

Pease struck out six and walked none in five innings, giving up four hits and two runs (one earned). Breckenridge pitched the final two innings in relief.

Eights shut down Orient

Pierre Post 8 rode the pitching of starters Jordan Smith and Taylor Owens to defeat Orient 10-1 and 17-2 in American Legion baseball Tuesday evening at Hyde Stadium.

The sweep pulled the Eights back to .500 with 16 wins and 16 losses. They travel to Mobridge today (Wednesday) for a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader and face a powerful rival Friday when they take the bus to Watertown for a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader.

In the opener, Jordan Smith struck out nine Orient batters as he threw a four-hit, three-walk complete seven-inning game. The only run scored against him was unearned. Scott Cichos and Dylan  Schiltz had three runs batted in apiece.

In game two, Taylor Owens allowed just one hit in four innings while striking out three, and Pierre's offense rose to the occasion on the other side to end the game early under the mercy rule.

Orin Burke and Adam Deneke homered. Deneke added a triple and Scott Cichos nailed a double. Deneke and Cichos each scored three runs and batted in three runs. Dylan Schiltz was 3-for-3.

A's win two in Sturgis, get ready for tough 36 hours

STURGIS -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's defeated Sturgis 2-1 and 16-2 Tuesday night behind a combination of good defense and effective pitching.

In the opener, Ryan Goodwin pitched the complete seven innings and the infield turned four double plays behind him, including one on a dropped fly ball in the outfield with bases loaded. Mac Mercer and Jared Neilan drove in Pierre's runs on sacrifice flies.

In the nightcap Eliott Coughlin, who normally plays catcher, went all five innings as the starting pitcher. Mercer was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk. Pierre won under the 10-run mercy rule.

The A's host Watertown at Hyde Stadium on Thursday and travel to Aberdeen on Friday. The first games of both doubleheaders will count in the conference standings that determine the state tournament field. Both Watertown and Aberdeen are in the same North Division as Pierre.

The Thursday doubleheader against Watertown gets off to an early start at 4 p.m. rather than the typical 5:30 first pitch for weeknight doubleheaders.

Bees split at Chamberlain

CHAMBERLAIN -- We don't have the final score of the second game, but we know from Coach Sam Koenecke that his Teener Bees lost the first end of a doubleheader 11-9 Monday night against Chamberlain, then came back to win the second game 11-4 behind the pitching of Drew Leif and Ryan Dufour.

In the first game Leif was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBI. Dufour, Ben Leidholt and Bo Atkins each had two hits for Pierre. The Bees' undoing came because of their repeated difficulties closing out innings. Chamberlain scored a total of six unearned runs in two-out situations throughout the game.

In game two, Leif struck out 10 and scattered 10 hits and a walk through six innings of work. Dufour came on for the seventh and beaned the first batter he faced, then struck out the next three. Koenecke said the fielders played much better defense in the second game. At the plate, Jackson Bruce was 3-for-3 with three RBI, Jacob Chambers went 2-for-3 with one RBI and Leif was 3-for-6 with two doubles.

Pierre 13-14s take a pair from Huron

HURON -- Score more runs and win. That's the formula for success that the Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 team used Monday night to sweep a pair of games from Huron.

The Young Eights won the first game 13-8 as the teams slapped 11 runs -- six for Pierre, five for Huron -- on the scoreboard in a wild seventh inning. Pierre won the nightcap 12-8 as pitcher Isaac Grode threw a complete seven-inning game.

Now 13-5 for the season, the Young Eights return to Hyde Stadium for a Friday doubleheader against Mitchell starting at 5 p.m.

In the opener Monday, Pierre starting pitcher Graham Protexter threw a strong six innings and led 7-3 as the teams headed into the seventh. Pierre busted loose in its half of the inning, expanding the lead to 13-3. Huron caught fire too, scoring an earned run off Protexter and four earned runs off reliever Nick Rabern who got the final two outs.

Cash Anderson was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Alex Meagher was 2-for-3 with two runs, and Alex Gray was 2-for-4 with two runs and a double to lead Pierre's attack.

The second game saw Grode scatter eight hits and strike out three Huron batters. Pierre scored four runs in the second inning to stake him to a 6-2 lead, and Huron never led. Pierre put runs on the scoreboard in five of the seven innings to keep Huron at bay.

Alec Norwick was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a double. Nick Rabern went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Alex Gray was 2-for-4 with a triple. 

Regional tournament draw gives Post 8 an early bye

RAPID CITY -- The West regional bracket was drawn Sunday for American Legion baseball teams. Pierre Post 8 received a bye and plays its first game at 5 p.m. MT on July 21 against the winner of the 11 a.m. opening game between Rapid City Post 22 and Spearfish. Sturgis meets Rapid City Post 320 in the day's second game at 2 p.m. The losers of the first and second games play at 8 p.m. in the double-elimination format.

Post 320 is hosting the regional. Pierre Post 8 will play only one game on the opening day. The regional runs through July 23.

The top two finishers from the regional advance to the 2010 South Dakota American Legion state tournament in Mitchell.

Eights were competitive in Fargo

FARGO, N.D. -- Pierre Post 8 finished with two wins and three losses in the Fargo invitational American Legion baseball tournament over the weekend, with three of the games ending as one-run decisions.

The Eights opened with a 12-1 loss in five innings against Detroit Lakes, MN., then held on for a 10-9 win over Fargo after leading 8-3 (see recap below on this page) on Friday.

The competition remained top-notch on Saturday when the Eights beat Winnipeg 5-0 in a rain-delayed game as Scott Cichos threw a two-hit, one-walk, eight-strikeout complete game, then fell to the Minneapolis suburban Tri-City squad 3-2 in another well-pitched game, this time by Ryan Lauseng.

Pierre lost its final game 2-1 to Mandan, N.D., on Sunday on a two-run, two-out double despite a well-pitched game by Adam Deneke. He struck out eight Mandan batters, while a trio of Chiefs pitchers struck out nine Eights.

The weekend reflected the Eights' increasing competitiveness as the season progresses. They now stand at 12 wins and 14 losses for the season heading into doubleheaders against Orient at Hyde Stadium on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., then at Mobridge on Wednesday and at Watertown on July 2.

A's tie with Groton for tournament's top record

The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's won three games and lost one to finish tied with Groton for the best record in the annual Kris Stephens Memorial Tournament held Saturday and Sunday at Hyde Stadium. 

Winner went 2-2, while Mitchell and the Rapid City Post 320 Shooting Stars each ended at 1-3. Each team played once against the other four.

Saturday's action saw Winner defeating Mitchell 5-4; Mitchell beating Groton 14-8; Winner temporarily moving into the tournament lead  by beating the Rapid City Post 320 Shooting Stars 10-8; Groton topping Pierre 13-9 with a six-run sixth inning; and Pierre rallying in the extra eighth inning with three runs to defeat Rapid City 12-11 in the late game.

Groton busted Winner's string with a 17-5 win Sunday morning. Groton then secured at least a tie for the best record with a 6-2 shutdown of Rapid City. Rapid City got into the win column with a 6-5 victory over Mitchell. Pierre made short work of its opponents in the Sunday evening games, downing Winner 15-7 in five innings under the tourney's eight-run mercy rule and then finishing off Mitchell 14-2 in three innings under the 12-run mercy rule.

Against Groton, the A's were led by Jared Neilan whose two hits were triples and Austin Wagner, whose two hits included a triple. Mac Mercer scored three times.

Eliott Coughlin was 4-for-5 and scored three runs to power Pierre's win over Rapid City. The A's, trailing 11-9 in the bottom of the eighth, were able to get Mercer and Neilan aboard. Coughlin singled to knock in one run, and a walk by Alex McGuigan filled the bases for Willie Welch, who ripped a single through the middle for the tying and winning RBI. Neilan scored four times in the game, and Ryan Goodwin was 3-for-4 with a triple.

The A's left no doubt that Sunday was a new start for them as they powered past Winner. Seven A's scored two runs apiece: Carson Eisenbeisz, Nate Buscher, Mercer, Neilan, Wagner, Kyle Sarringar and McGuigan. Sarringar once again showed his ability to get on base with a walk, a double and a hit by pitch. Pierre broke open a 2-2 game with eight runs in the second inning. Chase Lettau and Welch combined to provide the A's with solid pitching.

The good work on the mound continued in the final game as McGuigan kept Mitchell in check. The A's led 3-0 before Mitchell finally pushed two runs around in the top of the third inning. The A's sent Mitchell's starting pitcher packing and then patiently worked over Mitchell's reliever, scoring 11 runs while making one out in the third when the game was called under the mercy rule. Lettau's two-RBI double in the second, his two-RBI single to end the game and Neilan's two triples were among the highlights.

Pierre scored 50 runs and allowed 33 in the tournament for a plus-17 margin. Groton was right behind, scoring 44 and allowing 30 for a plus-14.

Bees keep on truckin' with Gettysburg win

GETTYSBURG -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees needed just eight of the scheduled nine innings to top Gettysburg 20-7 Saturday.

The Bees blew open a 6-4 game with three runs in the sixth, five in the seventh and six in the eighth, while the pitching trio of starter Sayth Jacobsen, reliever Mark Ray and reliever Drew Leif kept Gettysburg in check.

Jacobsen went five innings and allowed just four runs (three earned). Leif struck out six of the last seven Gettysburg batters.

At the plate, Ryan Dufour and Ben Leidholt each went 3-for-4 and batted in three runs apiece. A.J. Dorschner, Mark Ray, Jackson Bruce and Joel Jochim each was 2-for-4 and scored twice apiece.

Neither team had a hit until Dufour's single to score Ray in the fourth inning. The Bees are now 11-4 on the season.

Varsity Eights fall, get back up in Fargo first day

FARGO, N.D. -- Detroit Lakes whipped Pierre Post 8 in American Legion baseball 12-1 Friday morning in the first day of the annual Fargo invitational tournament. But the Eights dusted themselves off and made the most of their opportunities in their second game, topping Fargo 10-9 as Nolan Merrill led the way at the plate and on the mound.

Detroit Lakes blew open a 1-1 game with seven runs in the fourth inning, suddenly solving Pierre starting pitcher Royce Pease who had been effective to that point. Reliever Jordan Smith came in trailing 6-1 with bases loaded and one out. He gave up a single to the first batter he faced, then struck out the next two.

Detroit Lakes strung together four hits and two walks to score four more runs in the fifth and win on the mercy rule.

Pierre's batters managed just three hits off Detroit Lakes starter Ben Lindquist, who struck out five while walking one.

Two of Pierre's hits came from Adam Deneke, who tripled and had the team's only RBI to score Garrett Weber in the bottom of the first to give Pierre a 1-0 lead. Pierre started to rally in the bottom of the fourth with Deneke's single but he was picked off by Lindquist.

In the second game, Pierre took advantage of five Fargo errors to pull out front 8-3 and hang on to win 10-9.

Pierre scored a run in the first inning without a hit as Fargo committed two errors. Merrill, batting in the No. 1 slot in the order, was hit by a pitch and worked his way around, scoring on a ball hit to shortstop by Weber that was booted.

The Eights posted four runs in the third inning on three hits and two errors. Brandon Heckenlaible started the rally with a single, Merrill doubled, Scott Cichos struck out but reached first base safely as the third strike got away from the catcher, Weber tagged a two-RBI double and Deneke's ball to shortstop was misplayed.

Fargo came up with two runs off Pierre starting pitcher Merrill in the bottom of the second. Pierre rallied back in the third as Taylor Owens and Heckenlaible led off with singles, then moved to second and third on Taylor Wolf's sacrifice, and Merrill drove in Owens with a single. Cichos and Weber then delivered consecutive two-out RBI singles to put Pierre up 8-2.

A lead-off triple for Fargo in the bottom of the third brought the score to 8-3. The combination of a John Breckenridge single and a Merrill RBI double in the fifth and Deneke's lead-off home run in the sixth took Pierre's lead out to seven runs.

The Eights would need every one of those runs, as Merrill finally tired in the sixth. After a walk, a double and a home run by Fargo, he was relieved by Owens. Fargo wound up scoring four runs in the inning.

The seventh was a doozy. With two outs, Fargo catcher Matt Fiechtner belted his second home run of the game to pull his team within 10-9 with two outs. An error at shortstop put the tying run on base, but Owens got the final batter on a nice catch by shortstop Wolf to end the game.

Merrill was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Weber was 2-for-4 with one run and three RBI. Fargo's Fiechtner finished 3-for-4 with three runs and five RBI.

Young Eights see win string snapped at 10

ABERDEEN -- The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 squad defeated Aberdeen 16-0 in four innings Thursday to extend the Young Eights' winning streak to 10 games. Unfortunately they didn't find the going so easy in the doubleheader's second game, as their bats and gloves turned to ice, and Aberdeen won 6-2.

The split puts Pierre's record at 11 wins and five losses for the season. The team is back on the road Monday evening for a 5:30 doubleheader in Huron.

Against Aberdeen, starting pitcher Cooper Walton continued his dominance in the first game as he improved his personal record to 3-0 this season. He struck out six while giving up three hits in four innings.

He had plenty of offensive support. Alex Meagher and Alex Gray each was 3-for-3 at the plate, with Meagher scoring three runs and Gray banging a triple. Alec Norwick was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

The second game saw some solid pitching by starter Cash Anderson and reliever Justin Berheim get wasted. They allowed just three earned runs, but the defense committed five errors. Worse, the Pierre batters managed just five hits.

Anderson gave up just six hits in five innings, and Pierre trailed 3-2 as he left the game. Pierre couldn't score again, and two of the three runs scored against Berheim in the sixth inning were unearned.

Anderson led his team at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a triple. Graham Protexter ripped a double. Alex Gray was 2-for-4. No other Pierre batter had a hit.

Bees ride the brooms over Huron

The Pierre Post 8 Bees swept Huron in a VFW Teener baseball doubleheader Thursday evening at Hyde Stadium 19-9 and 9-4. The Bees climbed to 10 wins and four losses on the season.

In the opener Pierre went ahead 9-0 in the first inning and scored six runs in the fifth to win on the 10-run mercy rule. Jackson Bruce was the winning pitcher.

Three Bees scored three runs apiece -- Mark Ray, Drew Leif and Jacob Chambers -- as the entire lineup used walks to put runners aboard and key hits to drive them home. Bruce's triple and Ray's single pushed in four runs in the first, and both scored. Cody Honeywell singled, and A.J. Dorschner and Ryan Dufour belted doubles to account for five RBI in the big final rally.

The nightcap featured Ryan Dufour in the role of starting pitcher for the first time this season, and he put together a rock-solid five innings. He struck out eight Huron batters while walking two and scattering four hits. He left leading 9-2 and was the winning pitcher.

Pierre erupted for seven runs in the second inning. Joel Jochim set the tone when he opened the frame with a single, and he delivered a RBI single with two outs when he came up again the same inning.

Jochim, Dufour and Ben Leidholt each went 3-for-4 to keep the pressure on Huron's defense throughout the game.

Teener Bees rock in Mobridge

MOBRIDGE -- The Pierre Post 8 Bees went into Mobridge on a roll and kept rolling with a pair of wins Tuesday in VFW Teener baseball.

Coach Sam Koenecke's squad enters today's 5:30 p.m. doubleheader at Hyde Stadium against Huron with a record of eight wins and four losses. 

Against Mobridge, the Bees won the opener 21-9, scoring a run in the sixth and nine runs in the seventh to turn back a determined Mobridge team. In the second game, the Bees burst ahead with seven runs in the third inning and nine runs in the fourth to win 20-4 in a mercy-shortened contest.

The first game saw Pierre jump to an early lead scoring three in the first inning. Mobridge battled back and scored one in the bottom half. Pierre then scored two in the second with Sayth Jacobsen shooting a single through the left side, Jacobsen then stole second and Jacob Chambers came through with a RBI single.

Pierre plated four in the third. Mark Ray led off with a triple to the gap followed by a Ryan Dufour RBI single. Ben Ledholt then got hit by a pitch, and Drew Leif came up big with a two-run single. After a couple more walks and a fielder’s choice, Chambers came up again and roped a single to left field scoring two.

Through five innings Pierre was up 12-6 but a couple blunders in the field came back to hurt Pierre and Mobridge made it a 12-9 game. Pierre then came back and scored one in the sixth and nine in the sevent to put Mobridge away.

Pierre had 20 hits with every starter getting at least one. A.J. Dorschner was 3-for-6, Dufour and Ray were each 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, Ray had two triples. Leif also had a three-hit game with 4 RBI. Chambers and Jacobsen also each had a three hit game, with Jacobsen hitting an inside the park home run, a double. Pierre stole eight bases in the game.
Jacobsen started on the hill for Pierre and went 4 1/3 innings allowing three hits and six earned runs while striking out three. He walked four and hit three batters with pitchers. Pierre reliever Cody Honeywell. Honeywell threw 2 2/3 innings only allowing two hits and three unearned runs. He struck out three and walked two.

In game two Pierre did not slow down. The Bees scored two in the first with a walk to A.J. Dorschner. He and Mark Ray both came around to score on Mobridge passed balls.

Ben Leidholt got the start on the mound for Pierre and he struck out the side in the first inning.

In the third inning Pierre broke open the game, plating 7 runs. The rally began with an Ian Coughlin walk. Five singles in a row pushed Mobridge to swap out pitchers but Pierre kept pushing runs across.

Mobridge then plated 4 runs in the third inning as catcher Taylor Dowling got some experience behind the plate. Pierre roared right back to score nine runs in the fourth.

Mark Ray continued to show some thunder at the plate. Ray, Ryan Dufour, Leidholt, and Jackson Bruce all having two hits. Drew Leif had another big game going 3-4 with 3 RBI, and Dowling delivered his first hit as a Teener.

Leidholt survived one shaky inning but pitched effectively overall. He went four innings, giving up four unearned runs. He walked six and struck out six as he won his second game of the season.

East shuts down A's in Sioux Falls

SIOUX FALLS -- Pierre scored two runs in the top of the first inning but didn't score again as Sioux Falls East defeated the A's 7-2 Wednesday night in VFW Teener 15-16 baseball.

The loss dropped the A's to a 2-2 conference record. Pierre came back with a furious nine-run rally to win the nightcap 14-10. Only the first games of the doubleheaders count in the conference standings.

The A's lost two pitchers to arm problems indefinitely. Starter Kyle Sarringar had to leave the first game after two innings and was relieved by Willie Welch. Closer Jerad Erickson left the second game after three batters in the seventh inning.

Alex McGuigan started on the mound in the second game, He was replaced by Nate Buscher, followed by Welch, Erickson and Chase Lettau who got the game's final out.

Buscher was credited with the win in the game. Pierre trailed 6-3 after five innings but roared back to lead 12-6 in the top of the sixth. Buscher and Joe Snyder each had two hits and Austin Wagner snapped a key hit up the middle in the big rally.

East brought four runs across in the bottom of the sixth to tighten the score to 12-10. Back to back doubles by Mac Mercer and Jerad Neilan gave Pierre two insurance runs. Erickson took down the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh, then walked the next batter as his throws became erratic. He was removed from the game, and Lettau eventually got the final out without East scoring.

The team's return was delayed more than an hour when the team bus suffered a flat tire while in Sioux Falls.

  A's take down Huron

The Pierre Post 8 Teener A's made the most of their early scoring opportunities and shut down a seventh-inning rally on a big play by Kyle Sarringar and Eliott Coughlin to defeat Huron 6-4 in a VFW 15-16 conference battle Tuesday at Hyde Stadium.

The A's are now 2-1 in conference play after previously beating Brookings and falling to Sioux Falls West. The A's now hit the road to meet Sioux Falls East in another conference matchup on Wednesday evening.

Against Huron, Pierre scored three runs in the first inning on a RBI double down the right field line by Mac Mercer to plate Carson Eisenbeisz and a two-RBI infield out on a high chopper by Coughlin to score Mercer and Jared Neilan.

In the second inning, Pierre expanded its lead to 4-0. Eisenbeisz hit a two-out RBI single to score Sarringar, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch and advanced on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Neilan tripled in the third and eventually scored to run the score to 5-0.

Huron pulled within 5-2 in the fifth on back-to-back hits and an infield error, all with two outs.

Coughlin got aboard with a single to lead off the sixth. He eventually scored from third base when Joe Snyder lifted a deep sacrifice fly to left field on a 1-2 count with one out.

Huron mounted a rally in the seventh with three consecutive doubles against a moderate-depth outfield. The first two batters scored. An infield hit became the game's final turning point, as first baseman Sarringar took the throw and fired home to catcher Coughlin to nail a runner trying to score on a delay play from third.

Mercer was the winning pitcher. He went the full seven innings, scattering 10 hits while walking one, hitting one batter and striking out five.

Pierre managed just five hits, but strung together two walks, three hits-by-pitch and two Huron errors. Neilan was the only Pierre batter with two hits.

In the night's second game, Pierre was leading 7-3 in the third inning when lightning forced the teams into the dugouts. After about a 15-minute wait, the remainder of the game was canceled. Rain poured down about an hour later.

While only the first game of conference doubleheaders count in the league standings, the A's looked ready to battle for the sweep in game two.

Pierre jumped ahead 4-0, with three of the runs scoring in an at-bat by Nate Buscher. Jared Erickson and Aaron O'Day scored on passed balls while he was at the plate, then he lashed a RBI double to bring Mac Mercer home and finish clearing the once-loaded bases. Buscher later scored on a RBI single by Carson Eisenbeisz.

Huron worked three runs off Pierre pitcher Chase Lettau in the second, but his offense came right back to his aid. Erickson tripled, O'Day walked and Mercer's smash to short was mishandled, allowing two runs to score and putting him aboard. Mercer later scored.

Bees create a buzz in Winner

WINNER -- The Pierre Post 8 Teener Bees won two of three games and finished in third place in the Winner Invitational tournament last weekend.

The Bees stung Colome hard in the Friday opener, winning 18-3 in four innings. Colome's difficulty finding the strike zone led to Pierre batters taking 11 walks and scoring 12 runs in the first inning. Drew Leif was the winning pitcher, striking out eight. Leif and Ben Leidholt each had two hits and two runs batted in. Joel Jochim had two hits and swiped two bags.

Pierre tangled with Winner in the Saturday night showdown, giving up seven runs early and losing 11-5 in a game called on time. Sayth Jacobsen and Jacob Chambers led Pierre at the plate with two hits each. The trio of Jackson Bruce, Mark Ray and Cody Honeywell handled the pitching for Pierre.

The Bees showed their resiliency Sunday by bouncing back for a 8-7 win with a run in the final inning to defeat Burke. Jacob Chambers' triple drove in three of Pierre's runs. Mark Ray used his speed to leg out a double and a triple, while Drew Leif, Ben Leidholt and Sayth Jacobsen had two hits apiece.

Coach Sam Koenecke turned to Ryan Dufour to pitch the crucial two-plus innings, and Dufour struck out five batters without allowing a Burke run. Dufour relieved Leif, who started the Sunday game on one day of rest after throwing four innings against Colome Friday.

The Bees climbed to six wins and four losses. They are on the road again today (Tuesday) at Mobridge.

Eights win one, lose one against Mitchell

MITCHELL -- Scott Cichos pitched well and the defense stood tall in the crucial late innings as Pierre Post 8 defeated Mitchell 9-4 in the first game of an American Legion doubleheader Monday evening. Mitchell fought back to take the second game 12-11.

In the opener, Pierre plated five runs in the third inning, combining a hit-by-pitch, two Mitchell errors, a triple by Adam Deneke, a single by Garrett Wolf, a double by Orin Burke and a double by Royce Pease to take a 6-2 lead.

Cichos allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings of work on the mound. He gave up eight hits and three bases on balls while striking out six. Deneke worked a scoreless seventh inning, striking out one and walking one.

Weber, batting in the cleanup spot, delivered repeatedly, as he was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Burke, hitting right behind him, was 2-for-3 with a run and one RBI. Pease was 1-for 3 with three RBI. Deneke was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Lead-off man Nolan Merrill scored twice without a hit.

The second game was tied 11-11 after a regulation seven innings. Pierre scored nine runs in the top of the seventh to pull ahead 11-9, then saw Mitchell rally to tie the score with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Each team had plenty of chances to score even more runs, as each left 11 runners on base.

Pierre fell behind 5-0 early as Mitchell worked over Eights lefty Ryan Lauseng and catcher Chancy Riggle, combining singles and stolen bases. Mitchell led 9-2 after five innings.

Pierre's big rally came after a series of Mitchell lineup changes to start the seventh inning. Three Pierre batters were hit by pitches, several more walked, Mitchell committed four errors, and Pierre had just two hits on RBI singles  by Brandon Heckenlaible and Scott Cichos. Pierre left the bases loaded.

Mitchell tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Pierre got one runner aboard in the extra frame when Tanner Wolf walked. Mitchell scored the decisive run without putting the ball in play against Pierre's battery of pitcher Adam Deneke, pitching for the second time that night, and catcher Garrett Weber. The first batter was hit by a pitch, the second batter walked, and both advanced on a passed ball. The third batter was intentionally walked to load the bases. Another loose pitch allowed the run to score.

PIerre stands at 12 wins and 13 losses after the split.

Post 8 rebounds to take two from Orient

FAULKTON -- Pierre Post 8 rallied from an eight-run deficit to defeat Orient 12-10 in American Legion baseball Sunday afternoon. The Eights then took the second game of the doubleheader 13-0 in five innings as Jordan Smith pitched a four-hit shutout.

Smith struck out six while walking none.

Pierre climbed to 11 wins and 12 losses on the season with the sweep. The Eights hit the road today (Monday) for a 5 p.m. doubleheader against Mitchell in the two clubs' first meeting of the 2010 season.

In the first game on Sunday, Orient went ahead 8-0 with a seven-run second inning off starting pitcher John Breckenridge. Pierre fought back with four runs in the third and six runs in the fourth to pull ahead.

Relief pitcher Taylor Owens picked up the victory as he threw the final five innings and gave up just two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh. Owens allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four. Two of those hits came from the first batters he faced and neither scored, as Owens and Pierre's defense stiffened to keep Orient off the scoreboard long enough to secure the win.

Nolan Merrill's leadership in the lead-off spot of the batting order proved important once again. Merrill was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three runs batted in. He tripled and belted a three-run homer.

Orin Burke swung a big bat again too. Batting as the designated hitter, the determined Burke was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBI. He tripled, homered and stole a base.

Scott Cichos and Garrett Weber each scored two runs and Brandon Heckenlaible had three RBI.

Burke's lead-off homer in the sixth proved to be the winning run, and good baserunning by Cichos and Burke produced the insurance run in the seventh.

Cichos was hit-by-pitch, then stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball. Burke walked with one out and stole second, taking off the force for a possible double play. Heckenlaible hit into an RBI fielder's choice that plated Cichos.

In the nightcap, every Pierre batter notched at least one hit. The big blows came on Adam Deneke's home run in the seven-run fifth inning and doubles from Nolan Merrill, Orin Burke, Taylor Owens and DH Dylan Schiltz.

Consecutive doubles by Burke and Owens in the second inning gave Pierre the only run it would need, as Smith repeatedly threw strike-outs in key situations to extinguish Orient's rallies.

Merrill scored two runs and had three RBI, while Burke, Deneke and Royce Pease each had two hits in the victory. Burke scored three runs while Owens scored twice and knocked in two runs.

Teener 13-14s sweep Groton, take streak to nine

The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 squad made it nine wins in a row with a doubleheader sweep of Groton at Hyde Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Young Eights took both games under the 10-run mercy rule.

Graham Protexter held Groton to one hit as the Young Eights won 11-0 in five innings in the first game. He walked one batter while striking out five. Groton's only hit came with two outs in the fifth. Protexter helped his cause going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored.

Pierre put six runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, with two-run triples from Cooper Walton and Shay Reinke powering the big rally. Blake Dean scored three runs in the game, going 1-for-1 with two walks.

Groton pushed back hard in the second game against Pierre starting pitcher Austin Christopherson, but Pierre's batters were up to the challenge as they won 18-8. He threw four innings and left with a 14-6 lead to get the win. Blake Dean and Alec Norwick combined to throw the final two innings.

Cash Anderson scored four runs for Pierre. He was 4-for-4 with two walks, and his two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth drove in the decisive runs. Alex Gray scored three times and went 3-for-4 with a walk. Cooper Walton scored three runs. Trey Campbell and Justin Berheim each was 3-for-3 with a walk.

Teener 13-14s run winning streak to seven

The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 team won their sixth and seventh games in a row, sweeping Spearfish in a Thursday doubleheader at Kelley Field.

The Young Eights won the opener 10-0 in five innings, as Cooper Walton pitched the shutout. They took the second game 7-3 behind the pitching of Isaac Grode.

Split Squad topples Spearfish

The Pierre Post 8 Split Squad of Teener A's and some American Legion varsity players swept Spearfish this afternoon 11-3 and 14-11 in a doubleheader at Hyde Stadium.

Pierre put six runs on the board in the first inning of the opener and added three more in the fourth and two more in the fifth, as Spearfish struggled on the mound and with the gloves. Jared Neilan was the winning pitcher. Jared Erickson scored three times, while Mac Mercer and Neilan each scored twice.

Pierre raced ahead 7-0 in first inning of the second game and never trailed, as the teams kept the pressure on each other. Nate Buscher hit two doubles and a single, while Ryan Goodwin had one double and two singles, to lead Pierre's offense. Buscher and Goodwin each scored three runs. Joe Snyder was 2-for-3 with five RBI including a bases-loaded triple. Jordan Smith and Kyle Sarringar each scored two runs.

A trio of Pierre pitchers -- Jared Erickson, Buscher and Willie Welch -- split the mound duties almost evenly. Spearfish pulled within 12-11 in the top of the sixth inning but Smith and Goodwin scored on a Snyder sacrifice fly and a Welch single in the bottom half to counter.

Teeners 13-14 squad gives Mitchell the broom

MITCHELL -- The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 team made the most of their bus ride Wednesday, toppling Mitchell 10-5 and 19-3. The Young Eights have now won five games in a row and raised their season mark to six wins and four losses.

Starting pitcher Cash Anderson went four innings for Pierre in the first game against Mitchell. He got the win, allowing four earned runs on six hits while striking out five. Trey Campbell pitched the fifth inning, striking out one while giving up one earned run on one hit. The game was called after five innings because of a time limit.

Alec Norwick and Cooper Walton each went 2-for-3 at the plate and each belted two doubles, with Norwick driving in two runs. Alex Meagher was 2-for-2 with two RBI.

Connor Ryan was the starting and winning pitcher in the second game. He threw four innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out three.

Pierre's bats smacked hard in the contest. Alec Norwick was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple and five RBI. Alex Gray went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI. Cooper Walton was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. Graham Protexter was 2-for-4 with three RBI.

The Young Eights host Spearfish this afternoon (Thursday) in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Kelley Field. The two squads have been tough rivals in recent seasons.

Eights searching for winning track

Pierre Post 8 split a doubleheader against a thin roster of Sturgis players Wednesday night at Hyde Stadium in American Legion baseball. The Eights romped to an 11-1 win in the opener as Nolan Merrill tripled, Orin Burke lined an inside-the-park home run and Tanner Wolf jacked a home run over the 380 corner in left center. Sturgis, playing with a variety of reserves because of football camp this week, took the second game 6-4. Royce Pease was the winning pitcher for Pierre in the opener. Stephen Nielson took the loss for Pierre in game two.

The split came on the heels of Post 8's two defeats in Rapid City against Post 320 on Tuesday night 6-1 and 8-1. The varsity Eights' season record now stands at nine wins and 12 losses.

Bruce throws no-hitter as Bees sweep Gettysburg

The Pierre Teener Bees took two games from Gettysburg in a doubleheader Tuesday night at Hyde Stadium, as Jackson Bruce came within one pitch of a perfect seven-inning game.

Bruce proved the power of throwing strikes as he held Gettysburg to no hits while striking out 11 in Pierre's 8-0 win. Gettysburg's only baserunner came on a walk on a 3-2 count with one out in the sixth inning. His fielders committed no errors as they made nine put-outs on line drives and fly balls. There was only one groundball out.

Bruce helped himself with an RBI triple in the first inning and an RBI double in the fifth. Other big blows came on Drew Leif's two-run double in the second and Ryan Dufour's RBI double in the sixth.

In the first game, Pierre fell behind 2-0 but knitted together back-to-back six-run innings to defeat Gettysburg 12-2 in a mercy-rule five-inning game.

Pierre starting pitcher Ben Leidholt battled hard for five innings to get the win. He allowed two runs (one unearned) on one hit while walking seven, hitting one batter and striking out five.

The Bees struggled against a salty Gettysburg squad, but finally got on the scoreboard as they scored six runs in the fourth inning on a combination of walks, passed balls, wild pitches and one error. Pierre didn't get a hit in the inning and put only two balls in play, one for the third out.

The Bees' bats started to show life in the fifth inning, as they scored six more runs on four hits and a variety of walks and defensive miscues. Ryan Dufour struck the big blow with a two-out double that pushed home Drew Leif with the decisive run under the mercy rule.

A.J. Dorschner was 2-for-3 with a walk to lead Pierre's batters.

Bruce's no-hitter was the second for the Bees this season. Leif threw a no-hitter at Platte.

Split Squad goes 3-1 in Rapid City

The Pierre Teener A's joined forces with some of the Post 8 American Legion varsity players for a six-game tournament in Rapid City this weekend at the home stadium of Post 320. Pierre posted three wins and one defeat. The third and final round set for today (Sunday) was cancelled because of wet conditions.

Pierre split a pair of  games Friday afternoon, defeating Fort Morgan, Colorado, No. 2 with a five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 7-6 on a wild pitch, then lost to Fort Morgan No. 1 in the bottom of the seventh inning 5-4 on a wild pitch.

On Saturday Pierre tamed Belle Fourche 21-2 in five innings and shut-out Rapid City 320's Rising Stars squad 8-0 in five innings.

On the mound Kyle Sarringar got the win in relief against Fort Morgan No. 2, Mac Mercer took the seven-inning loss against Fort Morgan No. 1, Alex McGuigan threw a gem past Belle Fourche and the duo of Jordan Smith and John Breckenridge blanked the Rising Stars. Among the big hitters through the first four games were Jared Neilan and Chase Lettau.

Bees power-up on Orient

The Teener Bees defeated Orient 12-1 in six innings Sunday afternoon at Hyde Stadium. Starting pitcher Drew Leif and the Bees' defense combined to choke several Orient rallies, while the Pierre batters eventually got their timing down and erupted for five runs in the second inning and five runs in the sixth. Third baseman Ryan Dufour scored two runs and was 3-for-3 with a walk and a two-run double that banged off the Perkins sign in left field. Dufour and Ben Leidholt hit back-to back doubles to end the game on the10-run mercy rule. Leif scored three runs, Cody Honeywell scored two runs and was 2-for-3, and Joel Jochim scored two runs. Start of the second game was delayed by a thick steady drizzle.

Young Eights make most of Watertown trip

The Teeners 13-14 squad did plenty of damage in a pair of weekend doubleheaders at Watertown. The Young Eights lost their first game 8-6 to Watertown on Saturday, then roared back for a 14-2 win in five innings to even the series. Pierre took out Milbank 27-1 on Sunday, then took the rubber match with Watertown 5-4.

The first game see-sawed as Pierre scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-5 lead. Watertown rallied in the bottom of the frame to pull ahead 8-6. Pierre loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn't score.

Coach Mike Fisher used a trio of pitchers. Starter Isaac Grode was relieved by Shay Reinke and Alex Gray, with Gray taking the loss. Leading Pierre at the plate were Justin Berheim (3-4 with a double), Connor Ryan (2-2 with two sacrifice bunts) and Blake Dean (2-4).

Cooper Walton pitched the second game for Pierre. He struck out 10 Watertown batters in five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. Pierre batters meanwhile took advantage of eight walks from Watertown and rolled to the big win, led by Cash Anderson (3-4), Trey Campbell (3-4) and Alex Gray (2-4).

Against Milbank, Pierre overmatched its opponent with nine runs in the second inning and 18 runs in the fourth. Austin Christopherson pitched the four innings for Pierre, striking out 10 while giving up one hit and one earned run. Graham Protexter (4-5), Trey Campbell (3-4) and Isaac Grode (3-4) paced Pierre's offense. At one point the Young Eights chained together 11 consecutive hits.

The final game saw Watertown roll ahead 3-0 through three innings, then Pierre started putting numbers other than zeros on the scoreboard. With the score at 4-1 entering the fifth, Pierre scored once in the fifth, twice in the sixth and once in the seventh while blanking Watertown the rest of the way.

Graham Protexter threw the first three frames for Pierre, with only one earned run. Justin Berheim threw the next three, allowing just one run, and Alex Gray got the save with a hitless seventh inning. The come-from-behind victory made Berheim the winning pitcher.

Pierre had just six hits in the 5-4 win, with the bottom third of the lineup producing five of those hits. Berheim and Connor Ryan were 2-for-3. Cash Anderson was 1-for-3 and drove in the winning run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly.

Pierre now stands at four wins and four losses for the season. Pierre travels to Mitchell on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader.

Eights win a pair on the road in Winner

Garrett Weber and Dylan Schiltz homered, while Royce Pease and Jordan Smith led the way on the mound, as Pierre Post 8 took a doubleheader at Winner 18-2 and 9-7 on Wednesday evening.

The Eights improved their season record to eight wins and eight losses.

Pease threw a six-inning complete game for the victory in the mercy-shortened first contest, while Smith posted his first Legion win with a five-inning outing in the nightcap.

Weber, John Breckenridge and Brandon Heckenlaible each had two hits and three runs batted in, while Jordan Drapeaux was 3-for-5, to lead the Eights' offense in the first game. Breckenridge, Heckenlaible and Drapeaux each scored three runs.

The score was 6-2 Pierre through four innings. The Eights erupted for five runs in the fifth and seven runs in the sixth. Pease allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out six Winner-Colome batters.

Schiltz was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored in the second game. Ryan Lauseng and Tanner Wolf each drove in two runs apiece. Scott Cichos was 2-for-3 and scored twice. Weber pitched the final two innings of the game in relief of Smith.

Smith gave up just two runs -- neither earned -- in his five frames of work. He allowed a mere four hits and walked none while striking out four.

Central continues dominance of Bees

Sioux Falls Central had the Pierre Teener Bees' number again Wednesday afternoon. Central stung the Bees twice, winning both ends of a doubleheader at Hyde Stadium by the identical scores of 15-4 and each time in six innings under the 10-run rule.

The sweep left the Bees at one win and three losses for the season. In the opening game Wednesday, Jacob Chambers scored two of Pierre's runs, while Jack Bruce and A.J. Dorschner had two hits apiece. Starting pitcher Bo Atkins took the loss on the mound.

The second game saw Pierre rally with four runs in the fourth inning. Sayth Jacobsen suffered the pitching loss.

Eights take a pair from Mobridge

The Pierre Post 8 Varsity swept visiting Mobridge 14-4 and 3-2 on Tuesday evening at Hyde Stadium in American Legion baseball.

Pierre ten-runned Mobridge in six innings after turning back a Mobridge rally in the top of the fourth inning that made the score 5-4.

Starting pitcher Taylor Owens threw five innings for the victory, with John Breckenridge handling the mound duties in the sixth. Owens scattered nine hits and two walks with six strikeouts, while Breckenridge gave up one hit, one walk and no runs while striking out two.

After Mobridge scored three runs in the top of the fourth, Pierre's batters unloaded for five runs in the bottom of the same frame. The big blow was a triple by Scott Cichos as Pierre did its damage with a combination of two hits, one hit-by-pitch, two walks and an error.

Cichos and Tanner Wolf led Pierre at the plate with two hits apiece in the game.

The nightcap was a 2-2 tie heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Garrett Weber drew a walk and scored the winning run on a misplayed ground ball hit by Orin Burke.

Starting pitcher Adam Deneke threw a complete seven-inning game in a duel with Mobridge's Tim Hathaway who also went seven innings.

Deneke struck out 15 Mobridge batters while giving up just two hits, two walks and one earned run. Hathaway was effective in letting his fielders do the work, giving up three hits and two walks while striking out none and allowing one earned run.

Stephen Nielson was 2-for-2, with a run scored on a Breckenridge sacrifice fly to center field to give Pierre a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Mobridge tied the score in the top of the fourth, then Pierre came back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half, as Deneke was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on an error by Hathaway and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kris Hewlett.

The sweep gives the Eights a season record of six wins and eight losses as they head to Winner today (Wednesday) for a 5:30 doubleheader. Pierre swept Winner at Hyde Stadium in a June 2 doubleheader.

Groton cancels Teener 13-14 games

Wet weather led Groton to call off its scheduled doubleheader with the Pierre Teener 13-14 squad Tuesday. No make-up date has been announced. 

Split Squad duo holds Sturgis hitless

Pierre's combined Split Squad of Teener A's and American Legion Varsity players defeated Sturgis 11-1 in a mercy-shortened five innings in the first game of a doubleheader Monday evening at Hyde Stadium. Stephen Nielson and Jordan Smith posted a combined no-hitter, with the only run unearned. Pierre led 6-1 and was batting in the second inning of the second game when the contest was halted because of rain. 

13-14 Teeners win first game of 2010 season

The Pierre Post 8 Teeners 13-14 squad started their home schedule in winning fashion Sunday evening, topping Aberdeen 12-9 at Hyde Stadium.

Aberdeen bounced back in the second game of the doubleheader, scoring four times in the first inning and never relinquishing the lead en route to a 13-7 victory.

The split leaves Pierre with a record of one win and three losses so far in the 2010 season.

The first game Sunday bounced back and forth through five innings. Pierre broke a 9-9 tie in the bottom of the fifth when Alec Norwick reached base on an error that eventually led to the winning run crossing the plate.

Norwick, who was playing catcher, and his courtesy runner substitute Shay Reinke together scored three runs for Pierre in the game. Cash Anderson drove in three runs and Austin Christopherson batted in two.

Pierre had plated five runs in the second as Connor Ryan, Christopherson, Norwick, Anderson and Alex Gray scored. Anderson's triple and Isaac Grode's double were the big blows in the rally.

Trey Campbell was the winning pitcher in relief, while Gray earned the save. as Aberdeen was held scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings.

The second game saw Pierre never quite get on track. Pierre failed to score in the final three frames of the seven-inning contest. Norwick scored three times for Pierre, as he went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple and also drew a walk. Campbell and Blake Dean were 2-for-4.

The Eights with an additional day of rest return to action Tuesday with a triangular at Hyde hosting Mitchell at 3 p.m. and Rapid City Post 320 at 7:30 p.m.

The contests will be a big test for Post 8. The team split against Mitchell in a doubleheader there last month and has lost three times against 320's varsity this season.

Meanwhile the Teener A's and the Teener 13-14s are scheduled to travel to Spearfish for games Tuesday, and the Teener Bees are slated for a doubleheader in Huron on Wednesday.

Post 8 earns split in four Early Bird games

Pierre Post 8 won one of three games against the Aberdeen Smittys and won its game against Rapid City Post 320 in a full lineup of American Legion baseball Saturday and Sunday (May 14-15) at Hyde Stadium.

The Eights fell 14-7 on a cold and wet Saturday evening in the opener against Aberdeen, as the Smittys smacked six runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull away. It was the first game of the season for both teams. Dylan Schiltz clubbed a three-run triple in the bottom of the first inning for Pierre.

The Eights led in the second game 8-3 against the Smittys when it was suspended midway through the fifith inning late Saturday night, amid increasingly poor conditions. The game resumed at 11 a.m. on Sunday and neither team was able to score again.

Jordan Smith was the winning pitcher for Pierre, while Tayler Owens threw three innings of scoreless relief to pick up the long save. John Breckenridge scored two runs, Jared Neilan was 3-for-4 at the plate and Alex McGuigan drew two walks and was 1-for-1, scoring two runs, as the DH batting in the nine hole.

Pierre ran into a hard-throwing Aberdeen lefty in Christian Cox in the final game against the Smittys. Aberdeen won 3-0 as Cox held the Eights to two hits over seven innings while striking out 14. Pierre's pitching tandem of starter Tyler Ness and reliever McGuigan did well but received no run support.

Aberdeen defeated RC 320 in the Smittys' final game of the weekend Sunday, winning 9-4.

Pierre head coach Bob Sullivan shuffled his lineups throughout the games to get as many players onto the field as possible. The Eights bounced back in their final game for a 10-7 win over RC 320. Outfielder Neilan was 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the lead-off role, while catcher Eliott Coughlin was 2-for-2 with a walk. Starting pitcher Mac Mercer went six innings and left the game leading 10-3. He allowed three hits while striking out seven, walking six and hitting one batter.

The Eights now stand at two wins and two losses for the 2011 season.

The game was close until West scored 16 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to end the game under the mercy rule.

In the VFW 13-14 state tournament, Pierre faces Yankton in the opener on Friday at 9 a.m. Two former Post 8 players square off. Pierre is coached by Jordan Heckenlaible, Yankton by Jason Livermont.

Pierre will play Sioux Falls South on Friday afternoon and Sioux Falls West on Saturday morning to complete the pool-play round in the tournament. Top teams from each pool advance to the championship round. The tournament is at the Sioux Falls complex.

Green plays next at 10 a.m. Friday at Bob Shelden field against West. Green was the only team to beat West in league play this summer. (Shelden field is next to the youth baseball complex on the city's south side.)

White faces Brandon at 10 a.m. Friday at Erv Heuther field on the SDSU campus. Brandon defeated White in their only league meeting this summer.

Other teams in the tournament are Sioux Falls East, Yankton, Watertown and Brookings.

Dakotamart wants to keep helping Post 8 Baseball

Save your Dakotamart receipts, add up the total and put them in an envelope with the total written on it. Then deliver them to the Pierre American Legion Post or drop them off at a home game this summer, or contact Post 8's baseball representative, Jim Goodman. Dakotamart makes regular contributions to Post 8 Baseball based on the amounts of Dakotamart receipts we return to the store. It's one of the easiest ways you can help us keep those contributions coming in.

 Family Passes Available for 2010 Season!

The price for the 2010 season pass is $50. That covers adults in your household. High school students and children receive free admission. The 2010 pass is for all regular-season games but doesn't cover our three local American Legion and Teeners tournaments.

We have three dozen home double-headers and triangulars scheduled for this summer at Hyde Stadium for our American Legion Varsity, Split Squad, Teener A's, Teener Bees and Teener 13-14 squads. That's an average of a home doubleheader every other day from Memorial Day through early August.

Daily admission for all home dates this season is $5 for adults.

We'll also be hosting our Koester, Stephens and Kirley tournaments. See the dates and times for the local tournaments under each squad's Schedule tab.

Post 8 Baseball enjoys strong community support and your help is appreciated. Help us build our season-pass list to 1,000 committed fans!

Apparel this season can be purchased directly at All-Around Graphix on North Euclid Avenue in Pierre, including some new looks in women's tees and player wind shirts. We have fitted-size Post 8 baseball caps ($20) at Hyde Stadium, as well as a limited line of tee shirts, polo shirts and sweat shirts. And the popular Post 8 vehicle-window decals ($5) are available at Hyde Stadium too.

2009 Recap: The Teener Bees posted the best post-season record of the four teams in the Post 8 system. The Bees took third place with two wins and two losses in the six-team South Dakota VFW Teener AA Minors state tournament (age 15-16) at Yankton.

The Teener A's hosted the South Dakota VFW Teener AA Majors state tournament (age 15-16) at Hyde Stadium. The A's finished the tournament with one win and two losses.

The American Legion varsity Eights won their biggest game of the year in the regional tournament at Spearfish, defeating Rapid City Post 320 in the opener. But the Eights lost their next two games against Spearfish and 320, costing them a berth in the American Legion state tournament (age 17-18).

The Teener age 13-14 squad started strong with a victory but was eliminated after two defeats from the VFW state tournament at Watertown.

Pierre finished with 25 wins and 25 defeats for the season in American Legion play.

The Teener A's finished with an overall record of 21 wins and 16 losses against other age 15-16 teams. The A's went 17-9 against conference opponents.

The Teener Bees finished with an overall record of 21 wins and 21 losses. The Bees also won two exhibition games against the Capital City Baseball Association Pony all-star teams.

The Teener age 13-14 team finished with 18 wins and 20 losses.

 A Diamond Anniversary

Among major league baseball stadiums, only Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are older than Pierre's historic Hyde Stadium. The 2010 season marks the 75th anniversary of Hyde Stadium as the home field for Pierre American Legion, VFW Teeners and amateur baseball.

Charles Lee Hyde, Sr., provided $1,000 for the materials for the stadium's construction. He was a major promoter of Pierre American Legion baseball. The stadium is named in his honor.

The stadium site was known as Capitol Field prior to the stadium's construction by federal relief-agency workers. The new stadium originally was called Hyde Park and hosted its first games in May of 1935. The bronze tablet from the dedication ceremony held later that summer in 1935 can still be found in the upper area behind the grandstand.

The 1935 season marked the start of a dominating era for Pierre in American Legion baseball. Pierre hosted the South Dakota American Legion state tournament at its new stadium and defeated Winner 7-3 in the title game, scoring four runs in the eighth inning.

Under manager Frank Kelley, Pierre began a string of state-title victories. The team won American Legion state championships in 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1941. Pierre also captured American Legion state titles in 1967 and 1968.

The longest state-title streak in South Dakota American Legion baseball belongs to Rapid City, when it had a single team under Post 22. Rapid City won state championships from 1970 through 1991. The second-longest streak was accomplished by Aberdeen, which won five in a row from 1952 through 1956.

Pierre's four-peat ranks third all-time, tied with Rapid City Post 22's run of four from 1993 through 1996.

Watch for more information about plans for Post 8 Baseball alumni night, scheduled for Friday, July 9, 2010, on the eve of Pierre’s annual Koester Tournament for American Legion teams.