STURGIS, SD – The Sturgis Scooper baseball team earned their first win of the 2025 season with an 8-5 victory over the Lennox Orioles at Strong Field on Sunday, in the first game of a twin bill with Lennox and Mitchell. The Kernels beat Sturgis in game two, 7-5 in an 8-inning affair.
Sturgis got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning against Lennox as Dalyn Dschaak doubled to left field, scoring Elijah Stroud. Dschaak then stole third and scored on a wild pitch by Jack Aascheim to give Sturgis a 2-0 lead. Carter Williams then cracked a double to left, advancing George Hamer to third base. Hamer and Williams both scored in the bottom half of the fourth to give Sturgis a 4-0 lead.
The Orioles caught fire in the top of the fifth, plating five runs to give Lennox a 5-4 lead. The Scoopers had an answer in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four more with two outs on the board on doubles by Hamer and Williams and a triple from Dschaak. The Scoopers held on to the 8-5 lead to get their first win of the season.
The Scoopers pounded out 10 hits and were led by Dschaak, Williams and Jace Thurman, who had two hits apiece. Carson Williams got the pitching win for Sturgis, striking out six, walking two and giving up four hits on 87 pitches.
The Orioles were led by Gabe Veurink, who went 2-for-3 at the plate, scoring one run. Lennox finished with five hits. Jack Aasheim took the pitching loss for the Orioles, giving up three hits, four runs, walking two and striking out two on 28 pitches.
In game two of the doubleheader, the Scoopers faced the Mitchell Kernels, who came into the game with a 2-0 record. Mitchell took a 2-0 lead after two innings and Sturgis tied it up in the bottom of the third when Carter Williams stole home and Jeren Andrzejewski scored after a double by Stroud.
The Scoopers had a 5-4 lead headed into the seventh inning. Mitchell right fielder Carter McCormick walked to lead off the top of the seventh and advanced to third on a hit by Hudson Borgan and a ground out by Parker Mandel. Connor Mattke hit a sacrifice fly to left field with one out, scoring McCormick and tying the game at 5 runs each. Sturgis couldn’t score in the bottom half of the inning and the game went into extra innings.
Mitchell scored two in the top of the eighth, as Bailor Kristensen walked, stole second, then scored on a single by Brennen Penne. Penne then took advantage of Scooper mistakes and scored on an error to give the Kernels a 7-5 lead.
Sturgis had two on base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Mitchell pitcher Quinton Wilson forced Brody Royer to ground out, ending the game in extra innings with a 7-5 Kernel victory.
Wilson earned the pitching win for Mitchell, giving up no hits and no runs over two and two thirds’ innings of work. The Kernels had four hits and were led by Penne, who went 1-for-1 at the plate, scoring one run and driving in one RBI.
Royer took the pitching loss for the Scoopers, giving up four runs, two hits, talking three and striking out seven on 103 pitches. Sturgis had nine hits in the game, with Elijah Stroud going 3-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. The Scoopers are now 1-5 on the year.
The Scoopers host Spearfish on Tuesday night at Strong Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7pm.
