STURGIS, SD – The Sturgis Scooper baseball team scored five runs in the top of the sixth to defeat Rapid City Central, 9-3 in game one, but couldn’t generate offense in game two and fell to the Cobblers, 6-3 on Tuesday night at Strong Field.
The Scoopers jumped on Central quickly in game one, pounding out three straight hits and scoring four runs in the bottom of the first to lead 4-0.
The Cobblers took advantage of Scooper miscues in the top of the third to plate three runs of their own, trailing 4-3 after three innings.
Central starting pitcher Ethan Caroline walked the first three Scoopers in the bottom of the sixth and was at 102 pitches so he was replaced by Tyler Henstein, and Sturgis took advantage. Owen Cass brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, then Evan Stroud knocked a hard single to left field that scored Dustin Inhofer. Dustin Alan was also waved home and left fielder Karter Uttecht made a perfect throw to catcher Breckin O’Brien, but Alan leaped over O’Brien to score on a circus-type play to give Sturgis a 7-3 lead. The play stunned the Central defense and Sturgis scored two more to beat the Cobblers, 9-3.
Sturgis starting pitcher Owen Cass finished the game with nine strikeouts and three walks over 6 2/3 innings. The Scoopers had nine hits and left seven on base. Caroline took the loss for Central. The Cobblers had three hits and left six on base.
Rapid City Central struck first in game two, as leadoff hitter Kyle Schleuter scored on a hit by Brodee Matthews to give the Cobblers a 1-0 lead. The Scoopers tacked on two runs of their own in the bottom of the first and led 2-1 until the fifth, when Central scored three runs on one hit to take a 4-2 lead.
Sturgis couldn’t seem to generate any offense and Central put up two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to seal the 6-3 victory, just the fourth win of the year for Rapid City.
Uttecht got the win for Central (4-17) and Aiden Wood took the loss for Sturgis (9-12). Central had four hits and four left on base. Sturgis had seven hits, 12 left on base and were led by Cass who went 2-for-4 with a single and a double.
The Scoopers are in action again Wednesday night as they take on Rapid City Stevens at McKeague Field at 7pm.
