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SIOUX FALLS — The eighth-seeded Watertown Arrows Post 17 team changed the script by knocking off top-seeded Harrisburg in the opening round of the South Dakota High School Baseball Association's state Class A tournament.
Facing top-seeded Harrisburg for the second-straight year in the tourney, the Arrows avenged last year's loss by posting a 4-3 win on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Augustana University's Ronken Field.
Maxx Sears' sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth plated the winning run in the game for Post 17, which improved to 14-7 with its seventh-straight win.
Post 17 took control early in the game when Cole Hansen hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Markus Pitkin's sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning. Two-out, run-scoring singles by Sam Olson in the third and Jaxon Falak in the fourth gave Watertown a 3-0 lead.
Watertown starting pitcher Hunter Halajian blanked Harrisburg, which had swept a doubleheader from Post 17 during the regular season, until the fourth. The Tigers cut the lead to 3-2 on Treydon Hofer's two-run double. Noah Rutter's two-out single in the bottom of the fifth pulled Harrisburg even at 3-3.
Olson, who had two hits, started the top of the sixth with a walk. He moved to third after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt to scored on Sears' flyball to left.
Harrisburg tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh when Gavin Weir walked with one out. Jackson McClemans relieved Halajian with two outs and allowed a single to Bryson Esser, which advanced Weir to third. Rutten then grounded out to the the game.
Jaxon Falak and Jonathan Lake each also had two of Watertown's eight hits. Halajian went 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and three runs with two walks and eight strikeouts. McClemans notched the save.
Esser had two of the six hits for Harrisburg (14-11-1).
Friday's games were pushed back because of rain and the first round was not completed until after midnight.
The tourney concludes with three games on Saturday, May 23. Jefferson (20-5) will face the Brandon Valley/O'Gorman winner at 3:30 p.m. in the semifinals, followed by Watertown taking on Yankton (21-4) in the other semifinal at 6 p.m. The winners will play for the championship at about 8:30 p.m.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: State Class A baseball highlights and SoDak 16 softball pairings
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Facing top-seeded Harrisburg for the second-straight year in the tourney, the Arrows avenged last year's loss by posting a 4-3 win on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Augustana University's Ronken Field.
Maxx Sears' sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth plated the winning run in the game for Post 17, which improved to 14-7 with its seventh-straight win.
Post 17 took control early in the game when Cole Hansen hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Markus Pitkin's sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning. Two-out, run-scoring singles by Sam Olson in the third and Jaxon Falak in the fourth gave Watertown a 3-0 lead.
Watertown starting pitcher Hunter Halajian blanked Harrisburg, which had swept a doubleheader from Post 17 during the regular season, until the fourth. The Tigers cut the lead to 3-2 on Treydon Hofer's two-run double. Noah Rutter's two-out single in the bottom of the fifth pulled Harrisburg even at 3-3.
Olson, who had two hits, started the top of the sixth with a walk. He moved to third after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt to scored on Sears' flyball to left.
Harrisburg tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh when Gavin Weir walked with one out. Jackson McClemans relieved Halajian with two outs and allowed a single to Bryson Esser, which advanced Weir to third. Rutten then grounded out to the the game.
Jaxon Falak and Jonathan Lake each also had two of Watertown's eight hits. Halajian went 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and three runs with two walks and eight strikeouts. McClemans notched the save.
Esser had two of the six hits for Harrisburg (14-11-1).
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Other Friday Games
- No. 5 Sioux Falls Jefferson 5, No. 6 Pierre 3 — Everett Salonen and Matnel Jensen combined on a five-hitter for Jefferson, which jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and held on. Salonen gave up two hits with six strikeouts in five inning for the win. Brady Jacobson singled in a run in the first and added a two-run single in the second. Noah Grabow and Noah Kuenzi each added two hits for SFJ. Jerren Deal finished with two hits for Pierre (22-9).
- No. 4 Yankton 2, No. 5 Rapid City Stevens 1 — Samuel Gokie's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth lifted Yankton. The Bucks scored in the first on a double by Easton Feser. Karter Brager tied the game with a run-scoring single in the top of the sixth for Stevens (23-7-1). Gokie allowed four hits with six strikeouts in seven innings. Stevens' Brady Waddell gave up two hits and fanned 11 in seven innings.
- No. 2 Brandon Valley vs. No. 7 O'Gorman — Game still being played as of late Friday.
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Saturday's Games
Friday's games were pushed back because of rain and the first round was not completed until after midnight.
The tourney concludes with three games on Saturday, May 23. Jefferson (20-5) will face the Brandon Valley/O'Gorman winner at 3:30 p.m. in the semifinals, followed by Watertown taking on Yankton (21-4) in the other semifinal at 6 p.m. The winners will play for the championship at about 8:30 p.m.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: State Class A baseball highlights and SoDak 16 softball pairings
Continue reading...
