State Softball: Dakota Valley Finishes Fourth In 'A'

ABERDEEN — The Dakota Valley Panthers built momentum late, but Dell Rapids held on for a 7-5 victory in the third place game of the South Dakota State Class A Softball Tournament, Saturday in Aberdeen.

"We kept them down for the most part," said Dakota Valley head coach T.C. Weinandt. "We didn't lose as much as we ran out of innings. If we get the bats going, look out."

Claire Wynja went 4-for-4 with a triple and a double for Dell Rapids, which finished 13-2 as the top seed in the inaugural tournament. Rileigh Foster, a Mount Marty recruit, went 2-for-4 with a home run. Lexi Ingalls and Liz Price each went 2-for-4 with a triple. Kylie Lebahn added a hit.

Logan Miller, Emma Wiese and Ashlynn Stusse each doubled and singled for Dakota Valley. Madelyn Munch also had two hits. Brennan Trotter and Mia Riibe each had a hit.

Katie Kvigne picked up the win, striking out just one batter. Wiese took the loss, striking out six.

The Panthers showed plenty of determination in their first season of high school softball, Weinandt noted.

"They’re a hard-working group of girls," he said. "They’ll get dirty. They’re tough as nails."

Wiese, Miller and Kiara Severson will graduate for a Panthers squad that finished 17-10 on the season.

"We’ve got three awesome seniors," Weinandt said. "We also play three juniors and three sophomores and have strong freshmen/eighth grade group.

"We fully intend to make this (state tournament) an annual event."

Fifth: Madison 11, Elk Point-Jefferson 0

Madison's Amanda Vacanti held Elk Point-Jefferson hitless in an 11-0 decision in the fifth place game of the South Dakota State Class A Softball Tournament, Saturday in Aberdeen.

Madison had just five hits on the game, led by a triple from Lindsey King. Cambree Hunsley, Vacanti, Karley Lurz and Paislee Cooney each had a hit in the victory.

Vacanti struck out five and walked one in the five-inning victory. Danica Torrez took the loss.

Elk Point-Jefferson, which finished with an 11-9 record, will graduate eight seniors: Torrez, Alyssa Chytka, Sophia Giorgio, Grace Schuh, Jezmarie Stultz-Praster, Grace Griffin, Nicole Wells and Josie Curry.

Seventh: Beresford 10, Lennox 5

The Beresford Watchdogs scored four runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to claim a 10-5 victory over Lennox in the seventh place game of the South Dakota State Class A Softball Tournament, Saturday in Aberdeen.

Lennox led 3-0 after two and a half innings, but the Watchdogs scored two runs in the third and exploded for eight runs in their final two at-bats.

Keely Merrigan went 3-for-4 with a triple and a double for Beresford. Ivy Keiser went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Kaylee Ivarsen had two hits. Lily Seivert tripled, Halle Livingston had a hit and two RBI, and Brenna Dann added a hit in the victory.

Makinleigh Wallenstein went 3-for-3 with a double for Lennox.

Dann pitched the final three innings, striking out three, for the win. Merrigan started for Beresford, striking out nine in her five innings of work. Wallenstein took the loss, striking out 10.

Dann is the lone senior for the Watchdogs.

All-Tournament

Four area players were selected to the Class A All-Tournament team.

For Dakota Valley, Emma Wiese and Brennan Trotter were honored. Elk Point-Jefferson's Josie Curry and Beresford's Brenna Dann were also selected.

Dell Rapids’ Rileigh Foster, a Mount Marty recruit, was also honored, along with teammate Clair Wynja. West Central's Izzy Parsons and Hanna Raethz, Tea Area's Skyler Haines and Addisyn Hansen, Madison's Amanda Vacanti and Lennox's Makinleigh Wallenstein were also selected.

Follow @JCimburek on Twitter.

Select photos from area teams in Class A and Class B at the inaugural South Dakota State Softball Tournament, June 1-3, 2023, in Aberdeen.

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