BRANDON Sundays championship game was the sixth time that the Huron 13/14U Tigers faced the Sioux Falls Post 15 13/14U team this season. With a 7-6 walkoff win, they finish the year without a loss in those matchups, but it didnt come easy on Sunday at First National Bank Field at Aspen Park in Brandon.
The Tigers found themselves in a hole after the first inning. Parker Bischoff uncharacteristically struggled with control in the first inning, issuing four walks in his first action on the mound since early July due to injury. Post 15 took advantage to score three runs before Bischoff could get out of the inning.
Jimmie Martin opened the bottom of the first with a single and stole second base on the first pitch of the next at-bat. Joshua Gilbert then walked and Quincey Rashaad drove in Martin with a single to center field.
Bischoff singled to center, driving in Gilbert and advancing Rashaad to third. Bischoff stole second before Colt Culver singled to left to drive in Rashaad and move Bischoff to third. Culver would then steal second ahead of a sacrifice fly by Ryker Shelton that scored Bischoff to make it 4-3 Huron.
Neither team scored in the second inning. An error on shortstop Martin put Post 15 runners on second and third in the top of the third and a single brought in a pair of runs to give Sioux Falls back the lead 5-4.
In the bottom of the third, Culver walked and stole second and Shelton would also walk, but Noah Koops grounded into a fielders choice to end the rally. Bischoff pitched around a one-out single in the top of the fourth. Sean Janes opened the bottom of the inning with a walk and stole second, but he was stranded there.
Sioux Falls got a single, a walk, and another single to load the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth but Bischoff was able to get a key strikeout to get out of the inning. Bischoff then reached second on an error by shortstop in the bottom of the inning. Culver followed up with a single to center field on a short pop up that caused Bischoff to have to hold at second base. Koops grounded to second, but an error led to Bischoff scoring, Culver reaching third, and Koops wound up on first.
Sean Janes was hit by pitch to load the bases before Ernest Wallette singled to score Culver and give Huron back the lead at 6-5 heading into the final inning.
Post 15 got a leadoff walk against Bischoff and stole second. A groundout produced the first out of the inning but also moved the runner to third. Sioux Falls then had two consecutive singles and a wild pitch that scored a run to tie the game and left runners on second and third with one out.
On a wild pitch, Post 15 attempted to steal home and was caught for the second out, and then Rashaad dove to snag a fly ball to center field to end the inning with the teams knotted at 6-6.
In the bottom of the sixth, Gilbert opened with a leadoff walk. Gilbert stole second and then Bischoff was intentionally walked. Culver then slapped a single to right field that scored Gilbert with the championship-winning run.
Bischoff went the distance, pitching around traffic throughout the day, allowing six runs on nine hits, seven walks, and four wild pitches. He struck out three.
Culver reached base all four times to the plate, with three singles and a walk while stealing a pair of bases as well and driving in the game-winning run. Bischoff had a single, walk, and a stolen base.
Gilbert walked twice and stole a base. Janes walked and was hit by pitch. Martin swiped a base.
Huron finished the season with a 13-25-2 record, but more important, the team finished strong, ending with an eight-game winning streak through the playoffs that led to a championship.
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