Canistota/Freeman powers its way to Class B VFW teener baseball state title – Mitchell Republic

PLATTE, S.D. — Canistota/Freeman emerged on Sunday as the South Dakota VFW Baseball Class B 16-and-under state champions with an 8-3 win over Parkston in the championship game in Platte.

Canistota/Freeman (15-5) held a 1-0 lead before scoring five runs in the top of the fourth inning to break the game open. Easton Miller was the winning pitcher for Canistota/Freeman, posting 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and five walksw, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned).

Tanner Auch covered the final 2 1/3 innings with one hit and one unearned run allowed, while striking out five. Auch, Riley Tschetter and Luke Peters each had two hits, with Tayden Kerrigan knocking in a pair of runs for Canistota/Freeman.

For the tournament, Tschetter led the Sticks’ offense with a 7-of-10 weekend at the plate, while Peters and Auch both drove in five runs apiece. Collectively, Canistota/Freeman pitching allowed 11 hits and only four earned runs in 21 innings on the mound in the state tournament.

Parkston had RBIs from Gage Jodozi, Brycen Bruening and Kash Neugebauer, while Mason Jervik took the loss on the mound for Parkston, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits in three innings. Parkston finished the season at 20-5 and played in the 16-and-under state championship for the second year in a row after winning the title in 2023.

In the semifinals, the Sticks earned an 8-2 win over Selby to reach the championship round, while Parkston defeated Platte/Geddes 3-2 in its semifinal game. The Freeman/Marion Sticks team won the Class B 14U state title earlier this season.

Also in the placement games on Sunday, Platte/Geddes finished third in the bracket with a 13-1 win over Selby, while Gregory was a 5-4 winner over Mount Vernon/Plankinton in the fifth-place game. Canistota/Freeman won the tournament’s sportsmanship award.

In the 16-and-under Class A state tournament in Vermillion, Madison defeated Dakota Valley 6-5 in the title game. West Central was a 3-2 winner over Tri-Valley for third place and Dell Rapids defeated Vermillion 7-1 in the fifth-place game.

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