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Here’s the good news.
The Pipestone A’s reached the Pepsi Tournament championship game for the first time in team history.
Now, you’re going to get the bad news.
Pipestone A’s Greg Quist hits a single during the Fifth Annual Pepsi Tournament championship game versus the Sioux City Futures on Sunday, June 8, at City Field. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
The Sioux City (Iowa) Futures were loaded for bear with college players, and that vintage showed in a 9-0 victory over the A’s at City Field on a blustery Sunday, June 8.
“Every one of their players is at some sort of college program,” A’s head coach Avery Ploeger noted. “They’re good athletes.”
Futures players compete for Morningside, Briar Cliff, Northwestern, Sioux Falls and community colleges scattered throughout Iowa. Clean-up hitter Clayton Campidilli will be playing for South Carolina-Upstate, an NCAA Division I school that’s a member of The Big South Conference.
The Sioux City Futures team won the Fifth Annual Pepsi Tournament on Sunday, June 8, at City Field in Pipestone — defeating the A’s, 9-0. The team features the following players, in no particular order, Sam Hanson, Luke Paulsen, Kaleb Bliel, Tylar Lutgen, Sean Schaefer, Lane Moline, Devin Dirkx, Clayton Campidilli, Damon Schmid, Carson Jager and Carter Bliel, all college-level student-athletes. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Luke Paulsen — who starred at Woodbury Central High School (Moville, Iowa) in multiple sports — pitched the first inning, which is when the A’s had their biggest threat with the bases loaded. However, Justin Nepp struck out to end the frame.
Then Sam Hanson, like Luke, a Morningside athlete, threw six innings of shutout ball. Ploeger was impressed with Hanson.
“I could see how he pitched from third base,” Ploeger said. “He worked the strike zone. He pitched to the top of the zone, outside, inside. He hit spots, and it was tough to hit him.”
Hanson and Paulsen combined for 11 strikeouts, and allowed just five hits and two walks in an economical 93-pitch performance.
Merrick Heidebrink, Jaymes Zollner, Greg Quist, Maddox Biever and Nepp all had one hit apiece for the A’s. Mitchel Carson and Mitchell Biever drew walks. But, those were the only baserunners.
Mitchell Biever deals toward home during the Fifth Annual Pepsi Tournament championship game on Sunday, June 8, at City Field. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
The A’s reached the championship game by virtue of a 12-1 opening-round win over Lennox-Chancellor-Worthing last Friday evening, and holding the Wabasso Jaxx to six runs in a Saturday contest.
Mitchell Carson (13) stands in the batter’s box during a Saturday, June 7, game versus the Wabasso Jaxx at City Field. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Mark Abrahamson pitched a five-inning complete game, with two strikeouts and allowing just three hits. Abrahamson also had a monster performance at the plate with two doubles and five RBI. Landon Quist also doubled twice, and Weston Reinhard and Greg Quist once in a 13-hit attack.
Reinhard surrendered four earned runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts in the loss to Wabasso.
The tournament also allowed Ploeger to play plenty of the up-and-coming talent on the squad, like Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Kolby Louwagie plus Pipestone Area’s Nohel Vivanco, Zayne Zollner and Luka Quist. There’s no substitute for game experience.
Pipestone A’s Jaymes Zollner attempts to start a relay after the Futures recorded an extra-base hit during the championship game on Sunday, June 8. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Ploeger said talks are underway for next year’s tournament, which will mark the sixth installment. He thanked tournament sponsor Pepsi, and all the volunteers who helped with concessions and field maintenance.
Diamond notes
The Elkton Snappers scored four runs during the course of the final three innings to defeat the Clark Traders, 9-6, on Friday.
Dylan Gillespie went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, four RBI and two runs scored. Charles Harming and Brady Steffen also slugged doubles for the Snappers (2-4). Owen Cass struck out 10 in the final four frames as the winning pitcher of record.
The A’s (5-5) hit the road this Sunday for a date with the always-tough Hadley Buttermakers. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Pipestone A’s catcher Justin Nepp frames a pitch for a strike.(Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
INFORMATION
AMATEUR BASEBALL
Linescore
Sunday, June 8
At A’s/City Field, Pipestone
Championship Game
Sioux City Futures 9, Pipestone A’s 0
At A’s/City Field
SC 0 0 3 0 0 2 4 — 9 10 0
A’s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 5 1
WP: Sam Hanson, SC
LP: Mitchell Biever, A’s
2B: Carter Bliel, SC; only extra-base hit of the game
Fifth Annual Pepsi Tournament
Tournament Scores
Friday, June 6
Pipestone A’s 12, Lennox-Chancellor-Worthing Dirt Devils 1 (5)
Saturday, June 7
Wabasso Jaxx 6, Pipestone A’s 3
Lennox-CW Dirt Devils 7, Wabasso Jaxx 6
Sioux Falls Brewers 5, Volga Cormorants 4
Sioux City Futures 10, Sioux Falls Brewers 9
Sioux City Futures 9, Volga Cormorants 0
Sunday, June 8
Championship
Sioux City Futures 9, Pipestone A’s 0
Third-Place Game
Sioux Falls Brewers 6, Wabasso Jaxx 1
Fifth-Place Game
Volga Cormorants 13, Lennox-CW Dirt Devils 2