Fifth-seeded Tea Area knocked off top-seeded Dell Rapids with a late surge while No. 2 West Central ran away from No. 3 Dakota Valley to earn their spots in the inaugural Class A state title game.

The upstart Titans of Tea Area led 7-5 after the first three innings of their semifinal contest, but scored 14 runs over the final three innings of play, including a 7-run seventh frame, to earn a 22-9 win over a Dell Rapids team that hit almost exclusively extra-base hits in its opening round contest on Thursday.

Skyler Haines provided a consistent bat for the Titans, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored and six driven in. Haines had a pair of 2-run home runs in the game, one as part of a 6-run fifth inning, the other in the top of the seventh that drove in Tea Area’s final two runs.

“It was definitely a team effort,” Haines said of the chance to play for a state title. “We worked for this all season.”

Indeed, the Titans combined for 26 hits, more than half of which went for extra bases. Tea Area hitters knocked out 10 doubles and four home runs.

“We came in with nothing to lose,” said Tea Area coach Emmie Uitts. “We also want to make history, and I think we’re doing just that, even making it to the state championship game. But I don’t think we’re done yet. We’re excited to get after it (today).”

The Titans’ offensive surge, particularly late in the game, essentially turned the tables on Dell Rapids, which came into the game fresh off its own offensive onslaught the previous day.

Tea Area pitchers Addisyn Hansen and Emily Froendt held the Quarriers to just four extra-base hits amongst their 13 base knocks.

“That’s an awesome team, no double about it,” Uitts said of the Quarriers. “Awesome coach, too. I think the key was just to never let up. We knew they could score a lot of runs every single inning, so our goal was to win every inning. We did that for most of them.”

Tea Area’s reward is a state championships date with a familiar foe in West Central. The two teams are separated by less than 20 miles of driving.

“It feels big,” Haines said. “We’re competing for something no one’s ever had before, and you want it all for yourselves first.”

But that task is a tall one, as West Central, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, had no problem dispatching Dakota Valley by a 16-2 count. The Trojans scored at least two runs in four of the six innings, capped by a 7-run sixth that put the game well out of reach.

“It’s so good to work as a team and to keep working as a team going into the state championship,” said West Central sophomore Izzy Parsons. “We’re all really excited for it.”

Parsons went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and another driven in from her spot at the top of the lineup.

“I just have that ‘yes-yes-no’ approach,” Parsons said. “That’s usually what I try to go for and then go from there.”

Parsons wasn’t the only production in the Trojan lineup, however. Caitlyn Hoff collected four hits, five RBIs and three runs scored, and Jocelyn Nilson, Kaylee Olson and Ayla Kramer had three hits each.

Parsons said the Trojans will be up for the challenge come championship time. West Central claimed a 7-0 win over Tea Area during the regular season.

“We just need to come out hard and play our game,” Parsons said. “If we do that, we’re going to be good. It’s definitely going to be a challenge.”

Friday’s consolation semifinal action saw Madison steamroll Lennox 15-2, while Elk Point-Jefferson claimed a 14-6 win over Beresford.

Madison took advantage of 15 hits and seven Oriole errors to plate seven unearned runs in the victory. Amanda Vacanti paced the Bulldogs with four hits, three runs scored and four more driven in.

Vacanti also took the mound for Madison, allowing just one hit and striking out five.

Elk-Point Jefferson scored six runs in the final two innings to pull away from an 8-5 lead and create some distance on the scoreboard. Josie Curry led the way offensively with three hits, including two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs.

Regan Rasmussen earned the win in relief, tossing three-and-a-third innings of two-hit softball, giving up just one run.

Action resumes today at 10 a.m. with the seventh place contest between Lennox and Beresford. Madison faces Elk Point-Jefferson for fifth at 12:30 p.m., before Dell Rapids takes on Dakota Valley for third at 3 p.m. The state title contest between Tea Area and West Central is set for 5:30 this evening.

West Central 302 407 – 16 21 0

Dakota Valley 101 000 – 2 5 2

Emillee Stofferahn, Caitlyn Hoff (4) and Hanna Raethz. Emma Barnett, Brennan Trotter (4), Rachel Voegeli (6) and Ashlynn Stusse. 2B – West Central, Jocelyn Nilson 2, Hoff 2, Izzy Parsons, Kaylee Olson.

Tea Area 412 062 7 – 22 26 3

Dell Rapids 203 400 0 – 9 13 2

Addisyn Hansen, Emily Froendt (4) and Kalli Boom. Katie Kvigne, Paige Trewin (3), Lexi Scherff (7) and Rileigh Foster. 2B – Tea Area, Boom 2, Jillian Arp 2, Skyler Haines 2, Emmersyn Erck 2, Hansen, Froendt; Dell Rapids, Jaycee Tebay, Lexi Ingalls, Makaylah O’Meara, Claire Wynja. HR – Tea Area, Haines 2, Hansen, Froendt.

Lennox 001 10 – 2 1 7

Madison (10)04 1x – 15 15 4

Allicen Oltmanns, Makinleigh Wallenstein (1) and Macy Wallenstein. Amanda Vacanti, Karley Lurz (3) and Evie Lurz. 2B – Madison, Vacanti 2, E. Lurz, K. Lurz. 3B – Madison, Cambree Hunsley, Ella Malone.

Elk Point-Jefferson 341 002 4 – 14 16 3

Beresford 004 101 0 – 6 6 5

Danica Torrez, Regan Rasmussen and Hannah Nearman. Brenna Dann and Kennedy Merrigan. 2B – Elk Point-Jefferson, Grace Schuh; Beresford, Harley Koth, Halle Livingston. 3B – Elk Point-Jefferson, Cera Schmitz; Beresford, Livingston, Jaiden Johnson. HR – Elk Point-Jefferson, Josie Curry 2