SIOUX FALLS – Zane Backous knocked in five runs and pitched four solid innings to help lift the Aberdeen Smittys past COLBA of Omaha, Neb., 11-1 in American Legion baseball action during the Dakota Classic on Sunday afternoon.

Backous got the scoring started with a two-run triple in the top of the first inning. Joran Foss and Grant Beyer also had RBI hits in the four-run frame.

Aberdeen tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning. Drew Salfrank and Backous each drove in runs in that frame, and two other runs scored on errors.

The Smittys produced three two-out runs in the fifth. Backous had a two-run single to highlight that inning.

Meanwhile, Backous struck out four, walked one and allowed just two hits in four innings of work on the mound.

Backous finished with three hits in addition to his five RBI. Salfrank also had three hits in the victory, while Cooper Eisenbeisz and Jackson Welke each contributed a pair hits. Phillip Zens plated three runs.

Salfrank has now gotten a hit in 14 of the team’s past 15 games.

The Smittys, 17-5 on the season, play host to the Brookings Bandits in a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Fossum Field on Tuesday.

Aberdeen Smittys 400 43 – 11 14 0

Colba 100 00 – 1 2 1

Zane Backous, Jaxon Ladner (5) and Talan Dutenhoeffer; Henry Mattox, Ferguson (3), Weber (5) and Ripp. 2B – Aberdeen Smittys, Drew Salfrank, Grant Beyer. 3B – Aberdeen Smittys, Zane Backous.