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Lincoln and Harrisburg power into Class AA title contest

Harrisburg’s Jayci Olson, top right, is greeted by her teammates as she jogs to home plate after hitting a 2-run home run to give the Tigers a 10-run win over Sioux Fals Washington during Friday’s semifinal game at the South Dakota Class AA State Softball Tournament at Koehler Hall of Fame Field. Photo by John Davis taken 5/31/2024

Sioux Falls Lincoln and Harrisburg put on hitting displays to earn championship game berths following dominant semifinal victories during the Class AA State Softball Tournament Saturday at Koehler Hall of Fame Field.

Lincoln had nine extra-base hits on the way to an 8-0 win over Sioux Falls Jefferson, while Harrisburg racked up seven extra-bases hits in a 13-2 victory over Sioux Falls Washington.

Leading 3-1 going into the fourth inning, Harrisburg exploded for 10 runs in the final two frames, ending the game on a two-run home run by Jayci Olson over the left field fence.

“When we’re on, we’re on,” said Harrisburg coach Keith Flemmer. “Our strength is probably our bats and when they’re working, they’re working.”

When asked if his team’s performance against Washington was the best of the season, Flemmer responded, “Oh by far. We’ve worked all year long and I feel like we’re just hitting our stride. We’ve played around with the lineup a little bit all year long. This is the first time all year long that we’ve went back-to-back with the same exact lineup.”

The Tigers got major production from up and down that lineup as five different players produced extra-base hits.

“We just had energy the whole game … not one time did we stop the energy,” said Harrisburg senior Dessa Bryant, “and I think that’s what strung them in all together.”

Madelyn Ducheneaux, Macy Bryant, Hailey Boer, Olson, Dessa Bryant all had two hits for the Tigers, who finished with 13 as a team.

Harrisburg’s Dessa Bryant, lower left, reaches to touch home plate as Sioux Falls Washington’s Isabel Carda, center, catches the ball thrown home during Friday’s semifinal game at the South Dakota Class AA State Softball Tournament at Koehler Hall of Fame Field. Photo by John Davis taken 5/31/2024

“All of us executed at the plate,” Dessa Bryant said.

Meanwhile, Cora Payne held a potent Washington lineup in check throughout the contest, scattering three hits over five innings.

“I just trust my spin,” Payne said, “and I had a good practice week this week and I just spun the ball.”

She said a key to facing the Warriors is to try to get ahead in the counts.

“Just one batter, get the first out, first pitch, first pitch strike,” Payne said, “and then carry on from there.”

Harrisburg scored six times in the fourth inning as Ducheneaux had a two-run double, Boer and Olson added RBI singles, and Dessa Bryant had an RBI double.

The Tigers ended the game in the fifth. Macy Bryant and Boer each had run-producing doubles before Olson’s game-ending home run.

“All credit to the girls. They are such a talented group and they work so hard,” Flemmer said. “I told them at the beginning of the year, if we put the work in, you know where we should end up at the end of the year. One more game to go and it’s going to be a battle (Saturday).”

The Tigers will take on unbeaten and defending state champion Lincoln around 5:30 this evening.

Payne talked about the task of facing the Patriots’ lineup.

Harrisburg’s Cora Payne throws a pitch during Friday’s semifinal game against Sioux Falls Washington at the South Dakota Class AA State Softball Tournament at Koehler Hall of Fame Field. Photo by John Davis taken 5/31/2024

“I think I’m just going to do the same thing I’ve been doing,” she said, “just trust my spin, and my defense trust them, and our bats will do a job.”

Flemmer understands what his team will be up against today, but also feels good about his squad.

“I just told our girls believing that you can do it is the first step. It starts right there. And they all believe. They know that we can do it. It’s going to take great game,” Flemmer said. “I told them at some point (Saturday) Lincoln is going to have momentum, because they always do, that’s just what happens, and if we ride that out and just believe in each other, we’re going to do good things.”

Lincoln racked up 15 hits in its win over Jefferson. The Patriots received extra-base hits from eight different players.

Paige Stensaas had three hits to lead the assault. Madison Evans, Norah Christiansen, Kierra Lubovich, Sara Mathison, and Hayden Kok each had a pair of hits.

Evans, who threw a no-hitter on Thursday, had another stellar pitching performance, striking out 14 batters.

In consolation action, Brandon Valley walked off Watertown 7-6 on Keaton Jensen’s game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Lynx erased a 5-1 deficit en route to the victory. They scored four two-out runs in the fifth inning, two runs coming on doubles by Danielle Schoby and Tenley Rude.

Jade Lund had a double and a triple for Watertown.

Rapid City Stevens socked five home runs in an 11-7 win over O’Gorman in the other consolation contest.

Addie Hock, Bailey Kokesh, Emma Dressler, Nieva Colicheski, and Sayde Hunt all went deep for the Raiders, who trailed 7-4 at one stage.

In addition to today’s championship game, other contests include Watertown against O’Gorman for seventh place at 10 a.m., Brandon Valley against Rapid City Stevens for fifth at 12:30 p.m., and Sioux Falls Jefferson against Sioux Falls Washington for third at 3:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Sioux Falls Jefferson 000 000 0 – 0 3 1

Sioux Falls Lincoln 041 021 x – 8 15 0 Tya Devericks and Brooklyn Herrera; Madison Evans and Avery Dorman. 2B – Sioux Falls Jefferson, Herrera, Devericks; Sioux Falls Lincoln, Avery Dorman, Hayden Kok, Kierra Lubovich, Evans, Norah Christiansen, Paige Stensaas, Sara Mathison. HR – Sioux Falls Lincoln, Paxton Dekkers, Mathison.

Sioux Falls Washington 001 01 – 2 5 2

Harrisburg 111 64 – 13 13 0 Emma Hensley, Emily Akkerman (5) and Isabel Carda; Cora Payne and Maleia Knutson. 2B – Harrisburg, Dessa Bryant (2), Macy Bryant (2), Hailey Boer, Madelyn Ducheneaux. 3B – Sioux Falls Washington, Carda. HR – Harrisburg, Jayci Olson.

Consolation

Watertown 100 401 0 – 6 8 3

Brandon Valley 001 041 1 – 7 10 3

Alexa Brown, Kinsley Van Gilder (5) and Emmy Berglund; Macy Lembcke and Danielle Schoby. 2B – Watertown, Jade Lund; Brandon Valley, Tenley Rude (2), Schoby. 3B – Watertown, Lund.

O’Gorman 300 400 0 – 7 4 2

Rapid City Stevens 112 403 x – 11 12 4

Mary Koch and Lucy Kappel; Kara Collins, Nieva Colicheski (4), Emma Dressler (4) and Addie Hock. 2B – O’Gorman, Atley Herold-Stephens, Ava Tobin, Koch; Rapid City Stevens, Jaelah Scott (2). 3B – Rapid City Stevens, Colicheski. HR – Rapid City Stevens, Hock, Bailey Kokesh, E. Dressler, Colicheski, Sayde Hunt.

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