SALEM – Groton grabbed an early lead before Parkston took control on Sunday afternoon.

Parkston scored nine combined runs in the third and fourth innings to fuel a 14-5 win over Groton in an elimination contest during the State B American Legion Baseball Tournament.

Teylor Diegel doubled to lead off the game and scored on a single by Bradin Althoff in the top of the first inning. Althoff came in on an error as Groton took a two-run lead.

However, Parkston soon battled back with six runs in the third, and three more in the fourth to claim a 9-2 advantage. Parkston scored six runs on just two hits in the third inning thanks to three bases-loaded walks and an error.

“Pitching just wasn’t there,” said Groton coach Seth Erickson. “Couldn’t find the zone.”

Groton plated two more runs in the bottom of the third, one coming in on Colby Dunker’s single.

Groton then closed the deficit to 9-5 with another run in the fourth when Karsten Fliehs doubled and scored on a ground out. However, Parkston tacked on two more runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh for the final margin of difference.

Parkston finished with 10 hits, four of them for extra bases.

“That’s a really good hitting team,” Erickson said, “so when we got behind in the count, they made us pay.”

Dunker led Groton with a pair of hits. Karsten Fliehs also had a double.

While the squad came up short of its season-ending goal, it had a memorable season and paved the way for future teams.

“We had a very good year, and won a lot of games. Playing in the state tournament at the end of the year is always great,” Erickson said. “Didn’t finish the way we thought, but it’s a start. Trying to get back to the Groton teams of old where state is an expectation. Now we’ve got a taste of it. … I’m very proud of this team and what they’ve done for Groton baseball.”

Parkston 016 302 2 – 14 10 1

Groton 202 100 0 – 5 6 4

Brayden Jervik, Kash Neugebauer (3), Kolter Kramer (6) and Kaden Holzbauer; Gavin Englund, Bradin Althoff (3), Brevin Fliehs (3), Korbin Kucker (7) and Karsten Fliehs. 2B – Parkston, James Deckert 2, Holzbauer, Luke Bormann; Groton, K. Fliehs, Trevor Diegel.