On Tuesday, July 16, Wagner’s VFW Post 7319 14U team made the jaunt to Hot Springs to take on Chamberlain and the host Hot Springs Rattlers to determine Region 2A’s representative in the state tournament in Beresford July 26-28.

Wagner’s first opponent was Chamberlain. Edward Ulrich was starting pitcher for Wagner. The start was a little shaky as he would hit two and walk one in the first inning. But a caught stealing on a great throw from Dominic Doom and a couple of strikeouts ended the threat.

In the bottom of the 1st, Wagner would use five walks, three errors, two hits, and one hit batsman to score nine runs. We would not look back as seven more runs in the second allowed us to finish the game early as we would win by a 16-0 score.

In that first inning Javian Pesicka had two hits, one being a single and the other a bases loaded double. He would add a third hit in the second inning as well. Ulrich and Avery Medicine Bear had the other two Wagner hits. We also took advantage of 10 walks and two hit batsmen. Ulrich, Doom, Medicine Bear, Trasin Dilts, and Kingston Brunelle all scored twice with Pesicka, Steven Peters, Beau Otte, and Ethan Gabel each scoring once.

Hot Springs defeated Chamberlain in the second game of the afternoon which meant that the final game of the day would determine who would make the state tournament.

It was not a good start for Wagner as we would go down 1-2-3 in the first inning and Hot Springs was aggressive at the plate, collecting three hits with their first three batters. This was followed by two walks and Springs would lead 2-0 after one.

Wagner answered right back with six runs in the top of the second. The first six batters of the inning would reach, one being an RBI single from Medicine Bear. Peters had the big hit of the inning as he drilled a two-out triple over the left fielders head to score three more runs.

Hot Springs added two runs in the bottom of the 2nd and the score would stay 6-4 until the 5th inning. Wagner added three runs in that frame and then ten more in the 6th inning to put the game out of reach. The final score was 19-6.

Peters had the big bat of this game as he doubled and tripled and drove in four runs while scoring twice. Medicine Bear had two hits with two RBI and three runs scored. Ulrich, Doom, Brunelle, Otte, and Colton Zephier each added a hit with Zephier and Brunelle scoring three times each. Dilts, Otte, Pesicka, and Doom each scored twice.

Pesicka got the win on the mound as he went five innings giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits while walking five and striking out nine. Steven Peters pitched the last inning. He gave up one earned run. He walked three and struck out two.

Wagner will next play Elk Point-Jefferson at 1:30 in Beresford on Friday, July 26.

On a side note, the 16U region games that were supposed to be played on Sunday, July 28, in Wagner, have been moved to Monday, July 29. These games are still in Wagner with the first game beginning at 5:00 with game two to follow.