Bluebirds Play in SD State B Amateur Baseball Tournament The Tabor Bluebirds, District B runner up, advanced to the 91st South Dakota State B Amateur Baseball Tournament at Cadwell Park in Mitchell held August 2 - August 13. Twenty-eight teams qualified for the State Tournament. All four of the South Central League teams qualified for second round play – Lesterville, Menno, Crofton and Tabor. Included on the Tabor team was Nolan Carda of Wagner.

Tabor defeated Akron, IA 8-1 in their first round action on Thursday, August 3, taking an early lead and hanging on. Carda contributed 3 hits to the win.

Second round play-offs Sunday, August 6, had the Bluebirds taking on Dell Rapids Mudcats, the two-time defending State champions. The game was close and tense throughout with a pitching duel from both teams. Tabor’s Riley Rothschadl an Augustana baseball commit, did an outstanding job for the Bluebirds reaching Legion player pitch count of 105 pitches and then having to turn the ball over to Chase Kortan to pitch the remaining game. Kortan also had a strong showing on the mound and secured the win for the Bluebirds. Carda had the score tying RBI in the third inning The game extended to a 10th inning, with runners on second and third, Carda connected with a hit to right field with the ball dropping in front of the fielder sending Bryce Sciesinski on third racing for home plate to score the winning run.

Thursday, August 10, the Bluebirds went up against Lake Norden and again kept the crowd on the edge of their seats with a score of 4-0, exploding in the seventh inning to score 8 runs on 6 hits with RBIs by Beau Rothschadl, Jalen Wieseler, Hunter Hallock, Carda, Kortan, and Joey Slama. Lake Norden was not out of the game and responded with another two hits. The last inning had the bases loaded and pitcher Chase Kortan came back to the mound to secure the win for the Bluebirds. The win advanced the Bluebirds to quarterfinals for the first time since 2011.

Saturday, August 12, had the Bluebirds meeting up with rival Lesterville. The Bluebirds got out to an early lead scoring one in the first inning and Carda having an RBI in the 2nd inning. Things stayed in the Bluebirds favor with Rothschadl at the mound, but he reached his Legion rule 105 pitch count after 7 2/3 innings, 12 strike outs and 5 allowed hits. Chase Kortan came in relief, but the Broncs took advantage of a fielding error and were able to tie the score 2-2, plus adding another score in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Rothschadl walked and Carda singled putting two on base. Kortan was the next batter up and smacked one down the left field line. The celebration for the Bluebirds was on, with the 2 runs to win the ganme, but abruptly ended as the umpires called it a foul ball. With two outs and the count at strike two, the batter was unable to get the hit needed. Final score was 3-2.

The championship game on Sunday with Lesterville and Canova is Lesterville’s first title appearance since 1950. Canova took the win 4-0.

Carda is the son of Gina Woods Carda, Wagner, and Mike Carda, Lake Andes.