The Post 22 Hardhats 2025 came away with two big in-state wins on Thursday, sweeping a doubleheader against West Post 15 18U at Harmodon Park with scores of 13-2 and 12-4.
Game 1 saw the Hardhats come out swinging, scoring nine runs in the first three innings. Lars Kieffer led the charge, going 3-for-4 with a double and two singles. Jace Morgan and Dawson Inhofer also had multi-hit performances, helping Post 22 build an early lead. On the mound, McCoy Rippentrop delivered a strong outing, giving up just two runs on three hits over six innings while striking out seven.
In Game 2, Wyatt Reeder took over the spotlight. The lefty hitter drove in five runs with a bases-clearing double in the fifth and a two-run triple in the seventh. Post 22 broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run fifth inning, then put the game out of reach with five more in the seventh. Declan Mickley earned the win, holding West to two runs on two hits through five innings and striking out eight.
Post 22 racked up 22 hits across both games, swiped nine total bases, and didn’t commit a single error in the field. Morgan and Inhofer each tallied three hits in the second game, while Carter Johnson, Aiden Roberts, and Josh Elder showed plate discipline, combining for multiple walks. Elder also led the defense with 13 fielding chances.
Despite the dominant results on the scoreboard, Head Coach Kelvin Tore wasn’t fully satisfied with the team’s performance.
“On the positive side, we got two good wins. They’re in-state games and count for seeding points,” Tore said. “But overall, we did not play well. Way too many walks and hit batters from our pitchers.”
He noted that while the team started strong offensively in Game 1, things cooled off quickly.
“We started the game hitting really well. I believe we scored nine or ten runs in the first three innings, and then we just went silent. We just didn’t compete at the plate.”
In the second game, the Hardhats took advantage of several defensive mistakes by West Post 15 and capitalized on free bases, but Tore emphasized that the team will need to tighten up moving forward.
“Overall, it was a good day with good wins,” he said. “But we need to play a lot better than we did today if we’re going to do well against Sioux Falls East tomorrow.”
Post 22 returns to action Friday against Post 15 East Legion.
