RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Post 22 Hardhats wasted no time asserting their dominance in the opening game of their playoff run, defeating Spearfish Post 164 Sr. Legion 18U 14-1 on Wednesday at Fitzgerald Stadium. The Rapid City squad exploded for 11 runs in the first inning, setting the tone for a commanding victory.
“We came out of the gate firing on all cylinders,” said head coach Kelvin Tore. “We really came out and made a statement. It was nice to see that the layoff didn’t bother us. It’s a good start to our playoff run and now we just have to keep going.”
Lars Kieffer ignited the scoring with a double, driving in a run. Jace Morgan followed with a two-run single, and Dexter Steen added another RBI single. A balk brought in another run, followed by an RBI groundout from Josh Elder. Kieffer drew a walk, scoring a run, and Wyatt Reeder singled home two. Kain McLeod doubled to drive in a run, and Morgan capped the explosive inning with another RBI single.
Declan Mickley earned the win for Post 22, showcasing a dominant performance. The left-hander tossed two hitless, scoreless innings, striking out five and issuing no walks. Ryan Neugebauer provided strong relief, throwing two hitless innings with two strikeouts.
Post 22’s offense was relentless, accumulating 13 hits. McLeod led the charge with a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Reeder and Morgan each drove in a team-high three runs. Blayn Hunt and Aiden Roberts also contributed multiple hits and were active on the base paths, each stealing multiple bases as the Hardhats tallied nine stolen bases in total. The Rapid City team also displayed patience, drawing six walks.
Defensively, Post 22 was flawless, committing no errors. Elder led the team with seven chances in the field.
For Spearfish, Tucker Olson went 2-for-2 and drove in their lone run. Jack Branum took the loss, surrendering 11 runs on eight hits in two-thirds of an inning.