Junior Teeners Place Fifth in Coke Tournament

Milbank’s 14U Junior Teeners took fifth place at the Coke Tournament in Watertown on Sunday, June 6, by defeating the Watertown White Sox 20-1. Milbank came into the game at 0-2 in pool play after suffering losses to the Watertown Grey Sox and the Rapid City Playmakers. In their first loss on Saturday against the Grey Sox, Milbank scored first. Owen Fischer drew a walk to lead off the game and then scored on an RBI single from Gage Anderson. Errors and walks plagued Milbank in the bottom of the first and the Grey Sox capitalized on the mistakes to score 12 runs. The Junior Teeners attempted to rally in the next two innings, but fell short. The game ended after the third inning when the 15-run mercy rule was invoked. 

Keegin Carlin took the loss on the mound for Milbank. He gave up four hits and nine runs. Owen Tesch relieved Carlin in the first inning and went the distance. Tesch struck out four batters and gave up five hits and seven runs. The Junior Teeners’ offense was led by Gage Anderson and Caleb Pillatzki. Both recorded singles in Saturday’s loss. 

In their next game and their last of pool play, Milbank took on the Rapid City Playmakers. The Playmakers got on the board in the top of the first by scoring four runs. Milbank replied in the bottom of the first with two runs. Milbank’s Owen Fischer singled to right field and Owen Tesch followed with a single to left field. Keegin Carlin got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Gage Anderson. Anderson singled up the middle to score Fischer from third. Owen Tesch scored Milbank’s second run by stealing home when a passed ball went to the back stop.

Rapid City scored two more runs to move the score to 7-2 going into the bottom of the second. Milbank fought back to close the gap at 7-6 with a Carter Gloe-walk and a Caleb Pillatzki-double to right field. Two at-bats later, Owen Tesch sent Pillatzki and Gloe to to home base. Keegin Carlin then scored Tesch on a single to left. Gage Anderson followed with an RBI double. Rapid City, however, went on to tack up eight more runs in the next three innings while Milbank only put up one. Milbank fell to the Playmakers 15-7 in their final game on Saturday. 

Keegin Carlin lasted 4 1/3 innings. He allowed 12 hits and 15 runs and struck out seven batters. Jayce Jonason finished up for the Junior Teeners. He gave up two hits and recorded the last two outs. Milbank’s offense was led by Owen Tesch and Gage Anderson. Each added two hits to the locals’ total of nine. Owen Fischer, Keegin Carlin, Lucas DeBoer, Jackson Hausauer, and Caleb Pillatzki added the other five hits.

In the fifth-place game on Sunday morning, Milbank took the field hungry for a win. They defeated the Watertown White Sox 20-1. The Junior Teeners put up 20 hits and allowed Watertown only one. Milbank’s Josh Pederson struck out two of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, Milbank’s bats caught fire and Jayce Jonason cleared the bags with a bases-loaded triple. Milbank kept up the pace to record 10 hits in the inning and score nine runs. 
Watertown scored a run in the bottom of the second, but it wasn’t enough. Milbank continued to burn up the bases with 11 more runs in the top of the third. The Junior Teeners then led the Grey Sox 20-1. But, Milbank wasn’t finished. They tallied another 10 runs in the third led by a triple from Gage Anderson and two doubles from Josh Pederson. The game ended after the third inning when the 15-run mercy rule was invoked. 

Josh Pederson got the win on the mound for Milbank after tossing a one hitter. He gave up one run and struck out seven batters. Milbank’s offense was led by Gage Anderson who recorded four hits and six RBIs. Anderson had an  impressive weekend.  He chalked up nine hits and knocked in nine runs. Josh Pederson and Owen Tesch added three hits each. Owen Fischer, Lucas DeBoer, Mason Meister, and Jayce Jonason contributed two hits each, and  Keegin Carlin and Nollen Sheely added one apiece.