Firechiefs Head to State Tourney Tomorrow

The Milbank Firechiefs punched their ticket to the 2022 Class B Amateur State Tournament during the District 1B tournament in Lake Norden.  Milbank defeated the Castlewood Monarchs with a score of 5-1 and the Volga Cormorants with a score of 6-0 to earn their third district championship in Milbank’s history.

In the semifinal game with Castlewood, Milbank got their offense started in the bottom half of the third inning. Ronnie Krause drew a one-out walk, and Brady Krause followed him with a single to put runners on first and second. Dom Boerger drew another walk to load the bases. Lance Frogner then knocked in two runs on an error by the Cormorants’ third baseman to get the Firechiefs on the board at 2-0. Milbank still held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but they were itching to add more runs. Justin Larson got things going when he hit a single. B. Krause followed with a walk, and Frogner sent out a double to score Larson. Milbank led 3-1. B. Krause and Frogner each scored on a passed ball to increase Milbank’s lead to 5-1, and they held on for the win.

In game two, Milbank started with three, straight, bunt singles from Taylor Boerger, Jacob Jackson, and B. Krause to load the bases for the Firechiefs. Frogner grounded into a fielder’s choice, but he gave the first two runners the chance to score to put Milbank out in front at 2-0. Mitch Quade was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth. Travis Lester drew a walk, and Larson singled to load the bases. R. Krause scored Quade on a sacrifice fly to center to bump Milbank’s lead to 3-0. T. Boerger singled to center, Lester scored, and the Firechiefs were up 4-0. Jackson’s bases-clearing double made it 6-0 when Larson and T. Boerger came around to score. The Firechiefs clinched the victory at 6-0 to advance to State.

D. Boerger dominated on the mound. He pitched a shutout and earned both wins by pitching 18 innings, allowing just one run, and striking out 38 batters.  Milbank takes on Akron, Iowa in the first round of South Dakota’s single-elimination state tournament on Thursday, August 4, in Mitchell at Cadwell Park. First pitch is at 1 p.m.