Milbank Girls Softball Team Makes History Again

The Milbank girls fast-pitch softball team treated its fans to a double serving of victory on Friday night at the ballpark in Milbank. The Lady Bulldogs scooped up two wins against Sisseton in doubleheader action on May 12. Fans who braved the weather and attended the games also got a cherry on top as the wins counted as the first wins ever in the history of  Milbank’s program.

Milbank won the opening game with a score of 22-7 and the second game at 24-9. Each game ended early by invoking the Mercy Rule in the fourth inning.

Milbank Area 22 vs. Sisseton 7 
Sisseton overwhelmed Milbank in their first at-bat by blowing up the scoreboard with six runs. Milbank answered with 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning.  
Milbank added one run in the second, two in the third, and six in the fourth. Sisseton was scoreless in the second and third and added one run in the fourth, but it was not enough to keep the game in play. 

Milbank’s total of 22 runs came on just six hits. Sisseton walked every player on the Milbank team at least once. Macyn Dunihoo and Jocelyn Kettwig received four walks apiece. Dunihoo finished with three runs and one RBI. Kettwig ended with a run and three RBIs. Josie Riveland reached base on balls three times and ended with three runs and four RBIs.

Abigail Pillatzki, Addisyn Krause, Ashlynn Lamp, Allie Meyer, and Kennedi Sayler received two walks each. Pillatzki also  set loose two hits. She ended with four runs and two RBIs. Krause posted two runs and an RBI. Lamp added three runs and an RBI. Meyer connected on one hit to go with her two runs and three RBIs. Sayler had two hits and finished with two runs and two RBIs. Kaia Tillotson reached base on balls just once, but she also put up a hit to finish with two runs and two RBIs.

Meyer added another “first” to the evening when she blasted the team’s first triple in the first inning to score Abigail Pillatzki, Kennedi Sayler, and Kaia Tillotson. They had each slugged a single to reach base .
Lamp was the winning pitcher. She gave up seven runs on three hits. She struck out eight batters and walked just three. K. Meyer was the losing pitcher for Sisseton.

Milbank Area 24 vs. Sisseton 9 
The Lady Bulldogs won the second game of the doubleheader at 24-9 to claim a sweep against Sisseton on Friday, May 12. Sisseton led 4-0 in the first until Milbank knotted the score at 4-4. 

Krause and Lamp paced Milbank’s offense with five runs apiece. Meyer and Riveland each put up three. Pillatzki chalked up two. Kettwig, Montag, Pollock, Dunihoo, Hallee Green, and Tillotson each added one. The Lady Bulldogs again found a way to capitalize on their 22 walks. Krause and Meyer each had four and Lamp received three.

To add to their evening of firsts and records — an exciting part of the team’s inaugural season–  Milbank racked up nine hits for a new record in any game. Pillatzki, Riveland, and Shelbi Pollock each had two. Krause, Lamp, and Green each added one. They stranded six. 

Lamp was on the mound again and worked through the four innings. She allowed four runs off nine hits, walked five, and struck out seven. K. Meyer was credited with the loss for Sisseton.

What’s next for Milbank? If you want to catch a game in the Lady Bulldogs’ inaugural season of softball, this could be your last chance. Milbank wraps up their regular season by hosting a doubleheader against Castlewood  on Friday, May 19.  Post-season play begins on Tuesday, May 23, with the top 16 teams entering the SoDak 16 games.Milbank currently sits at 16th place in Class A. The list includes  (1) Dell Rapids (2) West Central  (3) Dakota Valley (4) Madison (5) Tea Area (6) Winner Area (7) Elk Point- Jefferson (8) Wagner (9) Vermillion (10) Beresford (11) Lennox (12) Flandreau (13) Mobridge-Pollock (14) Sioux Falls Christian (15) Canton and (16) Milbank. The 2023 state tournaments for all three classes will be played June1-3 in Aberdeen.