Tea Steam looking to rebound after challenging start to season

The Tea Steam amateur baseball team is looking to gain momentum after opening the 2026 season with a 1-3 record through its first four games.

Tea opened the year with an 11-4 loss to Renner before picking up its first victory of the season, defeating the Lennox Bandits 7-5 at the end of May. The Steam then dropped a pair of contests in early June, falling 5-1 to the Belugas on June 2 and 9-6 to the Sioux Falls Brewers on June 7.

Against the Belugas on Tuesday, June 2, Tea trailed early and were unable to  catch up, falling 5-1. 

The Belugas plated a run in the first inning and added three more in the second to build a 4-0 advantage. They added an insurance run in the fifth inning while holding the Steam scoreless through seven innings.

Tea finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth when Dawson Portner delivered an RBI double to center field, scoring Ben Loos and cutting the deficit to 5-1.

Portner accounted for two of Tea’s hits, collecting a double and later adding another extra-base hit. Walker Hultgren and Michael Buchmann each added singles for the Steam.

Billy Mote provided solid relief work on the mound, allowing just one unearned run over five innings while striking out seven batters. Henry Hammrich pitched the final two innings and recorded four strikeouts. Cole McKinney started the game, recording four strikeouts. 

Despite drawing several walks, Tea struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, leaving runners on base throughout the game.

On Sunday, June 7 the Steam appeared poised to earn their second win of the season against the Sioux Falls Brewers after building a four-run lead, but defensive miscues and a strong Brewers comeback led to a 9-6 defeat.

Sioux Falls scored two runs in the opening inning before Tea responded with three runs in the bottom half. Ben Loos highlighted the inning with a two-run home run that tied the game at 2-2. Later in the frame, Matthew Hanson singled home Henry Hammrich to give Tea a 3-2 lead.

The Steam added three more runs in the second inning. Dawson Portner drove in a run with a single before Walker Hultgren delivered a two-run double to extend Tea’s advantage to 6-2.

Tea starter Cameron Jensen was dominant through the middle innings, striking out nine batters over five innings while allowing four runs, only two of which were earned. Braxton Muller and McKinney also pitched, each recorded two strike-outs. 

The Brewers chipped away at the lead, scoring twice in the fifth before tying the game at 6-6 in the sixth. Sioux Falls then took control in the seventh inning, scoring three runs to pull ahead 9-6.

Portner paced the Steam offense with a strong day at the plate, finishing with a single, triple, walk and two RBIs. Hultgren added a double and two RBIs, while Loos contributed the two-run homer. Buchmann collected two hits and scored twice.

Tea threatened in the ninth inning when Buchmann and Portner both singled, but the Brewers turned a game-ending double play to preserve the victory.

The Steam will look to get back on track when they travel to Sioux Falls on Thursday, June 11, before returning home to host Harrisburg on Sunday, June 14.