Tea Steam opens season with back-to-back wins

The Tea Steam Amateur Baseball team kicked off their 2025 summer campaign with an impressive 7-1 victory over the Elk Point Colt 45s on Sunday, June 1.

Tea wasted no time taking control of the game. After pitcher Cameron Jensen worked out of a jam in the top of the first inning—striking out the side following two hit batters—the Steam bats came alive in the bottom half. Logan Boom and Nathan Babb opened the inning with back-to-back walks before Dawson Portner ripped an RBI double to center, scoring Boom. Ben Loos followed with a three-run blast to right field, giving Tea an early 4-0 lead.

Jensen remained dominant on the mound, striking out three more in the second inning. He went five strong innings, striking out 11 and allowing just one hit while keeping Elk Point scoreless during his time on the mound.

Tea added another run in the second after Boom reached on a single and scored on Babb’s RBI grounder. In the third, Curtis Flint, Jensen, and Troy Ljunggren delivered consecutive singles to load the bases. Marcus Bolin then grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Flint, and Boom added an RBI single to plate Ljunggren, pushing the lead to 7-0.

Elk Point’s lone run came in the top of the ninth when their batter tripled to right and scored on a batter’s infield single, but it was too little, too late.

Reliever Sam Kampschoff took over for Jensen in the sixth and continued the dominance on the mound. He recorded five strikeouts and allowed just one run over four innings of work.

Portner led the way at the plate for Tea with a pair of hits and two runs scored. Boom reached base four times and had two RBIs, while Loos’ first-inning homer gave the Steam early breathing room. Babb also played a solid all-around game, driving in a pair and making several key plays in the field.

The team then traveled to Beresford on Sunday, June 8 to take on the Beresford Blues and rolled to a decisive 17-2 win over Beresford. 

Tea wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in the top of the first after Michael Buchmann led off with a single, stole two bases, and crossed home on a groundout by Loos. The Steam continued to apply pressure with aggressive base running and timely hitting, posting runs in five of the eight innings played.

Beresford tied things briefly in the bottom of the first, but it was all Tea after that.

A two-run third inning gave the Steam a 3-1 advantage. Portner singled to start the inning, later scoring on a sacrifice fly from Jensen. In the fourth, more heads-up base running helped Tea extend the lead to 4-1, capped by Kampschoff stealing home.

Kampschoff also shined on the mound, striking out eight batters through five and a third innings of work, limiting Beresford to just a handful of baserunners. Braxton Mulder came on in relief and continued the dominance, recording five strikeouts and closing the door.

Tea added insurance in the sixth with a big inning, scoring four more runs. Portner hit an RBI double, and Jensen drove in two more on a single to right. The Steam added another nine runs in the top of the eighth thanks to a string of walks, passed balls, and hits—including a two-run double from Portner and an RBI single by Ljunggren.

Portner led the team offensively, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two doubles. Buchmann, Trey Heckenlaible, Jensen, Ljunggren, and Bolin all collected multiple hits. 

Tea’s defense was solid throughout, turning two double plays and allowing just two runs on the night. 

The Tea Steam will be in action on Thursday, June 12 at home when they face off against the Parker Ringnecks at 7:30 p.m. The team will take on the LCW Dirt Devils on Sunday, June 15 at home in a 2 p.m. game. They are scheduled to play Vermillion on Monday, June 16 and will take on the Akron Rebels on Sunday, June 22, both home games.