Titans fall to Stevens, defeat Pierre

The Tea Area High School softball team came up just short on Thursday, May 14, falling to Rapid City Stevens 4-3 on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Tea Area struck first in the opening inning. After Kaylyn Hall singled and courtesy runner Lillian Turek moved into scoring position, Brynn Kline lined a double to left field to bring home Turek and give the Titans an early 1-0 advantage.

Rapid City Stevens answered in the third inning when Audrinna Colhoff connected for a solo home run to even the score at 1-1.

The Titans regained the lead in the fourth. Hall drew a leadoff walk, and after Turek stole second base, Anna Somsen ripped a double to left field to plate Turek and put Tea Area ahead 2-1.

The Raiders tied the game again in the bottom of the fourth. 

Tea Area responded immediately in the fifth inning when Abby Boom launched a solo home run to center field, restoring the Titans’ lead at 3-2. The Titans threatened to add more when Allie Wallum doubled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ava Opland, but the Stevens pitcher recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

The Raiders mounted their final rally in the seventh. They managed to tie the game at 3-3. After an intentional walk and a bunt single loaded the bases, the batter hit a fly ball to left field. The runner tagged and scored the winning run, giving Stevens the 4-3 victory.

Boom led the Titans offensively, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double. Hall reached base twice with a single and a walk, while Kline, Somsen and Wallum each doubled.

Hall started in the circle and allowed one run over three innings. Kline pitched the final three innings.

The Titans erupted for 16 runs on 20 hits to defeat the Pierre T.F. Riggs Governors, 16-6, on Tuesday, May 19.

Tea Area set the tone early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Allie Wallum led off with a single and later scored the game’s first run after Abby Boom was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Preslie Benning added a sacrifice fly, and Anna Somsen capped the inning with an RBI single to give the Titans a 4-0 advantage.

The Titans added three more runs in the second inning. Wallum reached on a single and advanced to second on an error before Ava Opland drove her home with an RBI single. Brynn Kline followed with an RBI double, and Boom added an RBI single as Tea Area extended its lead to 7-0.

Pierre T.F. Riggs got on the board in the third, but the Titans answered immediately. Somsen singled to start the bottom of the inning, and Wallum delivered a two-run single. Kaylyn Hall later doubled home another run to put Tea Area ahead 10-2.

The Governors scored once in the fourth, but Tea Area responded with its biggest inning of the game, plating four runs in the bottom half. Madison Dragt reached on an error that brought in a run, Wallum drove in another with a single, Opland reached on an error that scored a run, and Hall added an RBI single to stretch the Titans’ lead to 14-3.

Pierre T.F. Riggs mounted a comeback attempt with three runs in the fifth, cutting the deficit to 14-6. Tea Area answered right away when Boom doubled and later scored on a Benning ground ball and error to make it 15-6.

After a scoreless sixth inning by the Governors, the Titans ended the game in the bottom of the sixth. Opland reached on an error, Hall singled, and Kline drove in Opland with a base hit to seal the 16-6 victory.

Wallum led Tea Area at the plate, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Hall finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Somsen went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kline added two hits and three RBIs, and Boom contributed two hits and three runs scored.

Hall started in the circle and pitched the first three innings, allowing two runs while striking out five. Kline took over in relief and earned the win, pitching the final three innings and holding the Governors to four runs while striking out two.