Ethan Wishon singled to right field to score Tanner Van Driel and the Lesterville Broncs tallied a walk-off victory Saturday 6-5 over Dell Rapids Pabst Blue Ribbon in the opening round of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament at Cadwell Park.
Lesterville, which had led 2-1 through six innings, found themselves down 5-4 heading to their half of the eighth inning. That was when Hunter Martin had a two-out RBI single to score Cameron Schlitz to even the game at 5-all.
Dell Rapids PBR evened the game with a three-run seventh inning, powered by RBI doubles by Matt Gillogly and Tyler Renken, a pickup player from the Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks. Gillogly delivered again in the eighth with a go-ahead single to score Riley Hoffman.
Trent Herrboldt, a Legion standout, earned the win in relief for Lesterville, pitching the ninth inning. Starter Brandon Nickolite pitched eight innings, allowed 11 hits, five runs (four earned) and struck out six without allowing a walk. Tyler Edler added two RBIs, while Wishon and Van Driel each had three hits. The Broncs outhit PBR 12-11.
For PBR, Hoffman, Gillogly, David Kirby and Weston Hansen each had two hits. Kirby was the losing pitcher in relief, allowing the game-winning single. Hoffman started, allowing seven hits and three earned runs in five innings.
The Broncs will now face Larchwood, Iowa or Lennox in Tuesday’s second round, starting at 7:30 p.m.
