By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

Lehnen picked up the win after throwing 4.1 scoreless relief innings, finishing with six strikeouts and allowing six hits on 62 pitches. He added two hits and two RBI to earn back-to-back MVP honors. 

Dell Rapids starter Dalton Allen and Garretson starter Aaron LaBrie locked in pitcher’s duel through the first four innings. LaBrie, a former Wichita State pitcher, lasted six innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs and struck out six batters on 91 pitches. Garretson, however, committed three errors.

“We had some costly errors, which we hadn’t all season and LaBrie is just a workhorse,” Garretson manager Austin Vanhove said. “You could tell he had gotten pretty tired there, but we were riding our ace until he couldn't ride any more.”

Allen, a former Augustana University pitcher, lasted four innings, surrendering three hits, one earned run and struck out six batters on 72 pitches. 

The action picked up in the middle innings, with Garretson chasing Allen after a two-run fifth inning. In the frame, Garretson loaded the bases with zero outs on an error, a Jesse Brockhouse hit by pitch and a Dustin Steckler sharp line drive to center field. Robin Chute, a Elk Point pick-up player, laced a two-run single down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.

That’s when Wilber brought in Lehnen, who just pitched 10 innings in a 2-1 win over Dimock-Emery in Friday’s quarterfinal round. It was also the second time Lehnen came in to get Dell Rapids out of a tough jam in the tourney. 

“We had the game against Larchwood, which has a heckuva team,” Wilber said. “He came in and struck out two batters and saved it. He’s got that ability and that bulldog in him.”

Lehnen struck out Nick Bonte, Scott Splett and LaBrie to get out of the jam on Sunday.

“That’s what we live for and that’s what champions are made of are those moments right there to come in and shut the door,” said Lehnen, a former Augustana University and minor league pitcher. 

Lehnen also helped the Dell Rapids’ offense break through in the sixth inning with four runs on three hits and one error. Ty Hoglund reached first base on an error, Chad Hunt hit a single and Mark Abrahamson was walked to load the bases. 

That’s when Lehnen ripped a two-run single down the right field line, evening the score at 2-2. 

“He threw me a curve ball up and in and I ended up taking it and it was inside the line by about three feet,” Lehnen said. “It was perfectly placed for us to score some runs. That was a big inning for us.”

The Mudcats scored two more runs in the inning, including a Weston Hansen RBI fielder’s choice. LaBrie was relieved in the next inning for Trey Buckneberg, who gave up a Chad Hunt RBI single in the seventh inning. 

“LaBrie was awesome and he just ran out of gas,” said Regas, who added a hit. “We needed that one inning where we could put them on the ropes and get him out of there. Because if we let him keep cruising, he was going to beat us.”

Lehnen, meanwhile, continued to throw scoreless innings into the final frame. Dustin Steckler reached base on a one-out single and Wilber brought in Regas, who threw just two pitches as Chute grounded into a game-ending double play. 

“I was gassed at that point,” Lehnen said. “I had nothing left. That’s all I gave. So Regas came in and shut the door on two pitches. It was a good move by Jim.”

Steckler led Garretson with three hits, while Chute added two hits and his two RBI. Nick Bonte, Splett, Vanhove and Tayson Swatek added hits for Garretson, which was making its third state championship appearance. It also came after Garretson failed to qualify for the 2021 state tournament. 

“I definitely think we are not satisfied with the outcome, but we are happy with what we’ve accomplished as a team and what we’ve created,” Vanhove said. “We have a lot of young kids that are excited to play in the future.”

Hunt finished with two hits, while Grant Olson and Trevor Freudenthal each added hits. It was the Mudcats’ third overall state championship, but as Wilber points out, still six behind their cross-town rival Dell Rapids PBR. 

“They won nine and we won three,” Wilber joked. “So we can’t hang our heads too high. We’ve got those nine to catch up to.” 

Notes: Garretson won the Class B team sportmanship award. ... Alexandria's Jordan Gau was the Class B batting champ, hitting .727 through three games. ... The Class B championship bingo payout was $176, split among four winners.