By Jon Akre

605 Sports

After the four-run third inning, Remmers tacked on one more run with an RBI-single in the fourth.

In total, Remmers, Claussen, Nolan Mentele, and Korbin Schumaker each collected two hits in the win, including a 2-for-3, three RBI day by Remmers.

Kolt Koepsell and Weston Remmers each drove in one run on one hit, while Karsyn and Kingsten Feldhaus each added hits.

Defensively, Mentele nearly went the distance, ending one-out shy of a complete game. Mentele allowed six hits, two walks, and three runs while striking out three batters.

“You know, I woke up this morning and said ‘Man, I’m going to have to pitch today, I don’t know if I’m going to be up for it,’ “ said Mentele. “But I went out there and gave it my all I guess.”

Mentele entered the final frame with 102 pitches thrown, leaving him just three more to work with. But with the help of back-to-back first-pitch outs, he had an opportunity to finish the game.

“I was thinking to give them a ground ball first pitch to try to finish the inning,” Mentele said. “I was able to get it on the first two outs but fell short on that last one.”

Claussen came on for the Tigers to record the final out, punching their ticket to the state title game.

With Mentele's outing in the semifinals and Luke Koepsell’s complete game in the quarterfinals Friday, Howard has put themselves in the best position possible to face arguably the best team in South Dakota high school baseball, the Dell Rapids Quarriers.

“It’s the way you want it for a state championship. It’s not going to be easy, it shouldn’t be easy,” said Nick Koepsell. “But they're the best team in the state, the pressure is on them, they’re human and we’re going to take it one pitch at a time.”

The Class B State Championship game takes place Saturday evening at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.