MITCHELL — Winner/Colome is back in familiar territory.

The Pheasants put away Kimball/White Lake, 12-2, in seven innings and secured a spot in the Class B amateur baseball semifinals for a fourth straight season. Winner/Colome will play the Dell Rapids Mudcats at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for a spot in the state championship. 

On Friday, the Pheasants racked up 14 hits and received a strong pitching performance from Connor Hopkins, who struck out 12 batters, allowed three hits and two earned runs on 103 pitches. 

“Anytime we got Connor on the mound, as long as we get him some runs, we feel pretty confident that we are going to be able to have a lot of success throughout the game,” said Winner/Colome designated hitter and co-manager Austin Richey, who had three hits and drove in two runs. 

It was Hopkins’ first outing since throwing a pair of innings in the district tournament in late July. The right-hander said he felt nervous and had been battling shoulder issues, but “after the first inning it was feeling good and I just went with the momentum and a little adrenaline and got going,” Hopkins said. 

So did Winner/Colome’s bats. Dillon Lambley (RBI) and Richey (2 RBI) spotted Hopkins a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The Pheasants plated three more runs in the next two innings and put the game away with six in the seven frame. 

“It’s super nice just getting that run support and just being able to go out there and not worrying about one or two runs,” Hopkins said. “You know the guys have your back defensively, offensively. So I can’t complain too much about my hitters.”

Derek Graesser, Lambley and Richey had three hits apiece. Luke Bamberg, a Corsica-Stickney pick-up player, had two hits and drove in two runs. Reed Harter, Zach Harter and Chandler Bakley added hits. 

It was the second straight season Winner/Colome eliminated Kimball/White Lake in the quarterfinals. Behind another strong Zak Wallner pitching performance, the Nationals were riding high after knocking off 2021 runner-up Flandreau on Wednesday.

The Nationals started Kelly O’Bryan, a Colome pick-up player. O’Bryan lasted 2.1 innings, giving up three earned runs, three walks and struck out two batters. Caden Lenz, Brian Zeman and Wallner all pitched in relief. 

Kimball/White Lake also committed six errors. 

“We had a couple missed plays, which obviously happens and credit to them,” KWL manager Wes Kroupa said. “They hit a lot of balls hard and we have to hit. We hit OK but not as well as we are capable of and we know that. Once you get down you maybe press a little bit more at the plate.”

Wallner and Zeman drove KWL’s two runs in the fourth inning. But Hopkins threw three scoreless innings to finish the job.

“Fourth inning they got a little bit of momentum, but bats came right back and just did their job,” Hopkins said. “We just rolled from there and it was nice not having to go all nine.”

It marked the end of the season for Kimball/White Lake, which was the last Pony Hills League team standing among the final eight teams. 

“All and all it’s still a successful season because we got to Cadwell,” Kroupa said. “We were here with our chance to make the final four on the final weekend. You have to say that’s still a successful season even though we of course want to be playing tomorrow.”

The Pheasants, meanwhile, will get another shot at the Mudcats. Winner/Colome dropped a 6-0 decision against Dell Rapids in last year’s Class B semifinals.  

“We are no strangers to it,” Richey said about another semifinal berth. “We are just tired of not getting the job done and getting to Championship Sunday. So that’s definitely on our minds right now. Hopefully everybody can come locked in ready to go tomorrow.”