Mudcats Successfully Complete Their Repeat Season

The Dell Rapids Mudcats had one goal heading into this season, and that was to repeat as Class B Amateur State Championship. On Sunday they completed that mission. It was not pretty at first, ironically like their season, but when it mattered most the Mudcats proved to be the better team over the Garretson Blue Jays. 

Batters struggled in the first four innings, with the two teams combining for four hits (Mudcats 3, Blue Jays 1), but the Blue Jays opened up the scoring in the top of the fifth inning Robin Chute’s 2 RBI Single bringing in Jesse Brockhouse and Dylan Kidt. 

The Mudcats finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning, which proved to be the difference for the rest of the game. The defending state champs scored four total runs in the inning, two of which came off of tournament MVP Dalton Lehnen’s, 2 RBI Single that brought in Chad Hunt and Mark Abrahamson. 

The Mudcats then had one more run in the seventh, with Hunt getting an RBI Single that scored Grant Olson. 

With no answer from the Blue Jays, the Mudcats ended the top of the ninth on a Double-Play to win back-to-back state championships, beating the Blue Jays by a final score of 5-2. 

Lehnen pitched 4 ⅓ innings after coming in to relieve Dalton Allen in the fifth, getting the win after striking out six and giving up six hits. Aaron Labrie got the loss for the Blue Jays, giving up four runs on six hits through six-innings pitched.

Blue Jays out hit the Mudcats, scattering nine total hits compared to the Mudcats eight. However, they also had more errors, with three errors to the Mudcats one. 

With the win, the Mudcats have now won three state championships, winning their first one in 2008 (2008, 2021, 2022).