WEBSTER -- Flandreau wasted no time in advancing to a coveted spot in the five-day, double-elimination American Legion Baseball State B Tournament.
Post 70 is now one of only two undefeated teams after defeating Milbank 10-2 Saturday in Webster. Flandreau (19-6) will play the tourney's other undefeated team at 7 tonight, with that winner guaranteed a spot in Tuesday's championship.
Flandreau was the state runner-up to Groton last season. Milbank (24-6) will play Vermillion (31-8) in an elimination game at 1 this afternoon.
"We have just been hitting the ball and getting runs," said Flandreau winning pitcher Austin Ross, who had three hits and struck out seven. "If you do things like that, the rest of the stuff will take care of itself."
Ross said his teammates play great defense, which makes for a relaxing atmosphere for a pitcher like himself.
"I know I can just throw it right in there for strikes," he said. "I am not even nervous about what kind of pitches I am throwing. It doesn't matter if the other team hits it, I have a great defense behind me to get the out."
Flandreau had 15 hits, with four players with three hits each. The other players to accomplish that feat in addition to Ross were Mitch Foster, Kyle Scofield, and Tim Parsley. Geno Burshiem had two hits and David Parsley had three RBIs.
Ross said his team has taken a business-like attitude toward this state tourney. "We are taking this seriously and not messing around. We want to go out and get the job done."
That was apparent Saturday as Flandreau jumped out to a 10-0 lead after a five-run sixth inning. Runs were being manufactured in a variety of ways, including a balk, a hit batter and sacrifice fly. Post 70 also executed several successful bunt attempts.
Game notes
The State B Legion championship trophy is 53 inches tall and the runner-up trophy is 46 inches tall. . . . In 2015, college freshmen will no longer be eligible for Legion baseball. Most of the state tourney teams seem to have about 12 players, two or three which were college freshmen this past school year. . . . Flandreau has scored 60 runs in its last five games.
Flandreau|220 105 000--10 15 2
Milbank|000 002 000-- 2 6 3
Austin Ross and Jacob Patterson; Justin Ackerman and Matthew Stephan. 2B--Flandreau, Austin Ross, Geno Bursheim; Milbank, Zachary Waletich. 3B--Flandreau, Mitch Foster. LOB--Flandreau, 17; Milbank 7. Pitching--Flandreau, Ross, WP; Milbank, Ackerman, LP.