Worthington Junior Legion baseball team is second at Yankton tourney

The Worthington Junior Legion baseball team — a 15U squad — competed in a 16U tournament this past weekend in Yankton, S.D., and took second place.

Post 5 qualified for the championship game by rallying from a five-run deficit to top Renner, S.D. 8-5 on Sunday. Worthington flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring six runs on four hits to take their 8-5 advantage. The biggest blow in the inning was a bases-loaded double by Raylen Teerink that cleared the bags.

Keagan McCuen started on the mound for Post 5 and tossed the first three and one-third innings. He was relieved by Talan Turner, who threw three innings of scoreless ball for Worthington while giving up four hits, striking out one and walking one. Turner also contributed offensively in the win as he had a team-best two hits while also walking twice. The team drew eight walks in the ballgame and also turned a double play on defense.

In earlier action at the Yankton tournament, Mitchell, S.D. edged Worthington 3-1 in Post 5's first game, and a 11-3 triumph over Watertown, S.D. followed. 

Turner and Dominic Larson each collected two hits in the loss to Mitchell. Kaden Khamphanh stole two bases, and Worthington turned two double plays in the game.

Against Watertown, ninth-spot hitter Jaxson Spartz went three-for-three and Khamphanh was two-for-two as Post 5 had 11 hits a team while also drawing 10 walks. Tayton Thiner, Kason Spartz, Larson, and Khamphanh each stole multiple bases for Worthington, which had 15 swipes as a team. It also played errorless baseball defensively.

Mitchell defeated Worthington 9-3 in Sunday's tournament championship game.