SIOUX FALLS – The team that couldn’t win early in the season then couldn’t lose, and now they are champions.
Pierre Governor Baseball won its first South Dakota High School Baseball Association Class A state championship Saturday, defeating Harrisburg in the title game 4-2 at Sioux Falls Stadium after shutting out Brandon Valley in the semifinal 2-0.
The Governors lost the first five games of their season, then won their last 14 to win their first title in the 22nd season of play of the SDHSBA.
Lincoln Kienholz and JJ Bucholz combined for the shutout against Brandon Valley, with Kienholz striking out nine and allowing five hits in six and two-thirds innings. JJ Bucholz retired the last out for the save. The Governors scored both of their runs in the first inning. Brecken Krueger reached on an error, Jack Merkwan walked and Jett Zabel advanced both runners with a ground out. Jonny Lyons then singled them both in. Brandon Valley had runners in three separate innings, but Kienholz worked out of trouble each time.
Merkwan made the difference at the plate in the win over Harrisburg, driving in two runs with a single to start a three-run third inning rally. Zabel drove in the other run. Harrisburg cut the Governors’ lead to 3-2 with a run in the top of the fifth, but Pierre manufactured a run in the bottom half on a Kienholz single, an error and a walk to Zabel, followed by Lyons being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Jackson Edman pitched four innings for the win. He allowed eight hits, but kept working out of trouble. Bucholz struck out three in three scoreless innings for the save that clinched the Governors’ championship.
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