TinCaps compete in Dakota Classic

The Tea Post 266 TinCap Baseball team competed in the Dakota Classic Tournament on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15 at the Sanford Sports Complex. Thirty-eight Legion teams competed in the tournament representing the states of: South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

In Game #1 of pool play, the TinCaps faced Post 307 from Renner, and recorded a 6-2 victory over the Sultans. The pitching duties for the TinCaps was a group effort with Clayton Schwebach, Sam Werdel, and Jake Lingren, combining to give up only two runs on three hits.  

The TinCap offense was spearheaded by a balanced attack, with eight Caps collecting hits, with Schwebach knocking in two runs, and stealing two bases. Carter Turek doubled, and added a sacrifice fly.  

The TinCaps led 3-0 going into the seventh inning, and added three more in the final frame.

In Game #2, The Caps battled the Lincoln Northstar team from Lincoln, NE.  

This game was a pitching duel between Lincoln’s Sam Schaefer, and TinCap’s hurler, Boston Willemssen.  Both pitchers went six innings, and both gave up only three hits.  

Lincoln finally broke into the scoring column in the fifth inning on a ground ball single scoring two runs.  

The Caps rallied in the bottom of the fifth, but were able to only push across one run, falling to Lincoln Northstar 2-1.  

Willemssen finished the game with six IP, two runs, three hits, and five strikeouts.

Mason Schramm, Tim Halbur, and Sam Werdel each notched singles for the TinCaps, with Gavin Kolbeck driving in the lone Tea run.

Game #3 on Saturday, was another fast moving pitcher-dominated game against Kindred, ND.  This time the TinCaps, lead by the a complete game, ten strikeout, zero walk, performance by Nate Christensen were able to edge Kindred by a score of 2-1.

Offensively for the TinCaps, Mason Schramm, Gavin Johnson, Clayton Schwebach, Tim Halbur, and Ben Vasecka (RBI),all recorded hits, Halbur with a double and Schwebach with a run scoring triple.

The final game of pool play featured the TinCaps facing off with Hickman, NE.  

Hickman got off to a huge lead, capitalizing on two first inning errors by the Caps, plating ten runs in the inning.  The TinCaps never quit, and had cut the lead to 10-6 going into the fourth inning.  But Hickman was too much on this day, pulling away and winning the game by a score of 19-6.

The TinCaps were lead at the plate by Clayton Schwebach (two hits, double, two RBI’s), Nate Christensen (two singles, RBI), and Carter Turek (double, RBI).  Mason Schramm and Tim Halbur also added hits.  

Lincoln Northstar went undefeated in Pool Play, and also went on to win their quarter final game, but were rained out in their semifinal game on Monday, when the tournament was canceled.

The TinCaps are scheduled to host Post 1 at home on Monday, July 1. They will take on Lennox on Tuesday, July 2 and travel to Hartford on Monday, July 8.