Hartington Pony team tops Neligh, splits games in S.D. tournament

BRANDON, S.D. — After rattling off 10 straight wins to open the 2024 baseball season, the Hartington Pony League team traveled north here for the Brandon Valley Tournament and came away with a 2-2 record.

Earlier in the week, Hartington defeated Neligh, 8-0 to remain unbeaten in Quad County League action.

In the tournament, Hartington lost in the semifinals to Brandon Valley’s 14U team in heartbreaking fashion.

After losing to the same team in the opening round 13-2, Hartington was up to the task in the rematch the following day.

“That was a heartbreaker,” Hartington manager, Cale Haberer said. “We had some untimely errors at crucial times that really put us behind the eight ball, but that is baseball.”

Hartington scored first with three runs in the top of the first frame, but Brandon Valley exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second to make it 7-3.

The Hartington Pony League battled back, plating a run in the third, two in the fourth and another in the fifth to tie the game and force an extra inning.

In the extra inning, Cooper Hochstein got on board with one out for Hartington then stole second base.

Hudson Whitmire hit a line drive back at the pitcher who threw the ball to second base for a double play, ending the threat.

Trailing 7-3 earlier in the game, Micah Cattau walked with one out in the Hartington half of the third then stole second base.

Rylan Fischer smacked a ball back up the middle and scored Cattau and wound up on third after a BV error. A pop out and a ground out left Fischer stranded at third.

Hartington was back at it in the fourth when Keaton Keiser walked with one out.

After a strikeout, Keiser stole second then Hudson Whitmire laced a triple to right field to chase Keiser home. Whitmire scored on a wild pitch and Hartington was back to within a single run 7-6.

Hartington manufactured the tying run in the fifth. Cattau walked to open the inning then stole second and advanced to third on an error by the Brandon Valley pitcher.

Fischer walked to put runners on the corners. Fischer was allowed to take second but a ground out to the pitcher gave Hartington its first out.

Cattau stole home during the next batter’s trip to the plate and the game was tied setting up the extra inning.

After dropping the first game of the tournament, Hartington got back on the winning train with a couple of big wins over the Marshal Tigers out of Minnesota and Brandon Valley 13/14 19-3 and 24-6.

“We had everything working in those games,” Haberer said. “We pitched well and played very good defense.”

Hartington pounded out 40 hits in the two games and committed just one error.

Hartington tied the opening round game with Brandon Valley 14U 2-2 with runs by Abram Steffen and Hochstein with two outs on a single from Haberer to right field.

“We kind of had some tough luck in that first game,” the coach said. “We hit the ball right at them and they hit gaps.”

Against Nelight in Quad County play back on June 13, neither team scored until Hartington broke through with a couple of runs in the fourth and exploded for six in the fifth to take over the game.

Dresden was the story of the night as the left-handed hurler pitched six innings of scoreless baseball while allowing just four hits and striking out seven.

“Neligh is one of the better teams in the league, but Dresden just pitched lights out,” Haberer said. “He does a great job of pitching to his strengths which are movement and location. When Dawson is pitching we can roll out our best defense behind him and let him feel confident all the plays will be made.”