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14U girls win wild game to claim state softball title


The Mobridge 14U girls became two-time champs when they won the title at the South Dakota Youth Slowpitch State Tournament in Sioux Falls. Pictured are: (back from left) coach Rudy Arpan, coach Andrew Overland, Sophia Overland, Elsy Larsen, Raelyn Aberle, Kalli Good Shield, Grace Overland, Faith Heil, Tegan Konold and coach Heather Overland; (front from left) Michelle Merkel, Kiana Collins, Audrey Oxner, Jacy Netterville, Amber Vetch and Selena Arpan.

Elsy Larsen hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Mobridge 14U girls to title in the 14U division of the South Dakota Youth Slowpitch State Tournament at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls on July 17 and 18.
Larsen’s game winning hit scored Selena Arpan to give the girls an 18-17 win over Watertown Blaze and give the girls their second straight state championship.
The championship game was a tussle that needed extra innings.
Trailing 14-12 in the sixth, an RBI hit by Tegan Konold and a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Faith Heil tied the game.
After Blaze scored two runs in the top of the seventh, Mobridge tied it again when Grace Overland doubled to score Sophia Overland. Michelle Merkel followed with a single and Grace Overland escaped a pickle, beating a hot box between third and home to tie the scoring run.
Blaze scored one run in the eighth. Merkel started the inning at second base (extra inning rule) and scored the tying run on a two-out base hit by Konold.
After holding Blaze scoreless in the top of the ninth, Mobridge started the inning with Selena Arpan on second. Larsen led off the inning with her game-winning shot to the gap in left center field.
Merkel, Arpan, Konold, Amber Vetch and Raelynn Aberle had three hits each for Mobridge. Larsen, Heil, Grace Overland, Kalli Good Shield and Jaycee Netterville added two hits each.
Mobridge coasted to a 12-1 win over Clark in the semifinals. Heil went 3-for-3 while Sophia Overland, Aberle, Konold, Arpan and Larsen had two hits each. Overland, Konold, Arpan and Larsen scored two runs each.
Mobridge trailed Service Plus of Watertown 12-10 in the seventh before scoring three runs without making an out in the bottom of the seventh. The winning run crossed home plate when Sophia Overland drew a walk to score Arpan.
Heil had a huge game with four hits, including a double and a triple, and scored four runs. Vetch had three hits, including a double. Netterville added three hits and two runs scored. Grace Overland, Michelle Merkel, Arpan and Larsen added two-hit games. Arpan scored three times.
In their first meeting with Blaze, Mobridge got behind early and came back strong for a 17-11 win.
Good Shield led the offense with three hits, including a double and a triple, while scoring three runs. Aberle had two hits with a double and scored three runs. Grace Overland and Konold had two hits and scored two runs each.
The girls opened the tournament with a 13-3 win over Big J’s of Watertown.
The Overland sisters got the team going. Sophia hit a home run, had two hits and scored twice. Grace hit a home run, collected two hits and scored three times. Merkel and Arpan added triples and scored two runs each.
It is the second straight state championship for every player on the team. The older girls were on last year’s 14U state champions, while the younger players were on last year’s 12U state champion team.

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