Palace City Legion Bows Out of Dakota Classic Following Tough Losses

BRANDON, S.D. — The tournament journey for Palace City Post 18 came to a disappointing conclusion at the Dakota Classic held at Aspen Park, as the team faced two defeats over the weekend after splitting its initial pool play games on Friday.

In their first matchup on Saturday, Palace City struggled against Elkhorn North Equitable Bank from Nebraska, suffering a 10-0 defeat that ended in just five innings. The only hit for Post 18 came from Kaiden Allen, while Elkhorn North amassed nine hits. Jacob Ebert, representing the Post 18 Junior team, took the mound for Palace City, giving up 10 runs on nine hits and recording one strikeout across 2 2/3 innings. Tyler Christensen entered as relief, pitching 1 1/3 innings without allowing any runs or hits, while striking out two batters. Colin Acker and Carson Driever stood out for Elkhorn North, each contributing two hits, with Driever and Ethan Asmus driving in three runs apiece.

Later on Saturday, Palace City faced Brandon Valley Post 131 but could not keep pace, ultimately losing 13-2 in another five-inning game. For the second consecutive matchup, Post 18 managed only a single hit, although Jaxson Hartman hit a two-run homer in the first inning, bringing in Carter McCormick. Brandon Valley responded emphatically, scoring 13 unanswered runs to secure the victory. Quinton Wilson, Canon Moller, Allen, and Hartman combined on the mound for Palace City, yielding nine earned runs on nine hits, with four walks and two strikeouts in total. Grady Gindorff led Brandon Valley with a perfect 3-for-3 outing, contributing four RBIs and three runs, while Matthew Henkelman earned the win with three innings pitched, allowing two runs on one hit and striking out five.

With a record of 7-7, Palace City Post 18 will look to regroup as they prepare to host the Helena Senators from Montana at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Cadwell Park in Mitchell.