Second Regional Crown for a Rapid City Team
South Dakota 4, Nebraska 2
South Dakota All-Star Brett Beyer slides safely into home in the first inning of Saturday's Midwest Regional championship game in Indianapolis. Rapid City won the game 4-2 over Kearney, Neb. and advanced to the Little League World Series. (Photo Jake Nordbye/IDS)
INDIANAPOLIS—On Saturday night, for the first time in the history of the Little League Midwest Tournament a team won the Regional title in a rain-shortened game.
The South Dakota All-Stars were the team on the fortunate end of history.
Trailing Kearney, Nebraska 2-1 in the fifth inning, the boys from Rapid City made a furious comeback. They scored three runs and took the lead 4-2. In the top of the sixth with Harney threatening again, the skies in Indianapolis opened and the game was washed away. Harney had already feasted on pizza and returned to their dormitory when they received official word that South Dakota was on their way to Williamsport.
The Midwest champs will open play at the Little League World Series on Thursday Aug. 18 against Billings, Montana at 1 p.m. MDT and the game will be televised on ESPN. Billings, who won the Northwest Regional championship on Saturday, is only 318 miles from Rapid City. The entire World Series schedule can be seen here.
Harney's Hayden McGriff celebrates after turning a crucial double play against Nebraska in the fourth inning in the Midwest Regional championship. (Photo Jake Nordbye/IDS)
Thunder and rain announced the official verdict Saturday, but after five nervous innings, Harney won the game on the field.
For four of those innings, Kearney’s pitcher Tyler Mestl did what no other pitcher has been able to do to the Harney All-Stars this season…he kept them from exploding for a big inning. Mestl also helped himself out with a first inning homerun that gave Nebraska a 2-1 lead.
Harney threatened in each of the first four frames, but stranded a total of six runners and had only managed to push across one run on a Zach Solano RBI single in the first.
In the fifth inning Harney finally broke through. Hayden McGriff hit a line shot over the left field fence on the first pitch of the inning tying the game at 2-all.
Brett Beyer followed with a double to deep center, Timmy Paris was then hit by a pitch, and Solano singled to load the bases.
Erik Petry gave Harney their first lead of the game with a hard RBI single to left, and Cameron Fees capped the scoring with a bases loaded walk.
The bases were still loaded with no outs, but a Kearney double play prevented any further scoring in the inning. However, the damage was done.
(Photos Jake Nordbye/IDS)
Erik Petry shut down Kearney in the bottom of the fifth with a strike out and a 1-6-3 double play. In the top of the sixth inning, Harney had runners on second and third with two outs and Solano at the plate when the rain started coming down, and tournament officials called an extended delay.
Little League rules state that a inning can not be started after midnight. After hard rain for more than two hours it was determined that the field was unplayable and it was announced that Harney was the Midwest Regional champs.
Petry was masterful in relief of Harney starter Hayden McGriff. In the fourth and fifth innings he didn’t allow a hit, and only allowed two base runners. His fastball topped 70 mph, and his curve floated in at a remarkable 48 mph.
Nebraska was the same team that Petry had struggled against in the second game of pool play. But Saturday night, he was lights out.
Solano went 3-for-3 with an RBI single. Paris contributed two hits for the victors.
Solano finished the tournament hitting at a solid .500 clip, going 7-for-14 with seven RBI’s.
It will be Harney Little League’s first-ever appearance at the Little League World Series, and the second time a team from Rapid City has played in Williamsport. In 2008, Canyon Lake Little League made South Dakota’s first-ever World Series appearance.
Harney went 5-1 at the Midwest Regional and are now 12-1 overall this all-star season.
The South Dakota club will leave Indianapolis on Monday morning and fly into Newark, NJ. They will then take a bus three hours into Williamsport and prepare for their first game against Montana next Thursday.
Congratulations, Harney Little League! Finally some badly-needed good news and something to cheer about for Rapid City!
Too bad they couldn’t finish nebraskas half of the 6th.
So wait,, Nebraska wasn’t able to finish their inning to hit?! That’s completely and totally unfair.
How dare any of you try and lessen this win for Harney. It’s understandable that anything can happen in baseball, especially little league, but Harney had this game in the bag. Through 11 innings of play against the Harney All-Stars, Nebraska had only managed four hits. Not only was Nebraska up against a two-run lead but Harney had two runners in scoring position with Zach Solano up. Maybe you didn’t notice, but Solano was 3-for-3 and had 7 RBI’s in the tournament.
There are hard fast rules that every level of baseball uses. A game is official after four and a half innings which was the case tonight. Sure it’s an odd way to win, but out of any team in the Midwest Regional, Harney is the most deserving of a Williamsport trip. How about backing up the hometown team??
Thanks “Get a Clue” your right on! You beat me to the punch.
That is totally unfair that Nebraska didn’t get to finish the sixth inning to take there turn. “TOTALLY UNFAIR”
Since passions are running so hot, it’s appropriate to give some perspective on what happened last night. When the storm hit in the top of the 6th, Rapid City was ahead 4-2, with 2 outs and runners on second and third, with Zack Solano at the plate. Solano was on fire all game. He was 3-3. Anyone who knows Rapid City Little League baseball knows that Solano is clutch, so it is at least possible that Rapid City could have cushioned its lead with a Solano single (or more). The best case for Nebraska was that their pitcher would work out of the threat and Nebraska would come to the plate in the bottom of the 6th down 4-2 against Erik Petry, who had absolutely shut down Nebraska in two innings of work.
By official rules, five full innings had been played, and the game was complete. But tournament officials were sensitive to the predicament. They did not declare a victory even though they could have. They waited.
When the storm hit, it was ferocious. It was not a passing thunderstorm like we are used to in Rapid City. It sat over the stadium for more than an hour, and it was torrential. The winds blew so hard and the rain pelted down so thick that the stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair only five miles away, killing several people and injuring dozens more. So, fans, it’s important to remember that this was a BIG STORM.
Tournament organizers knew how strong the storm was going to be. They were tracking it. Instead of bringing players off the field to sit it out in their dugouts, the players were removed to the cafeteria, where they waited, and waited, and waited for several hours! It was an impossibly awkward situation. Nebraska players and parents sat only feet away from Harney players and parents. No one had privacy to either celebrate or mourn. Emotions were raw.
What made the situation particularly difficult is that BOTH teams had played great games, and the coaches had become personal friends during the tournament. If there was one team that Harney wouldn’t want to beat this way, it was Nebraska.
About 11 o’clock, pizzas were brought in for the group…for both teams and families! So by 11:30 pm you had a situation where everyone’s nerves were raw, 12 and 13 year-old boys were full of pizza and exhausted, the field was literally under water, a second wave of the storm was passing over with more rain, ESPN was packing up, and tournament officials were on the phone with Williamsport asking what to do.
If we at IDS learned anything at this tournament it is that Little League officials stick by their rules. They don’t waver. (A lesson we learned the hard way several times). Could the game have been resumed on Sunday? Maybe…in the abstract, but it wouldn’t have been as simple as people might think. On Sunday morning the field was still under water. ESPN was gone and not about to come back, so it would have been played “sandlot style”. Little League has tight pitching rules, so someone would have had to figure out who could pitch and who couldn’t. Parents of both teams were leaving and headed back home. And, by rule, the game was official.
I feel for Kearney, Nebraska. The outcome WASN’T FAIR. In a perfect world, they would have gotten their chance to come back against Harney. But everyone should remember that the score might just as easily have been 6-2 (or more) as 4-2.
The fairness issue wasn’t the fault of the Tournament, and, in the end, it’s hard to blame the man upstairs. He’s got more important things to think about on Sunday morning.
Had harney scored a run they probly wouldav had nebraska hit
Sam, we love your site, the quality of your reporting and your great insights. Your last comment is a perfect example of them. Thanks for being there and make sure you get to Williams Port, we at home need you. Go Harney.
Harney was on the side of good fortune; however, I believe they were the better team. Both teams played great.
Now, on to Williamsport!!!!
ON THE ROAD TO WILLIAMSPORT!!! Congratulations & keep up the GOOD WORK everyone!!
I remember a city championship game some years back where it turned out that a sub on the winning team hadn’t gotten to bat. They had to forfeit the game. Winning on a technicality always leaves a sour taste, but rules are rules
Anyone that knows baseball knows that anything can happen so it’s unfair to say that Harney had it in the bag. Many a game has been won in the bottom of the 6th. No one will ever know what the outcome of the game would have been. Due to Little League rules Harney was awarded the win. Best of luck to them in the Little League World Series. Represent the Midwest well!!!
Um, how about finishing the game the next day or whenever the rain stopped duh!!!!!!
There is an old saying that applies here: “The facts, while interesting, are irrelevant.”
It doesn’t matter if Harney had the bases loaded in the top of the 6th or if the bases had been empty; likewise, it doesn’t matter if the the batter was 3-3 for the game, or 0-15 for the tourney. It also doesn’t matter if Kearney had opted to change pitchers to a strikeout machine, or if they had no arms left in the bullpen. What does matter is that Harney had a 4-2 lead after five COMPLETE innings had been played. The tournament rules are pretty explicit and available for anyone to review. Just go to the LL International website and search on tournament rules; the pertinent information is on page T-20. They couldn’t start up again after midnight, and enough of the game had been played to be complete (i.e., 4 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead, 5 innings if the visitor has the lead) and a winner could be determined.
It’s probably better that Harney didn’t score in the top of the 6th before the game was suspended, as I suspect those runs would have been erased anyway and the game called as it stood after five complete, 4-2.
While admittedly a bummer for Kearney, it’s not unfair. The Indy people run a tight ship – you probably know that they send a couple reps to help administer the district tournaments as well, collecting pitchcount logs, inspecting bats, making sure birth certificates and proof of residency are in order for each team, etc. They know the rules for suspended games, and I imagine the respective managers had already skimmed that chapter of their rule books as well. Now, had the game been tied at the end of five innings and Harney took the lead in the top of the 6th, then this would be a whole different discussion.
(The headline to this particular entry, however, could use some editing. Unless the team is traveling by time machine, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to play in FIRST-EVER WORLD SERIES. That was in 1947 or so.)
Thank you FWIW!!! I just want to say that these boys deserve this more than anyone… they have worked their butts off to get to where they are. Believe me, they would have LOVED to finish the game, but that was something that was beyond their control. The grounds crew in Indy said they wouldn’t be able to have the field cleaned up in time, and one of the teams had to leave for Williamsport on Monday morning. If you have a problem don’t take it out on these boys, take it up with the Little League and their rules. If you can’t show support for members of your own community, keep your negativity to yourself… it is not something this community needs right now. GO HARNEY!!!! You boys DESERVE this and we are sooo PROUD OF YOU!!!
Thank God no one was hurt, the worst of that storm could just as easily been over these boys! My son has played against these Harney boys for 3 years….their success is no surprise to us! As a member of the Canyon Lake All Stars….he/we couldn’t be more excited or proud of this group of boys! As they are now the Midwest Regional Champs and represent the Midwest – and as evidenced in the Regional Tournament – the Best Team to advance to the Little League World Series. GOOD LUCK Boys!
Those of us from RC Post 320 congratulate you and hope you have a great time at the LLWS and a safe trip home….. Way to go!!
First of all, congratulations to Harney LL, Midwest Regional Champions! Regulation games are after four complete innings (or 3 1/2 if the home team is ahead) hense the 10 run rule after four. Hitting is all about timing. Pitching is about disrupting that timing. Saturday night was all about the timing when the expected rain would finally arrive. I totally knew and understood the rule and decision. Rain came in the top of the sixth and a lead change did not occur in the sixth so the final score reverts back to the completed fifth. Winner-Harney 4-2. Did you know that Kearney was ahead 2-1 after 3 1/2 complete innings and if it rained in the bottom of an incompleted fourth inning, then the outcome would be different? Kearney 2-1. Did you know that Harney’s highly potent bats finally exploded in the top of the fifth Saturday night to take the lead 4-2 and that if Kearney was up to bat in the bottom of that same fifth inning with 2 outs when the rain may have came, then the game would have to be resumed on Sunday? Seriously. Rule: If the visiting team ties or takes the lead in their half inning and the home team does not complete their half inning or retake the lead, then play resumes in that inning and then continues to the sixth. It sure would have been nice if someone jumped in and stopped it then so the fifth and sixth innings could be completed on Sunday. If that were the case, at least the sixth could have been played then. The winner still may have been Harney anyway. I feel sorry for Harney that play couldn’t resume and it took away their opportunity to complete the game and celebrate on the field instead of a dorm room. Again, I totally know the rule and the MANY different outcomes that may occur depending on the timing of the rain. Timing is everything. I hope LL changes the rule which could have many different outcomes depending on when the rain comes to resuming play to determine a winner so no team looses the glory of celebrating on the field after their victory which Harney lost out on and the team that has to try to explain the rule to 12 year olds why a game does not get completed or how it could be completed if rain came ten minutes sooner. Hey, a rule is a rule and all must play by it. The championship game could have had many different outcomes from the ending of the top of the fourth until when the rain actually arrive. Different rulebook outcomes that would have decided the winner as Kearney, the winner as Harney, and even resuming play. What a way to decide who moves on and who goes home to crown a champion. Does the rule need revisited towards resuming play to decide the champion? Possibly. But for right now this is the rule LL has. Coaching staffs were told the decision that night. I then asked them to clarify for me that if Harney took the lead in the top of the fifth and Kearney did not make their third out yet in the bottom of the fifth and the rain came then, would we resume play on Sunday. Yes they said. Thank you for clarifying that. I then congratulated the Harney coaching staff and wished them well out East and walked out wondering how in the world does a manager try to explain the complexity of how LL decides a regional champion on the timing of when the rain occurs? That’s tough! I hope LL revisits how they determine when to resume a suspended game or to determine a winner when the stakes are so high. Sorry I rambled on so long and again, CONGRATULATIONS to the boys and coaches of the Harney LL All Star team! I had a blast hangin’ with you guys while in Indy! Go Get ‘em in Wport!!! Respectfully Yours, Mike Koski, Manager, Kearney LL All Star Team.
I think we all need to embrace this great accomplishment. To the players, coaches, parents and supporters of Harney LL All-Stars Team CONGRATULATIONS! This is a wonderful opportunity and the only thing these boys need to know is there are plenty of people who believe in them and are so excited to watch the team advance to the World Series. Get on that field, and no matter what obstacles are placed in front of you…PLAY HARD, that’s what it’s all about.