Mitchell High School baseball closed out its regular season with a hard-fought doubleheader split on the road against Tea Area on Saturday, dropping a heartbreaker 5-4 in the opener before bouncing back with a commanding 4-2 win in Game 2.
The Kernels finished the regular season at 12-11 overall and 11-11 in Class A play. Now, Mitchell turns its attention to the postseason, awaiting its assignment for a best-of-three regional tournament beginning Friday, May 15, at the higher seed. The Class A state tournament is scheduled for May 22-23 at Augustana University in Sioux Falls.
Game 1 was a rollercoaster that slipped away late. Mitchell led 4-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but Tea Area capitalized on a clutch moment. Miles Jelen delivered the decisive blow, ripping a three-run triple to swing the game in the Titans' favor at 5-4. The Kernels couldn't answer in the top of the seventh, and Tea held on for the victory.
The Titans first grabbed momentum in the fourth inning. With the game tied 1-1, Jelen drove in a run on a lineout to give Tea a 2-1 lead. Mitchell responded with its best offensive inning in the sixth, plating three runs to regain the lead at 4-2. Brennen Penne sparked the rally with an RBI single, and Ian Weber followed with an RBI double down the right-field line. But Tea answered immediately in the bottom half, with Jelen's extra-base hit sealing the win.
Kaiden Allen started on the mound for Mitchell, tossing five solid innings. He allowed three runs on six hits, striking out four and walking four. Offensively, the Kernels managed just four hits, with Weber, Bailor Kristensen, Penne, and Lincoln Bottum each recording one. Weber and Penne drove in runs, while Mitchell showed patience at the plate with seven walks and aggressive baserunning with seven stolen bases.
Jelen led the Tea offense with four RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup, while Tyson Gilbert went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Bryson Prussman started for the Titans and worked five innings, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out eight and walking six.
Mitchell bounced back in Game 2 with a strong all-around effort. The Kernels struck first in the opening inning, scoring on a Tea error before Penne added an RBI single down the left-field line to make it 2-0. Mitchell extended the lead in the second inning when Ethan Hegg delivered a two-run double down the left-field line, pushing the advantage to 4-0.
That cushion proved more than enough for the Mitchell pitching staff, which limited Tea Area to just three hits and two runs in Game 2. The Kernels finished strong, showing the resilience and depth that will serve them well as they head into the postseason looking to make a run.