By Matt Hendrickson
Guest blogger
This is my account of the Dell Rapids Mudcats vs. Dimock-Emery game, which took place during the second round of the South Dakota state amateur baseball tournament in Mitchell. Dimock-Emery was the defending champions and they rallied in the fourth inning with six runs to take a 7-2 lead. A sacrifice fly in the seventh cut the lead to 7-3, and an eighth-inning rally fell short for the Mudcats. Everyone (including me) thought Dell Rapids blew their chance. Little did we know what was in store.
Also, my apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer …
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudcat nine that day:
The score stood seven to three, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Henry died at first, and Wilber did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only the top of the order could get but a whack at that –
We’d put up even money, now, with those guys at the bat.
But the middle and the bottom of the order was due up this inning
Good players all, but some would say, not as special as the beginning;
So when Jimmy Bauer ran the count to 0-and-2
The mood of the Mudcat fans went from teal to blue
But Bauer ripped a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Hargrove, Johnson and the Senator’s Nephew, all connected with the ball;
And when Pfannenstein drew a walk, the fans saw what had occurred,
Pfanny was holding safe at first-Thune and Johnson at second and third.
The fans perked up their ears, the score was 7-5;
Could it be after getting 2 outs, the Mudcats were still alive?
The opponents made a pitching change, the Raptors were in fear;
If Jess Kurtenbach could get a knock, they’d have to wait til next year.
Kurtenbach approached the plate, he was batting in the zone;
His mission at the plate was clear-bring his Mudcats home.
Unlike Casey an eon ago, there was no showboating,
For the Mudcats still weren’t in a position to do any kind of gloating.
On the first offering the pitcher threw, Kurtenbach didn’t hesitate,
He held his swing for half a tic and uncorked at the plate.
The air was pierced by the little white sphere-it landed on the ground;
It rolled fair and dribbled down the line and Kurtenbach was safe and sound.
From there it was a mad dash as the runners ran like hell,
Johnson and Thune both tied the game, but that still wasn’t swell.
For Phanny on the bases ran like a man possessed;
He rounded second and third and charged for home for this inning sure was blessed.
The Raptors grabbed the ball, they had to throw it home;
Get the runner out, kill the momentum, in the 10th set the tome;
The rightfielder launched the ball as it sailed toward the heavens;
The throw was high, and Phanny slid in safe-the Mudcats won 8-7
Late that night in Mitchell-town, the moon was shining bright;
The beer tasted extra-cold, and children laughed in delight.
And Mudcat men were laughing, as they survived their baseball fright;
But there’s still more to the story; they play the Gamedogs Friday night!
About the author: Hendrickson is not a doctor; he doesn’t even play one on TV. But he has been the sports director at KJAM Radio in Madison, S.D., since 2006. He’s also a blogger.
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