Lincoln beats Mitchell for South Dakota high school baseball state championship

Matt Zimmer, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·2 min read
Lincoln Patriots players tackle pitcher Lincoln Vasgaard after he pitched a complete game in the state championship game on Saturday at the Birdcage. Lincoln beat Mitchell 6-1.
Lincoln Patriots players tackle pitcher Lincoln Vasgaard after he pitched a complete game in the state championship game on Saturday at the Birdcage. Lincoln beat Mitchell 6-1.

The Lincoln Patriots put their state championship hopes in the hands of Lincoln Vasgaard, and the right-hander delivered.

Vasgaard went the distance in the Class A state championship game Saturday at the Birdcage, allowing just three hits over seven innings while striking out seven, as the Patriots pulled away late for a 6-1 win that capped off an impressive postseason run for coach Jordon Johnson’s team.

“You just find a way to win, and after we beat Brandon I think that belief just came into play,” Johnson said. “It was just a matter of going out and doing it. A record doesn’t indicate a great team, but this is a great team. We knew we had the talent to do it and I’m just so proud.”

Lincoln Vasgaard delivers a pitch for Lincoln in their state title win over Mitchell at the Birdcage.
Lincoln Vasgaard delivers a pitch for Lincoln in their state title win over Mitchell at the Birdcage.

Lincoln hung on for a 7-6 win over Washington in the semifinal earlier on Saturday, after Mitchell knocked off top-seeded Roosevelt. Then Vasgaard worked his magic to defeat the Kernels.

Impressively spotting his fastball and mixing in a curveball that he could spot for called strikes and get swings and misses, Vasgaard gave up a run-scoring triple to Mitchell’s Jonah Schmidt in the first inning, then shut down the Kernels the rest of the way.

“I was just thinking ‘throw some strikes’,” Vasgaard said. “If they hit it, they hit. The fastball and curve were a really good combination today. The curve felt a little off at the beginning but when I found it I was able to locate it.”

Lincoln's Gavin Solomon dives back to first base after a pickoff attempt during Saturday's state championship game at the Birdcage.
Lincoln's Gavin Solomon dives back to first base after a pickoff attempt during Saturday's state championship game at the Birdcage.

Vasgaard, who was named the tournament MVP, also delivered a sac fly in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1, and the Pats took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single by Oscar Lockwood-Powell. Mason Tolrud added an RBI single to make it 3-1, and the Patriots added three more runs late with the help of walks and wild pitches by the Kernels.

Tolsrud had three hits to spark the Lincoln offense.

“That really helped,” Vasgaard said of the late offensive burst. “That allowed me to relax and just work at a normal pace.”

Mitchell's Jonah Schmidt watches his RBI triple down the right field line in the first inning of the state championship game on Saturday at the Birdcage.
Mitchell's Jonah Schmidt watches his RBI triple down the right field line in the first inning of the state championship game on Saturday at the Birdcage.

The only question was whether Vasgaard would finish, as he seemed to tire out late as his velocity dwindled. Johnson got the bullpen up a couple times, but Vasgaard finished the job, retiring the Kernels 1-2-3 in the 7th.

Lincoln catcher Gavin Solomon signals to hold the ball after Mitchell scores its first run of the game.
Lincoln catcher Gavin Solomon signals to hold the ball after Mitchell scores its first run of the game.

“All year it seemed like when we need a big game he was the guy who would show up for us,” Johnson said of Vasgaard. “The biggest thing with him is just poise. He gives up hits, he doesn’t overpower you, he’s just one of those kids who goes out and competes. After we got that lead it was like ‘let it ride as long as we can’ and he did what he’s done for us all year.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Lincoln beats Mitchell for South Dakota Class A baseball championship