Sometimes even the coach gets surprised by how well his team can play.
Such was the case for Tanner Soderberg when his Malcolm Seniors upset a top-four Class A program at the June 12-14 Dakota Classic in Sioux Falls.
Coming off a pool-play loss to Buffalo (Minn.), Malcolm bounced back with a 6-4 win over Gene’s Auto (Papio South) to stay in contention for the pool title.
“After how we looked against Buffalo, I didn’t like our odds for the weekend,” Soderberg said. “Papio South was one of the last teams eliminated from the Class A state tournament this spring. A top-tier program in the state year in and year out.
“Gavin (Little) was outstanding on the mound. It’s probably one of the biggest wins our program has had outside of state tournament games.”
Little, a soon-to-be high school senior, threw a complete game, striking out five while allowing five hits and two earned runs. He also helped his own cause at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The 46-team tournament gave Malcolm an opportunity to face teams from three states and one from Canada. The Seniors finished second in their six-team pool with a 3-1 record, also earning wins over Beresford (S.D.) and North Winnipeg.
“What a great opportunity for our guys,” Soderberg said. “These teams come from schools and communities much larger than ours. I thought we might take our lumps, but our players proved again they can compete with just about anyone.”
While the Seniors headed north, the Malcolm Reserves traveled to South Omaha and put together an impressive run at the Dan Van Meter Tournament. Malcolm swept through the field with wins over Lincoln Southeast (5-2), Omaha Northwest (15-4) and Omaha South (15-0) before defeating Hastings 8-3 in the championship game.
Mason Oldehoeft pitched 5 1/3 innings over the weekend without allowing an earned run. He picked up the win by tossing four innings of relief in the title game.
Clement Small threw a three-inning no-hitter against Omaha South to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Mason Schultz led the offense, going 5-for-9 with a .714 on-base percentage while adding a double, a home run and seven RBIs.
Malcolm opened the week with a 16-0 Seniors victory over Milford on June 9. Cayden Robotham struck out seven of the nine batters he faced in three perfect innings. Following the game, a ceremony honored his late father, Michael, with the dedication of a memorial bench and tree.
The Malcolm Seniors (12-3) face Adams and Ralston this week before hosting the inaugural Kramer Invitational this weekend. The Juniors (9-2) take on Bennet, Adams and Ralston, while the Reserves (7-3) play Tuesday at Bennet.
