Lennox Bandits advance to State B Amateur Tournament

The Lennox Bandits are headed to the 2026 South Dakota Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament after splitting a pair of games in the District 7B Tournament last week. Lennox opened the tournament with an 11-8 victory over the Beresford Blues before falling 11-1 to the Larchwood Diamonds in the semifinal round. Despite the loss, the Bandits secured a berth in the 32-team state tournament, which will be held Aug. 5-16 at Cadwell Park Stadium and Drake Field in Mitchell.

Lennox overcame an early deficit and a six-run fourth inning by Beresford to earn an 11-8 victory in nine innings in the tournament opener on Thursday, July 23. 

Beresford took a 2-0 lead before the Bandits answered with a five-run third inning. Nick Zabel highlighted the rally with a two-run double, while Levi Parker added a two-run double later in the inning and Justin Underwood followed with an RBI single to give Lennox a 5-2 advantage.

The Blues responded with six runs in the top of the fourth to reclaim an 8-5 lead, but the Bandits chipped away. Wyatt Adam scored on an error and Brett Duncan drove in another run with an RBI single in the sixth before Underwood tied the game with an RBI single. Brandon Otte followed with an RBI single to put Lennox back in front 9-8.

In the eighth inning, Isaac Bambas doubled home Otte before later scoring on a wild pitch to provide two insurance runs.

Braxton Musser shut the door on the mound, striking out six batters over the final innings while holding Beresford scoreless to preserve the win.

Offensively, Underwood finished with three hits and two RBIs, Duncan added three hits and two RBIs, Bambas collected three hits, including a double, and scored twice, while Otte had two hits and scored two runs. Zabel, Parker and Underwood each drove in two runs.

Larchwood used a fast start and capitalized on early Lennox errors to defeat the Bandits 11-1 in the semifinal on Saturday, July 25. 

The Diamonds scored three runs in the first inning and added six more in the third to build a commanding 9-0 lead. Lennox threatened in the third after Brandon Otte singled and Bambas doubled, but the Bandits were unable to bring either runner home.

Larchwood added two more runs in the fifth before Lennox broke through in the seventh. After loading the bases on two hit batters and a walk, Nick Zabel was hit by a pitch to force home Aiden McCafferty for the Bandits’ lone run of the game.

Bambas doubled, and Justin Underwood collected two hits for Lennox. McCafferty scored the team’s only run. Garbers and Ashton Bach handled pitching duties, with Bach recording five strikeouts. 

Although their district tournament run ended in the semifinals, the Bandits’ opening-round victory was enough to qualify them for the South Dakota Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament, where they will compete against the state’s top amateur teams beginning Aug. 5 in Mitchell.