The Palace City 14‑and‑under baseball squad traveled to the Bob Tereshinski Tournament over the weekend, where it faced a compact slate of opponents in South Dakota.
The team opened with a 3‑1 victory over Vermillion Red on Friday, a game highlighted by solid hitting from Preston Maeschen and Keniel Padilla, each collecting two hits, while Deyton Puetz delivered a strong outing on the mound, tossing six innings, allowing just four hits and one unearned run while striking out four batters.
Two days later the squad fell 7‑1 to Rapid City Post 320 Comets, with the only hit for Palace City coming from Maeschen, and Carter Buschbach driving in the lone RBI in the fourth inning before the Comets pulled away.
The final game of the tournament saw a 5‑4 loss to the Yankton Lakers, where Padilla contributed two hits and three RBIs, but the pitching staff struggled as Padilla took the loss after surrendering 13 hits and five runs.
Looking Ahead
The upcoming doubleheader in Brookings on July 1 offers the young roster a chance to rebuild momentum after a busy weekend of play.
Coaches are emphasizing the need for tighter pitching performances and more consistent hitting, drawing on the offensive bursts that produced the win over Vermillion Red and the RBIs from Buschbach and Padilla.
With key contributors such as Deyton Puetz, Preston Maeschen, Keniel Padilla, Carter Buschbach, and the rest of the squad poised to step up, Palace City hopes to translate its tournament experience into a strong finish to the season.