Considering what Watertown Post 17's Marcus Rabine has dealt with on the injury front these past couple of years, you might call it a moment that was long overdue.
The previous adversity certainly played a role in the wide-smile Rabine flashed after delivering a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of an American Legion Baeball doubleheader Wednesday night at Watertown Staduium. Rabine's blast lifted Post 17 to a 10-9 comeback win over the Brookings Post 74 Bandits.
Rabine had a few token at-bats Sunday in the second game of a doubleheader against Dell Rapids, ending a stretch of 22 games he had missed after injuring his hamstring in the first game of a tournament at Omaha (Neb.) on June 19.
"Ryan (Post 17 head coach Ryan Neale) says, 'Go warm up, you might get to hit the seventh,'" Rabine said. "I go alright but when I was warming up the nerves started to set in a little. Then he called my number and I got ready."
Pulling victory out of a hat
Watertown Post 17 began the night, which included Fan Appreciation-Senior Night activities, with a 30-21 record and the No. 5 spot in the South Dakota American Legion Baseball Standings. With five regular-season games remaining, Post 17 is assured of hosting a best-of-three, state-qualifying playoff series on Thursday and Friday, July 25-26.
Still, where Post 17 lands in the final seeding and who they will face is still up the air and that's what made Wednesday's twinbill against Brookings important. Brookings entered with a 21-18 record, but is assured a state-tourney berth as the host team for the event (July 30-Aug. 3).
Post 17 liked its odds with its ace and South Dakota State University recruit Kaden Rylance on the mound in the first game, but the two teams traded runs the first three innings. Brookings knocked Rylance out of the game and led 6-5 before adding single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
Brookings turned to Breck Hirschoff to finish off the win for starter Austin Clark. A walk by Nathan Briggs, single by Markus Pitkin and a hit batsmen (Treyton Himmerich) allowed Watertown to load the bases with one out. Hirschoff and the Bandits still had to like their chances after a strikeout left Post 17 down to its last out.
Hayden Ries kept the game alive with a run-scoring single for Watertown, setting the stage for lefty-swinging Rabine to get the call to pinch hit for Spencer Wientjes, a right-handed batter who had doubled in the game.
"Right there, I'm thinking drive some runners in with a line drive in the gap," Rabine said. "Then I got around on it, elevated it a little and she went out."
Definitely, a big moment to remember
Yes it was, not only for Post 17 but really for Rabine. He missed his entire junior baseball season for Post 17 after having labrum surgery and his return this season was marred by the hamstring injury.
The labrum surgery, by the way, also wiped out his final two high school seasons of football and although he did start for Watertown's state-tourney boy basketball team this past winter, the injury did create some limitations.
With the postseason around the corner, Rabine was certainly hoping to get healthy enough to play a role. Maybe even, just to play.
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Then came his chance against Hirrschoff.
"I have faced him growing up. We've always played against each other and he's a good pitcher," Rabine said. "I saw it off the bat heading to right center. It's just a great feeling overall. It's the first walk-off grand slam I've ever had."
The homer was the third on the season for Rabine and may have been the first walk-off homer he ever hit, period.
Making the night even more special it that Rabine and fellow Post 17 seniors Dylon Rawdon, Justin Remmers and Will Engstrom were honored along with their parents between games.
Post 17's big win, followed by a Brookings bounce back
Watertown prevailed in the opener despite committing seven errors. Mitch Olson went 2-for-2 with a triple and Talan Jurgens added a double and a single. Markus Pitkin allowed only one earned in four innings of relief and got the win.
Hirrschoff went 3-for-5 with a triple for Brookings, which also got a triple and single from Owen Schneider and two singles by Zach Struck.
"We kind of know when we need to win," Rabine said. "Obviously, we don't want to lose, we want to try to win all the time. We do know if we lose, it may (at this point) not affect us too much but this was a big for sure. We needed to win."
Watertown's deserves credit to mounting its big comeback in the opener, but Brookings also should get a pat on the back for coming back to win the nightcap 9-1.
A four-run third inning gave the Bandits control and they added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh to gain some breathing room.
Struck allowed only three hits in six scoreless inning son the mound and Hirrschoff, Schneider and Jon Kahler each collected to hits.
Jurgens had two hits and Pitkin doubled for Post 17, which committed six errors that led to six unearned runs.
Watertown, scheduled to conclude its regular season with home games against Spearfish on Thursday and Sturgis on Friday, struggled at times but salvaged the split thanks to the big swing from Rabine.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
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