Sioux Rapids, Ia (Northwest Iowa Now) – Sioux Central hosted Spencer for a non-conference baseball game on Thursday night to wrap up the week before the holiday.

Sioux Central started Caden Smith with Shelton Bendelin throwing for the Tigers.

Spencer loaded up the bases in the top of the 1st inning, but weren’t able to push any across thanks to some heads-up fielding on a 1-2-3 double play by Caden Smith to Andrew Nelson up the line to Connor Brown.

The Rebels responded when Remi McGregor scored on a Wild pitch in the bottom of the 1st, Sioux Central’s first run against Spencer since their 2019 matchup.

After a couple of groundouts to start the top of the 2nd, Cohen Rittenhouse came to the plate with 2 outs.

The solo shot knotted the game up at 1, and Shelton Bendlin would hold the Rebels to a scoreless bottom.

The Tigers first crooked number came in the 3rd inning, as they scored 3 runs, highlighted by a bases clearing double from Trenton Hallett.

The Rebels began to threaten in the bottom of the 3rd, but Spencer turned a double play with Lawson to Eilts to Severson to re-clear the bases.

The defense stepped up big in the top of the 4th for Sioux Central, as they got a much needed shutout inning.

Spencer would come back in the 5th inning though and strike for 2 more on a Wyatt Heying double.

Spencer was able to get a caught stealing of their own to end the inning in the bottom of the 5th, keeping the score 6-1.

Spencer would blow the game clear open in the top of the 6th, scoring 10 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks to go along with a pair of hit batters. Shelton Bendlin had the exclamation point with a bases loaded triple.

Bendlin came back out for his sixth inning of work with a 16-1 lead and needed to get three outs to end the game via mercy rule.

Bendlin picked up the win on the mound for the Tigers, throwing 6 innings, striking out 10 while walking 3 and allowing only 1 earned run.

At the plate, Bendlin was 1-2 with 2 walks, a triple, run scored and 3 RBI.

The 16-1 win brings Spencer to 11-11 on the year and the Tigers will host Sergeant Bluff-Luton on Monday.

Sioux Central falls to 10-14 as they wrap up the regular season and prepare for the Class 2A Substate 1st Round on Saturday against Sheldon.