INDIANAPOLIS - Every game represents a learning opportunity and Cole Holzer said his team got a much-needed lesson.

After easing past Missouri, 13-3, in its Midwest Regional opener Saturday, the Harney Little League players let their minds skip through to the tournament's championship game. They are squarely back in the present after playing the Minnesota state champions.

"We were probably thinking toward the future and we just thought we were going to beat them," he said following Harney's 13-2 four-inning loss to Coon Rapids (Minn.) National on Sunday. "We've got to come prepared."

Harney's preparation went from how they would handle playing on national television while trying to become the first South Dakota team to advance to the Little League World Series to their next opponent. The players have committed themselves to worrying about Urbandale, Iowa, which plays Harney on Tuesday.

Coach Gary Wickham believes that's the approach his players must take and was far from disappointed with his team's only loss since the postseason started.

"This is baseball and you're going to lose, nobody ever has a perfect season," he said. "It's good to lose. It's good to show the kids that you can be beat so maybe next game they'll come out a little more focused and do what it takes to get it done."

Harney fell behind Coon Rapids early and never got back into the game. Coon Rapids scored five runs in the bottom of the first and added three in the second to take a commanding 8-2 advantage.

"After Minnesota scored in the bottom of the second, the kids' heads were hanging," Wickham said.

Harney got three of its four hits in the second when it scored its two runs. Hunter LaCroix singled to start the inning and moved to third on Wayde Meyers one-out single. Ben Dingus drove in LaCroix and J.T. Harper singled in Dingus with two outs.

Harper finished with two of his team's hits, getting an infield single in the first before adding his RBI hit in the second.

"It wasn't that tough of pitching, we just didn't get around on it," he said. "It was no tougher than what we faced in our state tournament."