RAPID CITY - A split doubleheader Saturday night between Rapid City Post 22 and defending Wyoming state champion Cheyenne Post 6 set up what became a classic rubber match on Sunday. Post 22 used late-inning heroics to win and take the series, 2-1, on a beautiful 90 degree Sunday afternoon at Fitzgerald Stadium.

Cheyenne jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Kyle Bybee walked, Ty Lain singled and Mathew Pullos hit a groundball to score Bybee.

The young Post 22 team had runners reach base with one or no outs in each of the first five innings, but did not manage to score leaving seven baserunners stranded, and committed two baserunning errors.

Cheyenne pitcher, Brandon Nimmo, pitched himself out of several jams, and received help from a solid defense. He threw five complete, shutout innings before giving way to reliever Luke Haugh in the sixth.

"We saw two good ballclubs really competing tough today," said Post 22 head coach Dave Ploof. "Both clubs got excellent pitching today, Sam (Wolff) walked the first hitter of the game, and 80 percent of the time that batter will score, and he did, and that's the only run they scored."

After walking the first hitter and giving up a base hit to the second hitter, Wolff retired the next 21 hitters of the game. Of those 21 hitters, he retired 10 of them by way of the groundball, and fanned seven. He had Cheyenne hitters baffled, by spotting his fastball on the outside corner most of the game and throwing his off speed pitches for strikes almost at will.

Despite throwing a one-hitter on the day, Wolff went into the sixth inning in danger of taking the loss as Post 22 still trailed Cheyenne 1-0. However, that soon changed when J.J. Martin hit a bloop single to right, and Wolff helped himself with a long drive to the right field corner giving him a triple and an RBI. Wolff went 2-for-3 on the day and

7-for-10 in the three game series.

"After the first two batters I knew I had to bear down and get mentally tough," said Wolff, "I had to focus on coming back because my mechanics felt good. As far as hitting, I'm just trying to hit the ball where it's pitched and just get base hits for the team."

With the game tied 1-1, Wolff retired the Cheyenne hitters in order in the top-half of the last inning.

Post 22 had the bottom half of the order coming up to try and win the game.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, No. 9 hitter Dana Hill - who went 2-for-3 on the day - hit a line drive to left center field for a single, making him the winning run.

Parker Sullivan then doubled to right, forcing a play at third with Hill. Hill slid in safely and Sullivan advanced to second. With the winning run on third, Cheyenne intentionally walked Kolton Emery to load the bases for Steven Ficken.

Ficken took Cheyenne reliever Luke Haugh's first-pitch fastball to left field for the game winning hit.

"These guys know what they have to do, and when a good athlete is out there, they're going to get it done," said Ploof, "Rome was not built in a day. We're going to keep teaching and learning. It's going to be a lot of fun for the players and the coaches."

With the win, Post 22 improves to 3-1 on the season. The next action for Post 22 is Saturday against Scottsbluff Nebraska at 7:30 p.m. at Fitzgerald Stadium.