Spokane escapes with win over Twins

WHITEFISH - Justin Cooper threw one bad pitch Friday evening, but because it was preceded by an error and a weak single that probably would have broken a wood bat, the one bad pitch turned into a three-run home run.

The rest of Cooper's 9 1/3 innings on the mound for the Glacier Twins in the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament was pretty dazzling - 10 strikeouts, 11 hits - 10 singles, many of them bloops and flares and the one home run - and nary a walk to be issued.

Unfortunately for Cooper and the Twins, Spokane's Andy Greenslitt was almost as good over eight innings, so a game scheduled for seven innings stretched into 10, and when Cooper finally ran out of gas the Bandits escaped with a 5-4 win.

"Justin Cooper should have a different reward," Twins coach Jack Helber said. "He struggled in that one inning, settled down and just pitched his heart out."

It was that one pitch in that one inning that ruined an otherwise stellar afternoon.

In the fourth inning of a scoreless game, Scott Ward led off and reached on an error. Chris Bozo flew out to center, then Ken VanSickle singled to bring up Kyle Krustangel.

The Spokane first baseman - who later relieved Greenslitt - jerked a Cooper pitch deep down the right field line for a 3-0 lead.

After scraping together a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth, the Twins gave away another unearned run with more sloppy defense in the fifth.

With the way Greenslitt settled in for the Bandits - facing just one over the minimum through five thanks to a, shall we say, controversial pickoff move to first that erased three Glacier baserunners - things looked bleak for the Twins.

That is, until Billy Marcial sparked a two out rally with a solid single. Morgan Phelps, Jesse Paulson and Jarred Krueger followed with singles of their own. Paulson picked up an RBI and Krueger two to tie it, though he was thrown out at second trying for a double.

The Twins had chances in the eighth and ninth innings, getting a runner to second in each. But it was Spokane that finally broke through in the 10th against a tiring Cooper.

"It's a tough game to lose," Helber said. "But I'll tell you what, it's indicative of this tournament. It's been an outstanding tournament and an outstanding field. More than a dozen extra inning games or games won in the seventh inning. Really exciting."

In other action Friday: Lethbridge 12, Calgary 4; Kalispell 11, Redmond, Ore., 9; Chino, Calif., 10, Helena 0, five innings; Apple Valley, Wash., 12, Clackamas, Ore., 7; Billings 11, Meridian, Idaho 3.

Today, Redmond and Lethbridge will battle for seventh/eighth place at 10 a.m.; Kalispell and Clackamas at 1 p.m. for fifth/sixth; Chino and Apple Valley for second/third at 4 p.m.; and Spokane and Billings for the championship at 7 p.m.

BANDITS 5, TWINS 4, 10 Innings

Spokane 000 310 000 1 - 5 11 2

Glacier 000 103 000 0 - 4 8 4

Andy Greenslitt, Kyle Krustangel (9) and Ken VanSickle. Justin Cooper, Doug Cuffe (10) and Nik Caron, Jeremy Howard (6), Brad Bell (10), Howard (10).

Spokane - Casey Lust-Liggins 0-5, Scott Ward 1-5, Chris Bozo 1-5, VanSickle 3-5, Krustangel 1-4, Pat Buree 2-5, Brandon Kelley 1-4, Himes Alexander 2-4, A.J. Prozek 0-1, Jaime McNeill 0-4.

Glacier - Billy Marcial 3-5, Morgan Phelps 2-3, Jesse Paulson 1-4, Jarred Krueger 2-4, Caron 0-4, Ryan Stultz 0-4, Chris Barnes 0-3, Ben Schwanz 0-1, Byron Whitcomb 0-2, Bell 0-1, Josh Peterson 0-0, Chase Kolodejchuk 0-1, Howard 0-3.

HR-Krustangel. RBIs-Ward, VanSickle, Krustangel 3, Paulson, Krueger 3.