Lakers dump Mavs

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA - The Kalispell Lakers rallied for a wild 13-12 AA American Legion baseball victory over the Missoula Mavericks on Thursday.

Missoula led 12-10 after six innings before Kalispell tied it up with a two-run eighth inning and followed with the game-winning run in the top of the ninth.

The loss was the third straight in Western Conference play for the defending champion Mavericks, who are now 11-11 in league.

Kalispell improves to 12-8, which is good for second place behind league leading Lethbridge, 11-6.

The slugfest featured 32 total hits, 18 by the Lakers. Geoff Hogan, 3-for-4, and Nick Hergesheimer, 3-for-5, paced Kalispell.

The Lakers have four league games left. They host the Great Falls Electrics for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Saturday and close out the regular season Sunday at home with two more games versus Medicine Hat, starting at 1 p.m.

The top four teams advance to the state tournament July 30-Aug. 3 in Bozeman. Six teams, including the Glacier Twins (9-11), are still in the running for those four spots.

Missoula, 27-41 overall, beat Kalispell in a single contest on Tuesday, 7-1.

LAKERS 13, MAVERICKS12

Kalispell 024 004 021 - 13 18 5

Missoula 020 055 000 - 12 14 3

Craig Olson, Ben Mathiason (6) and Jake Fitzsimmons, Carl Christiansen (9). Travis Johnsen, Ryan Sharkey (6), Dan Belet (8) and Mac Cuffe. W - Mathiason. L - Belet.

KALISPELL - Stefan Malkuch 2-4, Dan Conners 0-5, Fitzsimmons 2-4, Ryan Grubb 0-0, Christianson 0-0, Geoff Hogan 3-4, Nick Hergesheimer 3-5, Olson 4-6, Matt Venturini 4-6, Chris Hooley 0-4, Mathiason 0-1, Sam Fruedenberg 0-5.

MISSOULA - Belet 2-6, Kyle Amundson 1-2, Sharkey 0-2, Jesse Ayala 2-4, Brad Rutherford 0-5, Austin Duncan 1-6, Conor Dwyer 2-5, Cuffe 1-5, Johnsen 2-5, Alan Gragg 3-4.

2B - Olson, Venturini. Johnsen, Gragg. 3B - Olson. Dwyer. RBIs - Hogan, Hergesheimer, Olson 3, Venturini 2, Hooley. Belet, Dwyer 4, Johnsen, Gragg 4.