Favorites roll on first day of district tourney

There were no upsets at day 1 of the Western A American Legion baseball district tournament at Griffin Field.

Both Bitterroot teams - the Bucs and Red Sox - along with Mission Valley and Kalispell won opening-round games Thursday.

The Red Sox face the Mission Valley Mariners today at 4 p.m. for a berth into the undefeated semifinal game. The Lakers play the Bucs at 7:30 for the same rights.

Only the top two teams from the double-elimination district tourney advance to the state tournament in Billings next week.

Kalispell Lakers 4,

Missoula Mavs 1

The Lakers put a two spot on the board in the top of the first inning and it was enough to stand up and send them to the second round.

Jacob Scott led off the game with his first of two doubles, Will Briles followed with an RBI double then stole third base and scored on a ground out in the first inning.

They made a winner out of starting pitcher Lawrence Neils, who pitched a five-hitter as his defense played flawless.

Scott, who went 3-for-5, added an RBI single in the fourth inning. Briles and Tobias Liechti each added two hits in victory.

The Lakers led 4-0 before Missoula scored.

The Mavs were led on offense by catcher Sean Dwyer, who went 3-for-4 from the No. 3 spot in the batting order.

Kalispell 200 110 000 - 4 8 0

Missoula 000 010 000 - 1 5 2

Lawrence Neils and Tony Lawrence. Lincoln Mansch, Steve Koske and Sean Dwyer.

KALISPELL - Jacob Scott 3-5, Will Briles 2-3, Pat Hergeshimer 0-2, Derek Keller 0-5, Lawrence 0-4, Brian Sneck 1-3, Tobias Liechti 2-4, Austin Roehl 0-4, Chase Decker 0-4.

MISSOULA - Beau Nordahl 1-3, Kendal Maier 1-3, Dwyer 3-4, Max Smith 1-4, Andrew Lytle 0-3, Michael Spritzer 0-3, Samuel Sopko 0-3, Wesley Martens 0-2, Andrew Freeman 0-2, Daniel Orr 0-2, Anthony Maes 0-2.

Mission Valley Mariners 14, Deer Lodge Wranglers 1

Mission Valley cleanup hitter Brandon Thompson hit a solo home run in the fourth inning - his 12th of the season - but the damage had already been done as the Mariners shortened the game to seven innings because of the mercy rule.

Mariners pitcher Brandon Roy, a 16-year-old from Plains, struck out six and walked one while allowing two hits over five innings to improve his record to 8-3.

Deer Lodge managed just three hits and committed six errors.

Eric Locke went 3-for-4, including an RBI double in the first inning. Thompson went 2-for-5. Tyler Trudeau had a two-run double in the first inning.

Mission Valley improved to 48-14 on the season.

Deer Lodge 000 001 0 - 1 2 6

Mission Valley 516 200 x - 14 14 2

Jake Riggs, Joe Stefalo and Blake Niederklein. Brandon Roy, Chris Brown, Robert Wallace and Jake Whetzel.

DEER LODGE - Mike Lowery 0-3, Shane Niederklein 0-3, B. Niederklein 0-3, Riggs 1-3, Corey Hanson 0-2, Cody Jennings 0-0, Dean Despain 0-3, Andrew Stefalo 0-0, J. Stefalo 0-3, Will Anderson 0-1, Austin Anderson 0-0, Zeb Fitterer 0-2.

MISSION VALLEY - John Rausch 3-4, Eric Locke 3-4, Tim Gauthier 0-1, Jake Bosley 2-5, Brandon Thompson 3-5, Brown 1-3, Tyler Trudeau 2-3, Will Gordon 0-3, Wallace 1-2, Whetzel 0-3.

Bitterroot Bucs 9, Glacier Twins 6

The Florence-based Bucs never scored more than two runs in an inning, but scored often enough to take an 8-1 lead before Glacier scored four runs in the seventh.

Matt Perez went 3-for-5 to lead the Buccaneers. Phil Perez, Anthony Isbell, Cameron Edman, Aaron Blackwell and Scott Sharp each had two hits in the victory.

The Bucs outhit the Twins, 14-11.

Brian Merseal, Bridger Beach and Adam Pisk each had two hits for Glacier.

Bitterroot 102 120 201 - 9 14 1

Glacier 000 001 401 - 6 11 2

Mike Hader, Casey Stratton, Roddy Hill and Bridger Beach. Jeremiah Hanna, Deric Stephens and Deric Stephens, Hader.

BITTERROOT - Phil Perez 2-5, Matt Perez 3-5, Hanna 1-5, Anthony Isbell 2-5, Cameron Edman 2-5, Dustin Lind 0-3, Aaron Blackwell 2-5, Scott Sharp 2-2, Dominic Goble 0-1, Stephens 1-5.

GLACIER - Brian Merseal 2-4, Scott Palmer 1-3, Jeremy Nielsen 1-4, Beach 2-4, Hader 1-4, Hill 0-4, Zane Ridings 0-1, Robert Beasley 0-4, Wesley Beougher 0-0, Adam Pisk 2-4, Casey Stratton 1-3.

Bitterroot Red Sox 8, Kootenai Valley Rangers 0

Bitterroot pitchers Tyler Gillespie and Zach Hennager combined on a four-hit shutout for the Hamilton-based Red Sox.

Jessee Gardner and Lucky Barrett each went 3-for-4 to lead the Red Sox.

JD Belstad and Patrick Broom each had two hits to pace Kootenai Valley.

Kootenai Valley 000 000 000 - 0 4 1

Bitterroot 102 500 00x - 8 11 1

Jordan Lundberg, Kris Chupp and JD Belstad. Tyler Gillespie, Zach Hennager and Leocadio Barrett.

KOOTENAI VALLEY - Belstad 2-2, Kris Chupp 0-5, Zachary Nieuwsma 0-3, Lundberg 0-4, Kraig Chupp 0-3, Justin Cummings 0-3, Patrick Broom 2-4, Graham Cook 0-4, Clete DeShazer 0-2, Ryan Jurjans 0-2.

BITTERROOT - Jessee Gardner 3-4, Jasper Miller 1-4, Barrett 3-4, Dan Eccles 2-4, Brady Anderson 0-4, Gillespie 1-4, Luke Root 0-4, Hennager 0-4, Chase Laine 1-2, Mike Thayer 0-1, Matt Hamlin 1-3.