Lakers split with Stallions

The Kalispell Lakers split a Western AA American Legion baseball doubleheader with the Great Falls Stallions Tuesday at Griffin Field.

Though both games were played in stifling heat, the Lakers took a while to warm up, stumbling to a 10-4 opening-game loss before beating Great Falls 8-3 in the nightcap. The split moved the Lakers to 6-9 in Western AA play and the Stallions' record went to 9-4.

"We would like to get both wins, get the sweep at home, but to lose that first game like we did, 10-4, and then to come back and get this win … we're happy to get the conference win because right now we're behind the eight ball a little bit - we need to win," said Kalispell head coach Ryan Malmin.

The Lakers looked tired for much of the first game, committing four errors and struggling at the plate, but they were wide awake for the second game and played like an entirely new team.

"It could be the fact that we've traveled 2,200 miles in the last three weeks and played 20 games, but the bottom line is both teams have to come out and play in the heat and play eight to 10 games a week, and we just need to make sure that we're focused and ready from the get-go," Malmin said.

Stallions 10, Lakers 4

Great Falls used three big innings on offense and an

outstanding complete game by pitcher Phil Parrish to bury the Lakers early and hold on for a 10-4 win.

Parrish held Kalispell to only three singles, while the Stallions battered Lakers pitching for nine hits, including a three-run homer to left field by first baseman Matt Kakalecik off starter Stefan Malkuch in the third inning.

The home run came just one pitch after Malkuch forced Kakalecik to pop up straight behind home plate, only for the ball to land foul in the batters' box.

Kakalecik added a single in the sixth inning, giving him two hits in the game, to join teammates Matt Schoonover (2-for-4) and Tanner Bleskin (2-for-4).

The Stallions scored three runs in the first inning, three more in the third inning and their final four in the fourth when Kalispell made three errors.

Kalispell got on the board in the first inning when Malkuch scored on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Geoff Hogan. The Lakers scored again in the fourth inning when right fielder Tyler Reichhoff hit into a fielder's choice, plating Hogan. Kalispell scored its final two runs in the seventh inning on a single by Dan Conners that chased home Austin Zapata and Tucker Hankinson.

Great Falls third baseman Bryce Thompson made spectacular plays on consecutive ground balls in the third inning, robbing Chris Hooley and Malkuch of base hits.

Great Falls 303 400 0 - 10 9 1

Kalispell 100 100 2 - 4 3 4

Phil Parrish and Jake Thares. Stefan Malkuch, Sam Freudenburg (4), Ryan Laughlin (6), Tucker Hankinson (7) and Jake Fitzsimmons. W - Parrish. L - Malkuch.

Great Falls (9-3) - Tyson Murray 1-2, Zach Griffith 1-2, Matt Schoonover 2-4, Matt Kakalecik 2-4, Bryce Thompson 0-4, Thares 1-4, Josh French 0-4, Tanner Bleskin 2-4, Kyle Debolt 0-2.

Kalispell (5-9) - Malkuch 0-1, Freudenburg 0-1, Hankinson 0-0, Dan Conners 2-3, Jake Fitzsimmons 1-2, Laughlin 0-1, Hogan 0-2, Zac Ford 0-3, Zach Davis 0-3, Tyler Reichhoff 1-3, Austin Zapata 0-3, Chris Hooley 0-3.

RBIs - G.F. 8 (Kakalecik 4, Schoonover 2, Thares 2), Kal. 4 (Conners 2, Hogan, Tyler Reichhoff). HR - G.F. 1 (Kakalecik). SB - G.F. 3 (Murray, Kakalecik, Griffith), 1 (Fitzsimmons).

Lakers 8, Stallions 3

Hogan scattered seven hits as the Lakers beats Great Falls. Hogan got off to a rough start, allowing three runs by the fourth inning, but he retired 10 Stallions in order to end the game and boost his record to 2-0.

Great Falls struck first when Hogan balked to score center fielder Tyson Murray from third base. The Stallions struck again in the third inning when shortstop Schoonover scored on a Thompson single, and they scored their final run in the fourth inning when catcher Zach Griffith doubled to score left fielder Kevin Hatley.

Stagnant for most of the first game, Kalispell's offense exploded for 10 hits off Great Falls starter Carter Lewis and reliever Caleb Kovatch.

First baseman John White and right fielder Tucker Hankinson each had two hits for Kalispell, while catcher Jake Fitzsimmons drove in three runs on a fielder's choice and single.

Hogan's complete game was crucial to Kalispell's bullpen on a hot day that saw the Lakers use four pitchers in the first game.

"Geoff battled for us," Malmin said. "He's a competitor. He was locating the ball, he got better as the game wore on, and any time you have a starter that can get deep into the game that's huge for us."

Because Tuesday was a doubleheader, Kalispell and Great Falls played only seven innings each game, but Hogan is confident he could have finished a nine-inning game if it were necessary.

"Oh definitely, the adrenaline really started pumping there at the end and my arm was getting loosened up right there, so I think we could have held up for the nine innings."

Though Hogan got off to an ominous start, he knew his body well enough that he wasn't too concerned.

"In the beginning, my arm wasn't loose and that's how it's always been," Hogan said. "It always gets warmer as the game goes on, so I just wanted to keep out there and, in the early innings, just really focus and limit their hits and their runs as much as I could to get to the later innings where I do better."

Hogan only struck out three Stallions, but the balls Great Falls put in play were snared by the same Kalispell defense that committed four errors in the prior game. Conners made a breathtaking play in the fourth inning, ranging far to his left to field a grounder by Great Falls second baseman Dan Olinger and spinning to nail Olinger at first.

"You just gotta have faith in them because the moment you lose trust in them, then everything goes out," Hogan said. "You just gotta trust that they're gonna go out there and do what we've been practicing the entire year. The entire infield, the outfield did great for me."

Hogan enjoyed outstanding offensive support in addition to Kalispell's slick fielding.

"We haven't gotten the bats going in conference games so far and I was getting kind of nervous that the run support wasn't quite there were we needed it," Hogan said. "And we just stepped up to the challenge and Jake Fitzsimmons had a huge hit, Tucker did great for us today and then John White had a couple big hits for us."

According to White, the Lakers renewed their focus after playing poorly in the first game.

"We needed to win some games to stay alive and potentially go into state," White said. "We just picked up our game and hit the ball and Geoff pitched a great game and we played some defense behind him."

White conceded that the Lakers are tired from their grueling travel schedule, including last weekend's trip to Washington for the Lake Moses Tournament.

"Yeah, it wears you out, but that's kind of why we do this - because we love to play baseball and traveling's a fun part of it," White said.

White had mixed feelings about splitting two games with an excellent team like Great Falls.

"A split is pretty good, but we should have come out ready the first game - I think we could have beat them," White said. "We were just real flat."

Hogan felt the same way, but said it's too late in the season to be happy with splitting games.

"I'd say the split was bittersweet given our performance in the first game, but from here on out we're looking to sweep everything because we're at home from here on out and we need every win we can get," Hogan said.

Great Falls 101 100 0 - 3 7 1

Kalispell 002 105 x - 8 10 1

Carter Lewis, Caleb Kovatch (5) and Zach Griffith. Geoff Hogan and Jake Fitzsimmons. W - Hogan (2-0). L - Kovatch.

Great Falls (9-4) - Tyson Murray 1-4, Griffith 2-4, Matt Schoonover 1-4, Matt Kakalecik 0-3, Bryce Thompson 1-3, Phil Parrish 1-2, Jason Oatman 0-2, Dan Olinger 0-2, Kevin Hatley 1-3.

Kalispell (6-9) - Stefan Malkuch 1-3, Dan Conners 1-3, Fitzsimmons 1-2, Hogan 1-4, John White 2-4, Zach Davis 1-1, Adam Olson 0-4, Austin Zapata 1-3, Tucker Hankinson 2-3.

RBIs - G.F. 3 (Thompson 2, Griffith), Kal. 7 (Fitzsimmons 3, White 2, Hankinson, Davis. 2B - G.F. 2 (Parrish, Griffith), Kal. 2 (White 2). SB - G.F. 2 (Murray, Schoonover), Kal. 0.