Close doesn't quite cut it for Kalispell

Lakers drop to 0-2 in tourney with 5-1 loss

WHITEFISH - Close isn't cutting it for the Kalispell Lakers Class AA American Legion baseball team.

The Lakers trailed just 3-1 going into the final inning of their game Wednesday during the second day of the 23rd Annual Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament. They ended up losing, 5-1, to Chino, Calif.

The Reds' first three runs were all manufactured - an RBI ground-ball out after a single and bunt single, a suicide squeeze and then a double steal - and their last two came in the final inning on a bloop single off Kalispell shortstop Zac Ford's glove in shallow center field on a two-out, two-strike pitch to Manny Martinez.

Those runs, coupled with the lack of offense (which is sputtering without the services of three starters because of injuries or prior commitments), spoiled a complete-game pitching performance by Kalispell's Zach Davis.

"We put the bunt game on because he (Davis) was pitching really well," Chino coach Charlie Reynoso said. "His fastball was above the hands and our guys couldn't lay off of it and we were having trouble hitting it. So we resorted to the bunt. It worked. We got guys on base with it, were able to move them over and score with it."

Prior to the final inning, Davis had allowed just five hits and two walks. He finished with three strikeouts while giving up three walks, eight hits and five earned runs.

"I mainly just used my fastball," Davis said. "Everything else was off. I was surprised how effective I was against them. They hit the ball good. I just tried to keep the ball down to try and get some ground balls."

Kalispell coach Ryan Malmin was pleased with his team's performance.

"That was one of Davis's best starts of the season," Malmin said. "It was too bad we weren't able to match the runs they manufactured. We weren't able to get many leadoff hitters on base. But we played well.

"We are competing well against extremely good teams, but just can't get over the hump for a victory."

On the other side of the pitching duel was Chino's Justin Arceneaux. The lefty spread four hits over five innings of work and allowed just one walk while striking out four. He improved to 7-1 on the season.

"His (Arceneaux's) fastball was working well," Reynoso said. "His curve ball was inconsistent throughout the game. But his fastball was on and he was spotting it well. Plus him being a left hander, left handers are hard to hit - especially against pull hitters. They (the Lakers) were trying to pull him hard and the umpire was only giving the inside corner."

Arceneaux tried to start the sixth inning, but gave up a leadoff hit to Tyler Reichoff and Reynoso brought in his closer - Juan Guerra. Guerra gave up a hit and struck out two in two innings to close the game.

"He (Guerra) throws hard and has a lot more movement than the starter," Reynoso said. "He came in with a runner on first and got a ground ball on his first pitch and got the double play. He's real hard to hit, which makes him a good closer."

The victory improved Chino's record to 23-3 on the season. They flew up to Billings and won a Miles City tournament, going 7-0 there, before driving up here. Last year on the second day of this tourney, the Reds scored seven runs in the sixth inning to rally and beat the Lakers, 11-6.

In this one, the Reds out-hit the Lakers, 8-6, and each team committed just one error.

Guerra and Kalispell catcher Pat Hergesheimer were the only players in the game with more than one hit.

Hergesheimer led off the fifth inning with a triple to the right-center field gap and scored on a two-out infield single up the middle by Brian Sneck.

The Lakers dropped to 23-25 on the season and 0-2 in the tourney. They will play the Spokane Dodgers today at 2:30 p.m. The tourney continues through Saturday.

Chino 002 010 2 - 5 8 1

Kalispell 000 010 0 - 1 6 1

Justin Arceneaux, Juan Guerra (6) and Jack Schellin, Matt Alton (6). Zach Davis and Pat Hergesheimer. W - Arceneaux (7-1). L - Davis (3-4).

CHINO (21-3) - Kevin Cho 0-2, Manny Martinez 1-4, Kyle Ginter 0-2, Brandon Balsz 1-2, Freddy Pardo 0-1, Michael Orris 0-3, Schellin 0-2, Alton 1-1, Guerra 2-2, Kevin Armstrong 1-1, RJ Bokelman 0-1, Chris Fort.

KALISPELL (23-25) - Brian Sneck 1-4, Davis 0-3, Tyler Reichoff 1-3, Adam Olson 1-3, Geoff Hogan 1-2, John White 0-3, Hergesheimer 2-2, Zach Ford 0-3, Tucker Hankinson 0-2.

RBIs - Chi. 4 (Martinez 2, Fort, Cho), Kal. 1 (Sneck). 3B - Kal. 1 (Hergesheimer). SB - Chi. 1 (Armstrong). SAC - Chi. 1 (Cho).