Twins thump Kootenai Valley
By GREG SCHINDLER
The Daily Inter Lake
WHITEFISH - The Twins heard their coach loud and clear. Then their bats did the talking.
Glacier erupted for eight runs in the fifth inning Thursday night, beating Kootenai Valley 14-4 in six innings at the Ed Gallo memorial Class A American Legion baseball tournament in Whitefish.
"We talked before the game about letting teams hang around, and how anything can happen the later the game gets with teams hanging around close," Glacier coach Lindsay Fansler said.
The Rangers (6-9) hung tough early, leading 2-1 after one inning and 4-3 after four. But just when they made themselves at home on Glacier's field, the Twins put the game out of reach with 12 hits and 11 runs over the final two frames.
"It's definitely big," said Fansler of ending the game an inning early due to the 10-run rule. "It goes back to letting teams hang around, and we need to learn, as a team, how to close the door."
The Twins (7-15) managed just two hits in the first four innings, but second baseman Adam Pisk got them rolling in the fifth when he led off with a single, stole second base, and scored the tying run on Justin Goode's double to right-center. Pisk singled twice in the fifth inning and finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs.
"I just knew that if I could get on base, then my team would be able to hit me in and I would get something going," Pisk said.
Pisk was correct as eight Twins recorded base hits in the game and five had multi-hit efforts. Goode, Jack Cronin, Cody Elek and Geoff Streeter managed two hits apiece. Goode led the charge with three RBIs, followed by Cronin, Elek and David FauntLeRoy, who had two each.
"They found holes to hit the ball (through)," Rangers assistant coach Jim Henrie said. "We had two plays we should have had outs on (in the fifth inning).
"When things start to go wrong, they start to go wrong - or well, depending which side of the coin you're on."
Kootenai Valley knew before the season that it lacked pitching depth. That void became obvious Thursday as the Rangers' young relievers generally struggled after Clete DeShazer started and tossed three solid innings.
The Rangers totaled five hits, including a double by second baseman Alex Lesowski. Just back from college, shortstop Jordan Lundburg and center fielder Kris Chupp singled, as did Cory Florence and Jeremy Persson. Lundburg's hit scored DeShazer and Florence in the first inning to put Kootenai Valley on top 2-0.
Glacier starter Trevor Miller kept the Twins close before giving way to Kyle Knox in the fourth inning. Knox (3-4) earned his second win in a week, keeping the Rangers scoreless and allowing just one hit in relief.
"As a manager, you definitely like somebody coming off the bench you can rely on to throw strikes," Fansler said. "Our defense plays solid enough, the pitchers are getting confidence in throwing to contact."
The Rangers finish tournament pool play against the Pullman Posse this morning at 11:45 before commencing Saturday's championship round.
"We'd like to get on a nice two-game roll here - win our next two," Henrie said.
"We're trying to find some chemistry to get ready for districts. We've got six conference games in the next eight days."
Glacier faces scorching hot Mission Valley today at 5:15 p.m. The Mariners have won 13 straight.
"We've just got to play beyond our A game for sure," Pisk said. "They're a good team. We've got to play the best we can to compete with them."
Kootenai Valley 200 200 - 4 5 3
Glacier 102 083 - 14 14 3
Clete DeShazer, Balin Rogers (4), Alex Lesowski (5) and Klint Chupp. Trevor Miller, Kyle Knox (4) and Geoff Streeter. W - Knox (3-4). L - Rogers (1-2).
KOOTENAI VALLEY (6-9) - Kris Chupp 1-3, DeShazer 0-1, Cory Florence 1-3, Jordan Lundburg 1-3, Xyane Vredenburg 0-2, Klint Chupp 0-3, Jeremy Persson 1-3, Josh Soderling 0-1, Rogers 0-1, Lesowski 1-3.
GLACIER (7-15) - Wayde Martinson 1-3, Jack Cronin 2-5, Adam Pisk 3-4, Justin Goode 2-3, David FauntLeRoy 1-4, Knox 1-3, Kyle Yogodzinski 0-2, Will Beasley 0-1, Dustin Vonfeldt 0-1, Cody Elek 2-2, Streeter 2-4.
RBIs - KV 4 (Lundburg 2, DeShazer, Florence), Gla. 12 (Goode 3, Cronin 2, Elek 2, FauntLeRoy 2, Martinson, Yogodzinski, Streeter). 2B - KV 1 (Lesowski), Gla. 5 (Martinson, Goode, Knox, Elek, Streeter). SB - KV 3 (Kris Chupp, Florence, Lundburg), Gla. 5 (FauntLeRoy 2, Pisk, Knox, Elek). SAC - KV 1 (Soderling), Gla. 1 (Martinson).