The Daily Inter Lake

Bucks fly by Lakers

GREAT FALLS - Ouch!

The defending state champion Bozeman Bucks ripped 17 hits in blasting the Kalispell Lakers 13-0 on Saturday in opening-round play of the AA Montana/Alberta State American Legion baseball tournament at Centene Stadium.

The Bucks (51-18) scored in every inning but the first and seventh. They pushed three runs across the plate in the second on three hits, and added five runs in the third, highlighted by Trevor Peck's two-run home run, on five hits. Peck went 2-for-3.

Sean Potkay, 3-for-5, led off the fourth for Bozeman with a solo home run. He also slammed a two RBI triple in the fifth inning.

Ryan Minkoff, 3-for-5, was Bozeman's other top hitter.

Six Bucks drove in runs and eight players had hits.

Adam Olson pitched the first 2 1/3 innings for Kalispell, giving up eight hits and seven runs. He struck out one.

Greg Neils finished up on the hill, allowing nine hits and six runs. He fanned one and walked one.

The game ended after seven innings on the 10-run mercy rule.

It was three-up, three-down for the Lakers (33-24) until the fourth inning, when Olson singled for the team's first hit of the contest. The Lakers stranded runners at second and first in that inning.

Olson and Ben Sansaver both singled in the sixth inning, and Brian Sneck singled in the seventh, giving the Lakers four total hits.

Kalispell is the No. 3 seeded team from Western AA, while Bozeman is the second seed from Eastern AA.

This was the first meeting of the season for the two teams.

Kalispell was missing two starters. First baseman Toby Liechti broke his thumb in a Friday morning practice, and center fielder Jacob Scott was taking college entrance exams.

Kalispell drops into a loser-out game today at 9:30 a.m. versus the Great Falls Stallions. Those two teams split during the regular season.

Bozeman moves on to a 4:30 p.m. contest versus Helena.

It was a rough tournament start for Western AA teams as three lost and a fourth, the Great Falls Electrics, were trailing the Billings Scarlet 11-1 in eighth inning as of press time.

Bozeman 035 122 0 - 13 17 2

Kalispell 000 000 0 - 0 4 2

Chris Schmidt, Ben Leister (7) and Ryan Minkoff; Adam Olson, Greg Neils (3) and Zach Brosten. W - Schmidt. L - Olson.

Bozeman (51-18) - Minkoff 3-5, Brendan Phillips 2-5, Caleb Schlender 1-5, Sean Potkay 0-5, Matt Comer 1-5, Will Spears 2-4, Kyle Britt 2-3, Trevor Peck 2-3, Jeff Squire 2-4.

Kalispell (33-24) - Derek Keller 0-2, Ben Sansaver 1-2, Tyler Reichhoff 0-3, Olson 2-3, Pat Hergesheimer 0-3, Brian Sneck 1-3, Zach Brosten 0-2, Austin Roehl 0-2, Dean Stimpson 0-0, Greg Neils 0-3.

2B-Spears (2), Minkoff; 3B-Potkay; HR-Potkay, Peck; RBIs-Minkoff (2), Phillips, Potkay (3), Spears, Peck (2), Squire (3).

Billings Royals 5,

Missoula Mavericks 4

Missoula 202 000 000 - 4 7 3

Billings 110 000 21x - 5 8 2

Cody Burgmeier, Lincoln Mansch (7) and Sean Dwyer; Thomas Ackerman and Anthony LaGaly. W-Ackerman (6-1). LP-Mansch (9-1).

Missoula (48-22) - Matt McMann 1-4, Andy Freeman 0-0, Ben Roberts 0-3, Brendan Brown 1-4, Sean Dwyer 0-3, Sam Sopko 1-5, Kendal Maier 2-4 (3 RBI), Taylor King 1-4, Drew Lytle 0-3, Taylor Nordby 1-3.

Billings (34-26) - Kelly Vannoy 3-5 (RBI), Mo Burrough 2-4 (2 RBI), Dillon Ness 1-4, Anthony LaGaly 0-3 (RBI), Blake Loran 1-4, Devin Scott 0-3, Devon Hedin 1-4, Matt Edwards 0-4 (RBI), Adam Ketterling 0-3.

2B-King, Vannoy, Burrough, Loran.

Helena Senators 11,

Great Falls Stallions 3

Helena 005 010 500 - 11 11 2

Great Falls 200 000 001 - 3 8 4

Chris Nichols and Derek Estep; Tanner Bleskin, Brady Kangas (7) and Cole McPherson. W - Nichols (9-5). L - Bleskin (6-5).

Helena (31-28) - Austin Rue 1-4 (RBI), Jake Winslow 2-4, Nick Retz 2-5 (4 RBI), Travis Capps 2-4, Derek Estep 1-4 (RBI), Adam Eckhart 1-5 (RBI), Grant Wise 0-2, Anthony Hogan 0-2, Matt Williams 0-4 (RBI), Michael Bartlett 2-5.

GREAT FALLS (38-25) - Zach Griffith 2-4, Dan Olinger 0-5, Tanner Bleskin 2-4, Bryce Thompson 2-4 (2 RBI), Cole McPherson 1-3, Taylor Ferradas 0-4, Dustin Schultz 0-4, Jake Bleskin 1-3, Alex Waltari 0-2, Brady Kangas 0-2.

2B-Retz, Estep, Thompson. 3B-Thompson

American Legion

AA State Tournament

At Centene Stadium

In Great Falls

Saturday

Today

Loser Out

9:30 a.m. - Kalispell (33-24) vs. Great Falls Stallions (38-25)

12:30 p.m. - Missoula (48-22) vs. Great Falls Electrics (21-41)

Winners' Bracket

4:30 p.m. - Bozeman (51-18) vs. Helena (31-28)

7:30 p.m. - Billings Royals (34-26) vs. Billings Scarlets (47-13)

Web presence

To follow Kalispell's progress, log on to www.mtaalegiontourney.org