Mariners sweep Bitterroot Red Sox

| July 17, 2008 1:00 AM

Daily Inter Lake

POLSON - The Mission Valley Mariners earned a pair of conference victories Wednesday, sweeping the visiting Bitterroot Red Sox in a Class A American Legion baseball doubleheader.

The Mariners held on for a 3-2 triumph in the opener before rolling 11-1 in the nightcap.

Tim Rausch (7-0) earned the complete-game win in Game 1, scattering five hits and eight walks while striking out seven. He also doubled at the plate.

John Rausch went 3-for-3 with a double in the opener, while Eric Locke and Tyler Linse drove in a run apiece.

Mission Valley led 3-0 after six innings before the Red Sox scored twice in the seventh to make things interesting.

There was little drama in Game 2. The Mariners scored four runs in the first inning and seven in the fifth for a mercy-rule victory.

Kyle Bagnell (8-2) allowed one hit and five walks for Mission Valley while striking out a pair.

Tim Rausch paced the Mariners' offense, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and two RBIs. Beau Nordberg homered and drove in two runs for the Mariners, and Locke and Linse each had two RBIs. Craig Bagnell was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The Mariners visit Libby on Friday for a 5 p.m. nonconference doubleheader.

Mission Valley 3, Bitterroot 2

Bitterroot 000 000 2 - 2 5 3

Mission Valley 101 001 x - 3 8 1

Mike Stanford and Brady Anderson. Tim Rausch and John Rausch. W - T. Rausch (7-0). L - Stanford.

BITTERROOT - Rodee Anderson 1-2, Andrew Shook 0-4, Matt Hamlin 1-4, Wes Sherman 1-3, Drew Brown 1-4, B. Anderson 0-1, Paul Donaldson 0-3, Austin Allen 2-2, Ryan Weigle 0-2.

MISSION VALLEY (47-9, 13-0) - J. Rausch 3-3, Eric Locke 1-3, T. Rausch 1-3, Tyler Linse 1-3, Beau Nordberg 1-3, Nick Fell 0-2, Craig Bagnell 1-3, Austin Moran 0-3, Kyle Brown 0-2.

RBIs - Sherman 2; Locke, Linse, Fell. 2B - J. Rausch, T. Rausch.

Mission Valley 11, Bitterroot 1 (5)

Bitterroot 000 10 - 1 1 1

Mission Valley 400 07 - 11 9 0

Shook, Sherman (5) and B. Anderson. Kyle Bagnell and John Rausch. W - Bagnell (8-2). L - Shook.

BITTERROOT - R. Anderson 0-2, Parker Richards 0-1, Shook 0-3, Hamlin 1-2, Sherman 0-0, Brown 0-1, B. Anderson 0-1, Allen 0-2, P. Turner 0-1, Weigle 0-2.

MISSION VALLEY (48-9, 14-0) - J. Rausch 0-3, Locke 1-4, T. Rausch 3-4, Linse 1-1, Nordberg 1-2, Fell 1-2, C. Bagnell 2-3, Brandon Roy 0-2, Brown 0-2, Derrick Rathe 0-0.

RBIs - Allen; Locke 2, T. Rausch 2, Linse 2, Nordberg 2, J. Rausch, C. Bagnell. HR - Nordberg. 3B - T. Rausch. 2B - Fell, Locke, T. Rausch.