Brosten's homer lifts Kalispell

Kalispell Lakers coach Ryan Malmin had a simple message for Zach Brosten before he stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the 10th inning.

"When we got Pat (Hergesheimer) on and Jacob (Scott) was going to bunt, I went up to him and said: 'Be a hero.'"

Brosten sure responded like one, hitting his third home run of the season as the Lakers kept their state tournament hopes alive with a 5-3 Western AA American Legion baseball victory on Thursday over the Glacier Twins at Griffin Field.

The Lakers, who have won four straight league games, are 13-9 heading into Sunday's season-ending doubleheader versus Medicine Hat at Griffin Field. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.

Kalispell needs to win both games to advance to state and needs a little help from the Missoula Mavericks. The Mavericks play Lethbridge (14-8) for single games Saturday and Sunday. Kalispell and Lethbridge are fighting for the league's final state tournament berth.

"I was due," Brosten said.

"It's been about four weeks since I had a solid hit."

It was Brosten's only hit of the game.

"First pitch fastball," Brosten said of what he crushed.

"I was hoping that would be the pitch he would give me, and he did."

Hergesheimer opened the inning getting hit by a pitch.

Scott followed with a perfect bunt down the third- base line, but was thrown out in a close play at first.

Hergesheimer, however, displayed some heads-up baserunning on the play, moving all the way to third base when no one was there to cover it.

That brought Brosten to the plate.

"It was great game," Brosten said.

"Both sides fought well tonight. We just came out with the W."

Glacier forced extra innings with a big rally in the top of the ninth.

Bridger Beach led off with a double, and after Dustin VonFeldt struck out, Ryan Caron walked.

Wayde Martinson followed with a two-run double to the fence in left-center. Martinson later advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch.

Kalispell had a chance to end it in the bottom half of the inning, but Adam Olson struck out with Austin Roehl at third.

Glacier's Scott Yogodzinski and Kalispell's Brian Sneck were both superb on the mound.

Yogodzinski left in the 10th inning after hitting Hergesheimer. He gave up four hits, struck out five, walked two, but hit five batters.

"He was tired," Glacier coach Ryan Hadfield said.

"I wanted to pull him at the beginning of the inning, but he kind of talked me out of it. I was OK with that. When a kid throws a game like that, you can't take him out. I told him - "you have one base runner.'"

Kyle Yogodzinski replaced him and was saddled with the loss.

Sneck struck out nine and gave up nine hits. He left in the ninth inning.

"I went with my heart, and not my head," Malmin said of not pulling Sneck earlier.

"Brian was in such command. He said he wanted to finish."

Kalispell capitalized on two Glacier errors in both the second and third innings to take a 3-0 lead.

The Laker defense was stellar, committing just one error. Shortstop Ben Sansaver made a major-league play, gloving a fast moving grounder and in the same motion, flicked it from his glove to Austin Roehl at second. Roehl then rifled the ball to first for a double play in the eighth inning.

First baseman Toby Liechti displayed a sure glove, pulling several infield throws out of the dirt in time to get Glacier runners out. Liechti also had a dandy suicide bunt in the sixth inning that scored a run.

The Glacier Twins have four league games left, all at home - Saturday versus Medicine Hat and Sunday with the Great Falls Electrics.

"I couldn't be prouder," Hadfield said of effort turned in by the Twins.

"I'm really happy with Scott Yogodzinski. He threw really well. Wayde Martinson's clutch double was huge."

Glacier 000 000 003 0 - 3 9 5

Kalispell 010 002 000 2 - 5 5 1

Scott Yogodzinski, Kyle Yogodzinski (10) and Ryan Caron; Brian Sneck, Greg Neils (9) and Zach Brosten. W - Neils. L - K. Yogodzinski.

Glacier (1-19, NA) - Scott Palmer 1-5, Zane Ridings 1-5, S. Yogodzinski 1-5, Bridger Beach 2-5, Dustin VonFeldt 0-4, Ryan Caron 1-3, Wayde Martinson 2-4, Kyle Knox 1-3, Brad Nielsen 0-1, Adam Pisk 0-4.

Kalispell (13-9, 31-23) - Derek Keller 1-3, Ben Sansaver 0-4, Tyler Reichhoff 1-4, Adam Olson 0-4, Pat Hergesheimer 0-4, Jacob Scott 0-2, Zach Brosten 1-4, Toby Liechti 0-4, Austin Roehl 1-3.

2B-Roehl, Beach, Martinson; HR-Brosten; RBIs-Martinson (2); Scott, Brosten (2), Leichti.