Mavs edge Lakers
Judging by Saturday's doubleheader at Griffin Field, there will be little margin for error in this year's Western AA American Legion baseball race.
The Missoula Mavericks swept the Kalispell Lakers to open conference play for both teams, claiming each game by one run.
The Mavericks held off the Lakers for a 3-2 victory in the opener before rallying for a 2-1 win in Game 2.
Missoula improved to 2-0 in conference play and 20-7 overall, while Kalispell fell to 0-2 and 11-9.
The Lakers resume Western AA play at 6 p.m. on Thursday when they host the Glacier Twins.
The Mavericks visit the Twins at 1 p.m. today for a conference doubleheader.
Mavericks 3, Lakers 2
The Lakers' first jam was the only one from which they couldn't escape unscathed.
The Mavericks scored three runs in the first inning before Adam Olson and the Kalispell defense snuffed several Missoula threats, allowing the Lakers to battle back.
Olson scattered 11 hits while striking out six batters in 6 2/3 innings. Missoula put at least one runner aboard in each inning, but the Lakers made just one error and catcher Zach Brosten cut down three Mavericks trying to steal bases.
Tyler Reichhoff's third-inning RBI single plated Derek Keller to pull Kalispell within two runs.
The Mavericks notched three straight singles to load the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, but Olson induced a strikeout and two pop-ups to wiggle off the hook.
The Lakers made it 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Brian Sneck scored from third on a Missoula error.
Brosten gunned down one runner in each of the final three frames to help keep the Lakers in striking distance. Kalispell second baseman Austin Roehl and right fielder Pat Hergesheimer made spectacular stops in the sixth inning before Brosten threw Cubby Pierre out at second to end the inning.
Shortstop/relief pitcher Ben Sansaver sparked the Lakers with a 2-out infield single in the seventh inning. He reached second on a wild pitch, but was stranded there, giving Kalispell six runners left on base.
"We feel that our pitchers are going to allow us the opportunity to be successful," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said.
"We've been throwing strikes and allowing our defense to make plays, so if we can get that third component in getting those timely hits, that's gonna be the difference between losing by one and winning by one."
Sansaver went 3-for-4, followed by Keller with two hits and Sneck and Reichhoff with one apiece.
The Lakers tallied six hits against Missoula starter Cody Burgmeier, who yielded two runs in four innings. Jake Schilling allowed just one baserunner in three innings of relief.
"(Burgmeier) had thrown six complete games in a row and just struggled today," Mavericks coach Brent Hathaway said.
"For what reason, I don't know, but Jake picked us up, did a nice job."
Sean Dwyer paced Missoula with three hits. Brendan Brown, Sam Sopko and Pierre each had two, and Taylor Nordby's first-inning, two-run double proved the difference in the game.
Missoula 300 000 0 - 3 11 1
Kalispell 001 100 0 - 2 7 1
Cody Burgmeier, Jake Schilling (5) and Sean Dwyer. Adam Olson, Ben Sansaver (7) and Zach Brosten. W - Burgmeier. L - Olson. S - Schilling.
MISSOULA (19-7, 1-0) - Taylor King 0-4, Ben Roberts 0-3, Brendan Brown 2-3, Dwyer 3-4, Kendal Maier 0-3, Taylor Nordby 1-3, Drew Lytle 1-3, Sam Sopko 2-3, Cubby Pierre 2-3.
KALISPELL (11-8, 0-1) - Derek Keller 2-4, Sansaver 3-4, Tyler Reichhoff 1-3, Pat Hergesheimer 0-3, Olson 0-3, Brian Sneck 1-2, Brosten 0-2, Austin Roehl 0-3, Toby Liechti 0-2.
RBIs - Nordby 2, Brown; Reichhoff. 2B - Dwyer, Nordby. SB - Brown 2, Roberts. SAC - Reichhoff.
Mavericks 2, Lakers 1
An early lead and advantages in hits and errors weren't enough for Kalispell.
The Lakers went up 1-0 on Hergesheimer's first-inning sacrifice fly that scored Keller, and Reichhoff pitched into the sixth inning, allowing just three hits and one earned run before Neils hurled two frames of hitless relief.
Taylor King's third-inning single to center tied the game at 1-all. Brendan Brown scored Missoula's winning run on a sixth-inning throwing error after reaching base on a double.
Kalispell threatened in the last two innings, but had one runner thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double in the sixth and another picked off of second for the second out in the seventh.
"It very easily could have been a sweep the other way," Malmin said. "Our kids did a good job on the hill, defensively we were pretty solid.
"It's just kind of been our Achilles' heel, just not getting the ball in play with runners in scoring position."
Brosten went 2-for-3 for Kalispell, while Keller, Olson, Neils and Sneck each singled.
Shawn Griffith pitched the distance for Missoula, allowing only three hits after the second inning.
"That was a pretty gutsy effort on Griffith's part and a nice pick to get the tying run off of second to get that second out (in the seventh inning)," Hathaway said.
King, Brown and Dwyer had the only hits for Missoula, which committed three errors.
"We didn't hit the ball very well," Hathaway said. "We expect more out of ourselves at the plate, certainly, and we didn't see that today.
"But, hey, they're conference wins. We'll take 'em."
Missoula 001 001 0 - 2 3 3
Kalispell 100 000 0 - 1 6 2
Shawn Griffith and Andy Freeman. Tyler Reichhoff, Greg Neils (6) and Zach Brosten. W - Griffith. L - Reichhoff.
MISSOULA (20-7, 2-0) - Taylor King 1-4, Ben Roberts 0-3, Brendan Brown 1-4, Sean Dwyer 1-2, Cody Burgmeier 0-3, Kendal Maier 0-1, Taylor Nordby 0-1, Freeman 0-3, Cubby Pierre 0-3.
KALISPELL (11-9, 0-2) - Derek Keller 1-3, Ben Sansaver 0-3, Reichhoff 0-2, Pat Hergesheimer 0-2, Adam Olson 1-2, Neils 1-1, Brian Sneck 1-3, Brosten 2-3, Austin Roehl 0-2, Toby Liechti 0-3.
RBIs - King; Hergesheimer. 2B - Brown. SB - King 2, Roberts, Nordby; Keller, Reichhoff, Sneck. SAC - Nordby; Hergesheimer, Roehl