Kalispell sweeps Stallions

Laker pitcher Greg Neils earns a save and a win in doubleheader victory

It was statement day for the Kalispell Lakers.

Desperate to stay in the hunt for a Western AA American Legion state tournament baseball berth, Kalispell swept the Great Falls Stallions on Thursday at Griffin Field.

The Lakers held off the Stallions in a wild 8-7 opener and then closed with a 12-7 victory in the second game.

The victories push the Lakers' league mark to 5-6.

Overall, they are now 18-15.

Great Falls, which had won eight of its last 10 games, drops to 6-4 in league and 24-16 overall.

"It was a huge, huge series," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said.

"We wanted to make sure we came out and continued to improve with each game and compete."

And compete they did.

Great Falls rallied to tie the opener at 6-6, but the Lakers responded for the win.

Kalispell had a little more breathing room in winning the finale.

"It was great to see our kids respond," Malmin said.

"Whenever they scored, our kids answered."

It turned out to be a special day for Kalispell pitcher Greg Neils.

The right-hander picked up a save in the opener after working a tight seventh inning.

He was called on again in the second game to finish the final three innings. He earned a victory with his performance in that outing.

Neils is now 5-2-2 on the season.

It marked the first time he has pitched in both games of a doubleheader.

"I came back from three days rest," he said.

"Usually I'm just a starter."

Kalispell returns to league play Sunday for a single game at the Glacier Twins. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.

Kalispell 8, Great Falls 7

Toby Liechti cranked his first home of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning to left field, and was one of four Lakers to go 2-for-3 in the game. The others: Derek Keller, Ben Sansaver and Adam Olson.

The Lakers broke a 6-all tie in the fifth inning when Olson, who led off with a double, scored on an error. Sansaver had a two-out RBI single to right field in the sixth inning.

Great Falls added a run in the seventh, but Neils closed the door. He struck out the Stallions' Cole McPherson and then benefited with two sure glove outs by Olson at third base to end it.

"It was (a tough situation to come into), but I'm used to it," Neils said.

"He's (Olson) a strong player at third base. I rely on him a lot."

Great Falls 101 040 1 - 7 7 2

Kalispell 310 211 x - 8 10 1

Tanner Bleskin and Cole McPherson; Adam Olson, Tyler Reichhoff (5), Greg Neils (7) and Zach Brosten. W - Reichhoff. L - Bleskin. S - Neils.

Great Falls - Zach Griffith 0-1, Dan Olinger 3-3, T. Bleskin 0-1, Thompson 1-3, McPherson 0-3, Taylor Ferradas 0-2, Jake Mansch 0-3, Jake Bleskin 1-3, Alex Waltari 2-3.

Kalispell - Derek Keller 2-3, Ben Sansaver 2-3, Reichhoff 0-4, Adam Olson 2-3, Brosten 1-3, Brian Sneck 0-2, Austin Roehl 0-3, Toby Liechti 2-3, Jacob Scott 1-3.

2B-Keller, Olson; HR - Leichti; RBIs-Olinger (2), Thompson, McPherson, Ferradas; Keller, Sansaver (2), Brosten, Sneck, Liechti.

Kalispell 12,

Great Falls 7

Zach Brosten, 2-for-2, cleared the bases with a double off the left-field fence in Kalispell's seven-run fourth inning.

Brosten started the inning with a ground out, but made up for it with his near grand slam.

Kalispell sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning and had three hits. Six Lakers stepped to the plate in the fourth with the bases loaded.

Neils took over for starter Brian Sneck. He struck out three and allowed three hits.

"We had a big enough lead," Neils said.

"I prefer more pressure like the first game."

Liechti had another strong effort offensively, going 2-for-3.

Jacob Scott doubled in two runs for the Lakers in the sixth inning. Tyler Reichhoff also had two RBIs.

"It's good to see the kids coming around offensively," Malmin said.

"We've seen some production from different kids in the last six games."

Great Falls 101 111 2 - 7 8 4

Kalispell 200 712 x - 12 9 3

Nick Taylor, Jake Bleskin (4), Brady Kangas (5) and Cole McPherson; Brian Sneck, Greg Neils (5) and Zach Brosten. W - Neils. L - Taylor.

Great Falls - Zach Griffith 1-4, Dan Olinger 1-4, Tanner Bleskin 3-4, Bryce Thompson 2-4, McPherson 0-3, Taylor Ferradas 0-0, Aaron Stucker 1-2, J. Bleskin 0-3, Brady Kangas 0-0, Alex Waltari 0-4.

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

2B-Olinger; Thompson (2); Brosten, Scott; RBIs-T. Bleskin, Thompson (2), Waltari; Keller, Sansaver, Reichhoff (2), Olson, Brosten (3), Scott (2).