Lakers sweep G.F. Electrics
Kalispell's Pat Hergesheimer high fives Mat O'Brien after O'Brien hit a sacrifice that scored him in the opener. Nate Chute photo/Daily Inter Lake
Caught in a pickle between third base and home, Great Falls Electrics player Ethan Hortick dives back to third base as a ball thrown by Kalispell Lakers catcher Greg Seaman floats over Lakers' third baseman Mat O'Brien's glove before hitting him in the nose, causing a short delay during the nightcap of a conference doubleheader Tuesday evening. Nate Chute photo/Daily Inter Lake
The Daily Inter Lake
It takes more than a couple big homers and a five-run deficit to fluster the Kalispell Lakers.
In an American Legion conference twinbill with the Great Falls Electrics, the AA Lakers rallied back for a hard earned season sweep, winning 7-2 and 6-5 at Griffin Field on Tuesday.
In the opener, starter Zane Ridings gave up a 2-run home run in the first but clamped down from there and the Kalispell bats did the rest. Ridings threw a 70-pitch complete game and earned his second win in two outings for Kalispell (26-11 overall, 12-4 in conference). The Lakers are tied for second place in Western AA with Lethbridge.
"We chipped away early at that lead and the kids did a great job of competing all day," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said.
"We felt this was a vital sweep for us," he added. "It was an important sweep for us to give ourselves a chance at getting to the state tournament."
In the nightcap, the Electrics (3-12 in conference) roughed up starter Joe Pistorese with another early homer that turned into a 5-1 lead going into the fifth inning.
Pistorese and Co. kept their composure throughout and the Lakers bats erupted for three doubles in the fifth, led by Zach Brosten, who hit a bases loaded 3-run double and had five RBIs on the day.
Pat Hergesheimer finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Mat O'Brien went 2-for-2 in the nightcap.
Pistorese tallied 11 strikeouts and walked only two through seven. Ben Sansaver had four hits on the day.
Great Falls 200 00 0 - 2 5 2
Kalispell 101 023 x - 7 9 2
John Reilly, Spenser Hart (6) and Tyler Brinka, Sean Murray (7). Zane Ridings and Zach Brosten. WP - Ridings, 2-0 (5 strikeouts, one walk thru seven innings); LP - Reilly.
GREAT FALLS - Reilly 0-4, Trever Johnson 0-2, Casey Johnson 1-3, Ethan Hortick 0-3, Hunter Carlyon 0-3, Brinka 2-2, Murray 0-0, Mike Winkler 0-3, Tucker Cook 1-3, Joel LaRance 0-2.
HR - Johnson; 2B - Hart; RBI - Johnson 2
KALISPELL - Dean Stimpson 0-3, Ben Sansaver 3-4, Mike O'Connell 0-2, Pat Hergesheimer 2-3, Brosten 2-4, Mat O'Brien 0-2, Toby Liechti 1-4, Joe Pistorese 0-2, Ridings 1-3.
2B - Hergesheimer; RBI - Hergesheimer 2, O'Brien 2, Brosten 2, Sansaver.
Great Falls 401 000 0 - 5 6 2
Kalispell 000 150 x - 6 9 2
Reid Tramelli, Spenser Hart (5) and Tyler Brinka. Joe Pistorese and Zach Brosten. WP - Pistorese, 8-1 (11 strikeouts, two walks thru seven innings); LP - Tramelli
GREAT FALLS - John Reilly 1-4, Ethan Hortick 3-4, Casey Johnson 1-4, Hunter Carlyon 0-3, Tyler Brinka 1-3, Mike Winkler 0-2, Joel LaRance 0-1, Spenser Hart 0-3, Tucker Cook 0-2, Austin Marzetta 0-3, Reid Tramelli 0-0.
HR - Hortick; 2B - Brinka; RBI - Brinka 2, Johnson, Hortick.
KALISPELL - Dean Stimpson 1-3, Ben Sansaver 1-2, Mike O'Connell 3-4, Pat Hergesheimer 0-2, Zach Brosten 1-3, Mat O'Brien 2-2, Toby Liechti 1-3, Greg Seaman 0-2, Bryant Eickert 0-3.
2B - O'Connell, Stimpson, Brosten; RBI - Brosten 3, O'Connell, Stimpson.