Scarlets blank Lakers at state

| July 26, 2009 12:00 AM

The Daily Inter Lake

MILES CITY - Jordan Roberts held Kalispell to six hits while stricking out 10 as the Billings Scarlets rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Lakers on Saturday at the Montana/Alberta American Legion AA state baseball tournament.

Roberts walked just one Laker in going the distance.

Billings (41-13) scored three times in the fifth inning and added three more runs in the ninth.

The Scarlets, who also totalled six hits, were led offensively by Alexei Grosulak, who drove in three runs. He went 1-for-4.

Kyle Miron, 2-for-4, scored twice for the Scarlets.

Joe Pistorese pitched six innings for Kalispell, giving up three hits and three runs. He fanned 10, but walked five.

"The difference in the game was probably the free passes," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said.

"When Joe threw strikes, he was very effective. He dominated.

"When he strugggled with his control, that allowed them some opportunities to score runs and establish a lead in the fifth inning."

Kalispell (34-22) stranded seven runners in the game to eight for the Scarlets.

"The Roberts kid did a great job of changing speeds," Malmin said.

"He didn't throw many pitches that missed."

Ben Sansaver went 2-for-4 for the Lakers.

In Saturday's tournament opener, the Billings Royals (39-22-1) whipped the Missoula Mavericks (47-24), 8-1.

Play resumes today with Kalispell in loser-out action at the double-elimination event. Kalispell plays Missoula at 12:30 p.m. The Lakers have lost four of their last five games.

It turned out to be a very long day for teams from Western AA.

Bozeman (42-18) downed Medicine Hat (23-18-1) 6-1, while Lethbridge (28-12) prevented a sweep by taking care of the Miles City (7-41) 13-3.

Billings 000 030 003 - 6 6 0

Kalispell 000 000 000 - 0 6 1

Jordan Roberts and Cole Moller; Joe Pistorese, Greg Seaman (7), Ben Sansaver (9) and Zach Bosten. W - Roberts. L - Pistorese.

BILLINGS SCARLETS - Justin Black 1-2, Ty Gilmore 1-5, Alexi Grosulak 1-4, Jordan Roberts 1-4, Bady Muller 0-4, Matt Schrotenboer 0-3, Moller 0-4, Kyle Miron 2-4, Justin MacDonald 0-2.

KALISPELL LAKERS - Dean Stimpson 1-4, Sansaver 2-4, Mike O'Connell 0-4, Pat Hergesheimer 0-3, Brosten 0-4, Zane Ridings 1-4, Toby Liechti 1-4, Pistorese 1-3, Bryant Eickert 0-2, Seaman 0-1.

RBIs-Gilmore, Grosulak (3), Roberts, Muller.

Billings' 212 002 100 - 8 13 1

Missoula 000 010 000 - 1 3 2

Joshua Benjamin and Anthony LeGaly. Drew Lytle, Jake Schilling (9) and SEan Dwyer. W - Benjamin. L - Lytle (7-3).

BILLINGS ROYALS - Dillon Ness 3-5, Adam Feralio 1-4, Devin Scott 1-5, Blake Loran 2-4, LeGaly 2-5, Matthew Edwards 2-5, Jordan Kern 0-4, Casey Stark 2-3, Gerald Schmaing 0-3.

MISSOULA MAVERICKS - Brody Miller 1-4, Robby King 0-3, Kendal Maier 0-4, Dwyer 1-4, Steven DeYoung 0-3, Sam Sopko 1-3, Lytle 0-2, Schilling 0-0, Matt McMann 0-3, Andrew Bewley 0-3.

2B - Ness 2, Scott, Loran. HR - Loran. RBIs - Ness 2, Feralio, Scott, Loran 3, Stark.

Medicine Hat 010 000 000 - 1 4 1

Bozeman 100 201 02x - 6 9 1

Levi Westerlund and Austin Fruson. Benjamin Leister and Andrew Ballinger. W - Ballinger. L - Westerlund.

MEDICINE HAT MONARCHS - Dustin Thompson 1-3, Reid Fischer 0-4, Joel Lutz 0-3, Mitchell Frey 1-4, Kyle Fruson 1-4, Brian Hittel 0-3, Tyson Ford 0-0, A. Fruson 1-2, Tanner Betcker 0-4, Riley Arnott 0-3.

BOZEMAN Bucs - Brendan Phillps 1-4, Kyle Britt 1-4, Caleb Schlender 1-3, Anthony Rinard 3-4, Ballinger 1-3, Jamin Weidenaar 1-2, Sean Zabawa 1-3, Mario Stanislao 0-4, Ethan Wilkes 0-4.

2B - Frey, K. Fruson, Phillips, Britt. HR - Rinard. RBIs - Thompson, Frey, K. Fruson, A. Fruson, Phillips, Britt, Schlender, Rinard 3, Ballinger, Weidenaar, Zabawa.

Lethbridge 131 400 22 - 13 15 2

Miles City 002 000 10 - 3 4 4

Cole Stober, Tyson Hudson (6) and Sheldon Haughian; Garrett Askin, Tyler Harris (2), Eric Bryant-Morris (4), Taylor Wickham (8) and Trey Shipman. W : Stober. L: Askin.

Lethbridge ELKS - Kim Barthel 3-5, Tanner Granberg 1-6, Spencer Farrell 2-5, Mitch Maxwell 3-4, Dillon Houghton 2-4, Tyson Hudson 3-5, Haughian 0-1, Ryan Aiken 0-4, Derek Grubel 0-1, Mark Clauson 0-3, Pat Maclean 1-1, Cole Lencucha 0-0. 2B:Granberg, Maxwell, Maclean. HR: Farrell, Hudson. RBI: Barthel 2, Farrell 2, Houghton 2, Hudson 2, Maxwell, Clauson, Maclean.

Miles City MAVERICKS - Bryant-Morris 1-2, Shipman 0-3, Harris 1-4, Connor Brown 0-3, Shawn Elliott 0-3, Askin 0-3, Wickham 0-4, Kasey Tharp 1-3, Michael Poppert 1-3. RBI: Harris, Brown.