Lakers hold on to top Twins

Just when the Kalispell Lakers appeared to be on track for another blowout victory of its rival, the Glacier Twins picked themselves up and made it a game.

The surging Lakers needed nine innings to fend off the Twins one last time this season, winning 10-6 in a AA American Legion baseball showdown at Griffin Field on Saturday.

The Lakers have now won six-straight conference games and improved to 21-9 overall and 8-2 in conference. They finished the season series with Glacier 4-0 and 5-1 including tournament play. However, both teams could face each other again at the Sapa Johnsrud Tournament in Whitefish starting July 7.

The Lakers jumped ahead 7-1 after three innings thanks to the big bat of first baseman Toby Liechti, who smacked a pair of singles in both the second and third innings for three RBIs.

The Lakers thumped Glacier 16-3 in the last meeting but this time the Twins kept their poise and fought back to within three runs after five innings.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Glacier, 6-17 and 0-10, loaded the bases but Kalispell relief pitcher Ben Sansaver recorded the strikeout to squash the rally.

"I was proud of the way the kids played with heart and hung in there," Twins coach Bill Sapa said. "Kalispell's got a great ball club and we hung in there with them. We had chances, and had a few miscues and didn't take advantage, and when they had their chances they did and you gotta give them the credit."

Liechti finished 2-for-4 and Pat Hergesheimer finished 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI for Kalispell.

The Lakers offense scattered 11 hits and helped starter Mario Venturini improve to 7-0 on the season.

"It was good to see our kids jump out on top and manufacture some runs and get that lead for us," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said. "Glacier had us on our heels a little bit but we withstood it."

Glacier's Devyn Rocker went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Trevor Miller had an RBI double and turned in a solid relief appearance that settled down the Lakers' offense and held them to three runs in five innings.

The Lakers defense was superb once again and turned two infield double plays, one with one out and the bases loaded in the third inning.

"Besides our pitching, we think our defense is by far our best (asset)," Liechti said. "We work hard at it every day and continue to get better just trying to fix the things we mess up, and if we do mess up, just flush it."

Malmin also credited a strong core of leaders that are carrying the second-place Lakers up the standings.

"I think there's some leadership continuing to build here with our older kids and that's key for a good program, to have those guys stepping up and leading their teammates," Malmin said.

NOTES: Sansaver recorded five strikeouts in three innings of relief for Kalispell.

Glacier Twins 100 320 000 - 6 9 3

Kalispell Lakers 043 200 01x - 10 11 1

Kyle Knox, Trevor Miller (3) and Cody Elek. Mario Venturini, Ben Sansaver (7) and Zach Brosten. WP - Venturini 7-0 (6 innings, 0 strikeouts, 9 hits, 6 walks); LP - Knox

GLACIER - Cody Elek 0-4, Jeremy Nielsen 1-5, Chris King 2-3, Wade Martinson 0-4, Devyn Rocker 2-2, Adam Pisk 0-5, Kyler Blades 2-3, Willie Roche 1-4, Kyle Knox 0-1, Trevor Miller 1-2.

2B - Miller; RBI - Elek, Nielsen, Martinson, Rocker, Roche, Miller.

KALISPELL - Dean Stimpson 1-5, Ben Sansaver 1-4, Michael O'Connell 1-5, Pat Hergesheimer 1-3, Zach Brosten 1-4, Mat O'Brien 2-3, Toby Liechti 2-4, Joe Pistorese 2-4, Bryant Eickert 0-3.

3B - Hergesheimer; 2B - Sansaver, Stimpson; RBI - Liechti 3, Hergsheimer, Brosten, Eickert, Pistorese, Stimpson.