Venturini's arm, bat powers Lakers

| May 7, 2009 1:00 AM

The Daily Inter Lake

LIBBY - Mario Venturini pitched five strong innings and also slammed one of the three home runs for AA Kalispell Lakers in a 12-4 American Legion baseball nonconference victory over Class A Libby Loggers on Wednesday.

Venturini homered in the fifth inning, while Bryce Stacy had a solo shot in the fourth, and Zach Brosten homered in the eighth.

Venturini checked Libby on three hits, fanned eight and issued one walk.

"They swung the bats pretty well," Libby coach Kelly Morford said.

"We just made a few too many mistakes defensively, didn't get timely hits with runners on base."

The Lakers had 13 hits, led by Matt O'Brien's 3-for-5 go at the plate.

Libby had just six hits with Dustin Morningstar claiming half those with a 3-for-5 performance.

Derek Willis, 1-for-4, homered for Libby in the second inning.

The Lakers scored in every inning but the first and ninth. The Lakers pushed three runs across the place in the second and had 2-run innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

Kalispell, 4-2, entertains Helena on Saturday for a nonconference doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

Libby, 2-4, travels to Cranbrook, British Columbia, on Sunday for a nonconference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Kalispell 031 222 110 - 12 13 3

Libby 010 010 200 - 4 6 3

Mario Venturini, Chris Calles (6) and Zach Brosten; Colt Cannon, Chris Herbig (5), Eric Stevenon (8) and Clay Smith and Micah Germany (8). W - Venturini (3 hits, 8 strikeouts, 1 walk). L - Cannon, 0-3.

KALISPELL - Bryce Stacy 1-5, Dean Stimpson 1-4, Michael O'Connell 2-6, Dominic Eikert 0-0, Brosten 0-4, Greg Seaman 0-0, Joe Pistorese 2-5, Matt O'Brien 3-5, Blaine Matulevich 2-3, Venturini 1-4, Calles 1-4.

LIBBY - Dustin Morningstar 3-5, Stevenson 1-4, Herbig 0-2, Cannon 1-5, Derek Willis 1-4, Smith 0-4, Ryan McCabe 0-0, Royce Hendrickson 0-2, Germany 0-1, Spencer Koskela 0-2, Eric Grotjohn 0-1, Tate Wilson 0-4.

2B-Pistorese; Cannon; HR-Stacy, Broston, Venturini; Willis; RBIs-O'Connell (2), Matulevich, Venturini (2), Calles (2), O'Brien, Stacey; Willis (2), Smith.