Glacier All-Stars fall to Missoula Frontiers in State Babe Ruth title game
WHITEFISH — The Missoula Frontiers scored eight runs in the top of the sixth inning Sunday, then snuffed out a Glacier All-Star rally in the bottom of the seventh to win the State Babe Ruth baseball championship for 15 year olds with a wild 12-11 victory.
Glacier had runners at first and second with one out in the seventh, but Missoula turned a double play to end the contest when a Glacier runner was called out for interference.
“Our guy slides into the bag, their guy didn’t make the throw to first,” Glacier manager Eric May said of the game-ending play.
“(Umpire) says you interfered with him throwing to first. It’s a tough way to end a championship game when it’s not in the kids’ hands.
“You got to live with their judgement calls,” May added.
“When it all settled down, we got our kids composed and congratulated Missoula.”
Glacier defeated North Bitterroot 11-1 earlier in the day in semifinal play in Columbia Falls to advance to the title game.
Missoula now moves on to the Babe Ruth Regional in Klamath Falls, Ore.
“We were on cruise control,” May said until the sixth inning. “A couple errors, a couple walks, then they just banged out some crucial hits. The winning run scored on a passed ball.”
See B12 for team photo of All-Stars.
Missoula Frontiers 6
Kalispell Royals 5
Missoula scored five runs in the top of the seventh to rally past Kalispell in semifinal play Sunday in Columbia Falls.
Missoula had four of its seven hits in that inning.
Kalispell held a 5-1 advantage after five innings.
“It was a tough loss,” Kalispell coach Jim Florman said. “Kalispell went in 4-0 into the final round.
“It was a well played ballgame on both sides,” he added.
“I’m disappointed we’re not in the championship.”
The Royals, who finished with nine hits, were led by Ryan Schmauch, 2 for 3. Dillon Eaves and Mike Bare hit doubles for Kalispell.
The victory put Missoula in the championship game.
Missoula 000 010 5 — 6 7 3
Kalispell 100 040 0 — 5 9 3
Buche, Keffeler (3), Mackey (5) and DeYoung; Hank McLeod, Dillon Eaves (5), Bryant Plympton. W — Mackey. L — Plympton.
MISSOULA FRONTIERS — Koke 1-4, Sherrow 1-2, Mackey 0-3, Shield 0-3, DeYoung 2-4, Bahin 0-4, Beierle 1-4, Keffeler 2-3, Buche 0-2, Duncan 0-1.
KALISPELL — Charlie Obermiller 1-4, Andrew Wheeler 1-3, Eaves 2-4, Mike Bare 1-3, McLeod 1-4, Ryan Schmauch 2-3, Chase Eisenzimer 0-1, Jackson Barber 0-3, Dawson Day 1-4, Sammy Moody 1-3.
2B—DeYoung; Eaves, Bare; 3B—DeYoung.