Lakers split with Lethbridge

by The Daily Inter Lake
| June 30, 2010 2:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE - Alex Stanley was 2-for-3 with an RBI triple in the second inning to help the Kalispell Lakers get back on the winning track on Tuesday.

The Lakers defeated the Lethbridge Spitz Elks 4-2 in the second game of a doubleheader. Kalispell dropped the first game, 4-2.

"It was good to get the monkey off the back," said Lakers coach Ryan Malmin.

"It was good to come out with a win. It was important for us to get a ‘W.'

"There's no doubt this is as healthy as we've been in over three weeks," he added.

The Lakers still have some dings - Mat O'Brien and Dean Stimpson have nagging injuries.

"But we're getting there," Malmin said.

Joe Pistorese struck out 13 and walked four to pick up the win.

Mario Venturini struck out six and walked just two, but took the loss in the first game.

Malmin said he felt bad about that.

"(Venturini) has pitched really well this year. But (Cole) Stober from Lethbridge ... he's pretty solid. He throws strikes," the coach said.

"It was a good ballgame. We just came up short," he added.

The Lakers (23-13, 6-8) play Columbia Basin in the Keith Sell Tournament in Helena.

Spitz Elks 4, Lakers 2

Lakers 100 001 0 232

Lethbridge 000 031 x - 472

Mario Venturini and Zach Brosten. Cole Stober and Shawn Maclean. W - Stober. L - Venturini.

Lakers - Dean Stimpson 1-2, Marshall Boyland 0-3, Michael O'Connell 1-2, Zach Brosten 0-3, Joe Pistorese 1-3, Dillon Matteson 0-3, Mat O'Brien 0-3, Alex Stanley 0-3,Greg Seaman 0-3.

HR - O'Connell. 3B - Stimpson. RBI - O'connell 1

Lethbridge - Kym Barthel 1-4, Blair Balog 1-1, Derek Grubel 2-3, Tyson Hudson 1-2, Maclean 0-3, Stober 1-3, Cody Lencucha 1-3, Brock Groves 0-2, Jamin Heller 0-2.

2B - Grubel., RBI - Grubel 1, Hudson 1, Heller 1.

Lakers 4, Spitz Elks 2

Lakers 020 101 0 - 461

Leth 001 000 1 - 255

Pistorese and Brosten. Hudson, Groves (5) and Lencucha. W - Pistorese. L - Hudson.

Lakers - Stimpson 0-4, Matteson 0-3, O'Connell 0-2, Brosten 0-4, Pistorese 0-3, Boyland 3-3, O'Brien 0-2, Stanley 2-3, Cody Dopps 1-3.

3B - Stanley. 2B - Boyland. RBI - Stanley 2, Dops 1

Lehtbridge - Barthel 0-3, Balog 2-4, Grubel 0-3, Matt Wider 0-0, Hudson 1-4, Chris Stodolka 0-2, Maclean 1-3, Stober 0-2, Groves 0-1, Lencucha 1-1, Heller 0-2

2B - Balog 2, Maclean 1. RBI - Balog 1