Scarlets sink Lakers in opener
BUTTE - Justin Black and Brady Muller both hit home runs and had two RBI each to guide the Billings Scarlets to a 10-4 victory over the Kalispell Lakers on Wednesday during first-round play at the Class AA Montana/Alberta American Legion State Baseball Tournament.
Kalispell scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead, but the Scarlets came right back in the bottom half with two runs to tie it.
Dillon Matteson led Kalispell offensively, going 3 for 5. Michael O'Connell doubled twice for the Lakers and drove in two runs. Sidney Schenck also had two hits, including a double.
The Lakers face Helena at 9 a.m. today in loser-out action.
Also Wednesday, the Great Falls Chargers outlasted the Helena Senators 16-15 and the Billings Royals topped the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs 15-5. In the late game, Missoula led Butte 21-2 after five innings (11 p.m.).
Kalispell Lakers 003 000 010 - 4 10 3
Billings Scarlets 012 211 12x - 10 12 2
Matthew McLean, Louis Freudenburg (7), Sidney Schenk (8), Alex Eaves (8) and Cody Dopps. Joe Barta, Nate Smith (9) and Cole Moller, Nick Fun yak (5). W - Barta (1-0). L- McLean (0-1).
KALISPELL LAKERS (35-21) - Dillon Matteson 3-5, Cody Dopps 0-3, Michael O'Connell 2-5, Joe Pistorese 1-5, Dillon Eaves 0-3, Sidney Schenck 2-4, Alex Eaves 0-0, Sean O'Connell 1-4, Dominic Eikert 0-4, Nathan Bengston 1-2.
BILLINGS SCARLETS (45-8-1) - Ty Gilmore 2-4, Justin Black 2-5, Dillon Ness 2-5, Max Tolstedt 1-5, Cole Moller 0-1, Nick Funyak 1-2, Brady Muller 2-4, Matt Schrotenboer 1-4, Quinn Huppert 1-4, Justin McDonald 0-3.
2B - M. O'Connell 2, Pistorese, Schenck, Black, Huppert. 3B - Ness. HR - Black, Muller. RBIs - M. O'Connell 2, Pistorese 1; Black 2, Muller 2, Gilmore 1, Ness 1, Tolstedt 1, Schrotenboer 1.
Great Falls Chargers 16, Helena Senators 15
Helena 260 402 100 - 15 9 0
Great Falls 119 201 002 - 16 20 5
Tony Roberts, Joe Coker (3), Jarin Gassett (3), Ryan Estep (7), Colter Sternhagen (9) and Jake Harris; Tyler Stanich, Garrett Cornwell (2), Spenser Hart (7) and Taylor Davis. W - Hart. L - Sternhagen.
HELENA (26-29) - Jimmy Mayer 3-5, Gasset 1-5, Sternhagen 3-4, Harris 3-6, Ray Schnur 2-5, Brendan McGuire 1-3, Brad Rook 1-4, Chuck Churchhill 2-5, Zach Fisher 3-4.
GREAT FALLS (36-23) - Taylor Davis 2-5, Trevor Johnson 4-6, Tanner Watson 2-5, Chad Barrett 0-0, Tyson Patterson 0-0, Hunter Carlyon 4-6, Cayden Napierala 4-5, Spenser Hartick 2-4, Dusty Popham 0-3, Hart 3-6, A.J. Griffith 1-3.
HR - Hart 2, Johnson, Hortick. 3B - Fisher. 2B - Sternhagen, Harris, Rook; Watson, Carlyon, Hart. RBIs - Harris 4, Rook 2, Churchill 2, Fisher 2, Sternhagen 2, Mayer, Gassett; Hart 5, Hortick 4, Johnson 3, Napierala 2, Carlyon, Pophan.
Billings Royals 15, Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs 5
(8 innings)
Medicine Hat 000 120 20 - 5 11 4
Billings Royals 405 310 1x - 15 20 4
Levi Westerlund, Braden Goldade (3), Konner Lutz (7) and Konner Lutz, Austin Weisgerter (3). Brayden Bolotas, Chance Ackerman (6), Josh Benjamin (8) and Nick Scanson. W - Bolotas (1-0). L - Westerlund (0-1).
MEDICINE HAT MOOSE MONARCHS (25-19) - Braden Goldade 3-5, Curtis Bader 1-4, Greg Adams 2-5, Konner Lutz 0-4, Austin Weisgerter 2-3, Cody Florkowski 0-3, Garrett Weis 2-4, Andy Scott 0-1, Tanner Ross 1-3, Zach Zubrecki 0-3.
BILLINGS ROYALS (32-16) - Adam Feralio 2-5, Luke Reinschmidt 3-4, Jordan Kern 2-4, Josh Benjamin 3-6, Chance Ackerman 2-4, Hunter Kovash 1-3, Eli Gunderson 1-2, Nick Scanson 3-5, Zach Lindsey 2-4, T.J. Jacobs 1-4.
2B - Weis, Reinschmidt, Feralio. 3B - Scanson 2, Reinschmidt, Gunderson. RBIs - Weis 2, Weisgerter 1; Scanson 4, Reinschmidt 3, Kern 2, Ackerman 2, Kovash 2, Benjamin 1.
Today's Schedule
Loser Out
9 a.m. - Helena vs. Kalispell
Noon - Medicine Hat vs. Butte/Missoula loser
Quarterfinals
4 p.m. - Great Falls vs. Billings Scarlets
7 p.m. - Billings Royals vs. Butte/Missoula winner