Evertz, Young power Mariners at state baseball tourney

POLSON - Justin Evertz posted his first no-hitter and Mission Valley backed him up with an impressive offensive display led by Jacob Young's grand slam homer as the Mariners crushed Belgrade 15-0 on Friday in winner's bracket play at the Montana/Alberta Class A State American Legion baseball tournament.

Evertz, 12-1 on the season, struck out eight batters and walked five.

"Phenomenal," Mission Valley coach Jami Hanson said.

"He threw a great game. He got ahead of his hitters and trusted his defense to make some plays. He went right after people."

Hanson said Evertz relied on his fastball in the early going.

"Then he used his breaking ball to set up his fastball," Hanson said.

"And location. He hit his spots in and out."

Young's home run came in the sixth inning, a shot over the left-field fence at O'Malley Park.

It was his second round-tripper of the season.

Mission Valley had 20 hits, led by Young's 4 for 6 performance. He finished with five RBI.

Jack Humphreys and Robbie Gauthier were next with three hits each.

Evertz, Chris Clary, Cole McArthur, Derrick Rauthe and Dalton Molzhon all had two hits apiece.

"Explosive all the way down (the lineup)," Hanson said.

"We did our job at the plate. Now we go on tomorrow."

Mission Valley (41-27) will face the tournament's other unbeaten team - Laurel - today at 6 p.m.

Mission Valley 012 114 06 - 15 20 1

Belgrade 000 000 00 - 0 0 3

Justin Evertz and Jack Humphreys; Brett Franklin, Colton Stump (4), David Daetano (6), Joshua Gier (7), Trevor Mahn (7) and Conner Switzer. W - Evertz (0 hits, 8 strikeouts, 5 walks), 12-1. L - Franklin.

MISSION VALLEY - Humphreys 3-4, Evertz 2-6, Chris Clary 2-5, Robbie Gauthier 3-6, Cole McArthur 2-4, Derrick Rauthe 2-5, Kevin Hagedorn 0-4, Dalton Molzhon 2-3, Jacob Young 4-6.

2B-Humphreys, Rauthe, Young; HR-Young; RBI-Humphreys, Clary, Gauthier (2), Rauthe, Hagadorn, Molzhon (2), Young (5).

BELGRADE - Franklin 0-2, Chris Gilbreath 0-2, Mahn 0-2, Loren Severson 0-3, Fernando Staneda 0-3, Switzer 0-1, Mark Erickson 0-1, Alex Hess 0-2, Brayden Harris 0-1, Chris Mitchell 0-2, Jose Eudava 0-1, Anthony Stock 0-1.

Laurel 7, Fort Macleod 4

Kenny Nilles led a balance offensive attack with his 3 for 5 plate performance as Laurel topped Fort Macleod in a winner's bracket contest.

Nilles tripled, one of five extra-base hits for the victors.

Justin Linse, Zach Cortese, David Swecker and Ryan Caron had two hits apiece.

Linse finished with a team-high three RBI.

Swecker homered in the top of the seventh to put Laurel up 6-4.

Dakota Cortese and Swecker combined on a 4-hitter. Swecker pitched the final three innings, striking out five.

Fort Macleod received another strong mound performance from its talented staff as Taylor Wolstenholme went nine innings and struck out 11.

Fort Macleod falls into loser-out action today at 11 a.m. versus the Great Falls Electrics.

Laurel 120 002 101 - 7 12 3

Fort Macleod 100 030 000 - 4 4 1

Dakota Cortese, David Swecker (7) and NA; Taylor Wolstenholme and NA. W - Cortese. L - Wolstenholme.

LAUREL - Kenny Nilles 3-5, Justin Linse 2-5, Zach Cortese 2-4, Jay Dempster 0-5, Cole Dooper 0-5, David Swecker 2-4, Dakota Cortese 1-4, Kyler Worden 0-4, Ryan Caron 2-3.

2B-Z. Cortese, Swecker, Caron; 3B-Nilles; HR-Swecker; RBI-Linse (3), Dooper, Swecker, Caron.

Fort Macleod - Wolstenholme 0-3, Maverick Price 1-4, Hayden Shackel 1-3, Jake Hansen 0-4, Luc Lavorato 1-3, Tyler Ammann 0-2, Blair Goodreau 0-3, Ryan Cook 0-4, Cole Bennett 1-3.

Loser-Out Games

Libby Loggers 14, Dillon Cubs 3

Alex Bluhm hit a grand slam home run in the first inning as Libby did most of its scoring early to blow out Dillon.

Libby (41-19) scored four times in the first inning, six times in the second and followed with two runs in the third.

The Loggers added two more in the seventh.

The game was shortened to seven innings on the 10-run rule.

"It was nice after the first loss (6-1 to Fort Macleod on Thursday) to score early in this game," Libby coach Kelly Morford said.

"They were anxious to go out and prove what kind of team they were and this was a good opportunity for them to do just that."

Libby had just eight hits in the game, but capitalized on seven walks. Dillon pitcher Donnie Moore walked three straight Libby batters - Justin Wicka, Alex Cislo and Micah Germany - to load the bases for Bluhm in the first inning.

"A line drive over the right field wall," Morford said of Bluhm's slam.

"We knew it (was gone) off the bat."

It was the second round-tripper of the season for Bluhm.

Wicka and Jared Winslow both doubled for the victors.

Cislo singled twice in three at-bats.

Bluhm finished with five RBI. Germany and Justyn Mack both had two.

Winslow started on the mound, striking out three in two innings. Bluhm finished up.

Dilan Starkel led Dillon (38-29-1) offensively by going 2 for 3. He doubled, along with Moore.

Libby plays a loser-out game today at 2 p.m. versus Belgrade. Those two teams have not met this season.

Libby 462 000 2 - 14 8 2

Dillon 001 110 0 - 3 9 4

Jared Winslow, Alex Bluhm (3) and Micah Germany; Donnie Moore, Pierce Pendelton (2), MJ Simkins (2) and Robert Walsh. W - Bluhm. L - Moore.

Libby - Justin Wicka 1-3, Jared Winslow 1-5, Chris Herbig 1-5, Alex Cislo 2-3, Micah Germany 0-3, Alex Bluhm 1-4, Justyn Mack 1-3, Andrew Haggerty 0-3, Will Reichel 1-4.

2B-Wicka, Winslow; HR-Bluhm; RBI-Bluhm (5), Herbig, Cislo, Germany (2), Mack (2), Reichel.

Dillon - Dilan Starkel 2-3, Moore 1-4, Andy Peterson 1-3, Luke Renfree 1-3, Walsh 1-3, Dillon Womack 1-3, Simkins 1-3, Cole Miotke 1-2, Bud Mehring 0-3.

2B-Starkel, Moore; RBI-Moore, Miotke.

Great Falls Electrics 9, Billings Cardinals 8 (10 innings)

Derik Powell's walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted Great Falls over Billings.

Powell went 4 for 5 with two RBI. Sam Wingerter was 4 for 6 with two doubles.

Justin Pfennings doubled three times in five plate appearances for the Electrics.

Trey Roadifer and Colton Welhaven had two hits each for Billings.

Great Falls plays a loser-out game today at 11 a.m. with Fort Macleod.

Billings 102 002 120 0 - 8 10 5

Great Falls 010 201 022 1 - 9 15 5

Trey Roadifer, Michael Merchant (9) and NA; Tanner Lee, Dalton Cook (9) and NA. W- Cook. L - Roadifer.

Billings - Brayden Wickam 0-3, Roadifer 2-4, Colton Welhaven 2-4, Ian Byorth 1-4, Shelby Zorn 0-3, Colter Endy 1-4, Winston Cox 2-4, Kenny Clarin 2-4, Torry Huppert 0-4, Merchant 0-1.

2B-Roadifer; RBI-Wickam, Roadifer, Welhaven, Byorth, Zorn, Clarin (2).

Great Falls - Anthony Bonilla 1-5, Zander Ehnes 1-4, Cook 1-5, Scott Held 0-5, Justin Pfennigs 3-5, Tyler Pfennigs 0-4, Sam Wingerter 4-6, Derik Powell 4-5, Sean Egan 0-2, Lee 1-1.

2B-Cook, Pfennigs (3), Wingerter (2). RBI-Bonilla, Cook, Wingerter (2), Powell (2).