Laurel trips Mission Valley

POLSON - We're down to one unbeaten team at the Montana/Alberta Class A State American Legion baseball tournament.

Laurel defeated Mission Valley 6-2 Saturday evening, handing the Mariners their first tournament loss.

Four teams are left in state play. The winner advances to regional action in Roseburg, Ore. Aug. 5-9.

Two games are on tap today. A loser-out contest at 11 a.m. pits Libby (42-19) against Mission Valley.

At 2 p.m., Great Falls, which has one-tournament loss, faces Laurel.

Libby and Mission Valley played six games this season with both teams winning three times.

Jared Winslow, 10-2, will start on the mound for Libby.

Winslow earlier this season pitched 22 consecutive no-hit innings. Winslow has not faced Mission Valley this season.

Laurel 6, Mission Valley 2

Jay Dempster and David Swecker combined on a 4-hitter and Swecker also homered as Laurel, the defending state champs, dropped Mission Valley.

Swecker's homer started a three-run rally in the eighth inning.

Mission Valley 020 000 000 - 2 4 3

Laurel 102 000 03x - 6 11 1

Austin Von Tom, Derrick Rathe (8) and Jack Humphreys; Jay Dempster, David Swecker (8) and Ryan Caron. W - Dempster. L - Von Tom.

Mission Valley - Humphreys 0-3, Justin Evertz 0-5, Chris Clary 0-3, Robbie Gauthier 0-4, Cole McArthur 1-4, Rathe 0-2, Kevin Hagedorn 1-3, Dalton Molzhon 1-3, Jake Young 1-3.

2B-Hagedorn; RBI-Malzhon.

Laurel - Kenny Nilles 1-4, Justin Linse 1-4, Zach Cortese 2-4, Dempster 1-4, Cole Dooper 1-4, Swecker 1-4, Dakota Cortese 0-3, Jordan Henke 2-4, Caron 2-3, Cody King 0-0.

2B-Dempster; HR-Swecker; RBI-Cortese (2), Dempster, Swecker, Caron.

Libby 13, Belgrade 7

Libby kept its state tournament hopes alive by eliminating Belgrade.

The Loggers did all of their scoring in two innings - a five-run third and an eight-run fourth.

"Big two-out RBI hits by Alex Bluhm, followed by a two RBI single by Justyn Mack," Libby coach Kelly Morford said of the third inning.

"Those were big hits. It opened it up for us and gave us some breathing room."

The next inning, Chris Herbig and Alex Cislo had RBI singles. Micah Germany slammed a double to drive in two more.

The Loggers had 13 hits in the contest. Justin Wicka, Jared Winslow, Herbig and Mack had two hits apiece.

"The kids were squaring up on it pretty well today," Morford said of his hitters.

Winslow had a team-high three RBI.

Herbig went the distance on the mound, improving to 8-3. He has won six straight.

"He's been sick the last few days," Morford said.

"He cowboyed-up today and gave us nine good innings."

Libby 005 800 000 - 13 13 4

Belgrade 004 010 002 - 7 9 3

Chris Herbig and Micah Germany; Brayden Harris, Chris Gilbreaith (4), David Gaetano (4), LD Seversen (5), Brett Franklin (9) and Conner Switzer. W - Herbig. L - Harris.

Libby - Justin Wicka 2-5, Jared Winslow 2-5, Herbig 2-5, Alex Cislo 1-6, Germany 1-4, Alex Bluhm 1-3, Justyn Mack 2-4, Andrew Haggerty 1-4, Will Reichel 1-2,

Tate Wilson 0-1, Luke Haggerty 0-0.

2B-Winslow, Herbig; RBI-Winslow (3), Herbig, Cislo,

Germany (2), Bluhm, Mack (2), Reichel.

BELGRADE - Franklin 4-5, Chris Gilbreaith 0-4, Trevor Mahn 1-4, Seversen 1-4, Switzer 0-3, Jose Eudave 0-2, Mark Erickson 0-4, Alex Hess 0-3, Chris Mitchell

2-4, Christian Vosler 1-2.

2B-Seversen, Franklin; HR-Franklin; RBI- Franklin (4), Switzer, Gilbreaith.

Great Falls 29,

Fort Macleod 2

Great Falls scored a state-tournament high 29 runs and smacked 22 hits in crushing Fort Macleod in a loser-out contest.

Great Falls had a 10-run fifth inning and a seven-run third.

The Electrics scored in every inning but the second.

Anthony Bonilla went 5 for 6 for Great Falls. He tripled and drove in three runs.

Sam Wingerter homered for the Electrics. He was one of four Electrics to drive in four runs.

Fort Macleod 101 000 0 - 2 4 6

Great Falls 407 6(10)2 x - 29 22 2

Maverick Price, Hayden Shackel (2), Joel Hasselman (5), Luc Lavorato and Taylor Wolstenholme; Jayse McLean, Anthony Bonilla (5), Sean Egan (7) and Justin Pfennings. W - McLean. L - Price.

Fort MacLeod - Wolstenholme 0-4, Price 2-4, Shackel 1-2, Jake Hansen 0-2, Luc Lavorato 1-3, Tyler Ammann 0-3, Hasselman 0-3, Cole Bennett 0-1, Josh Foster 0-3, Aiden Kidd 0-1.

RBI-Shackel.

Great Falls - Bonilla 5-6, Tanner Lee 1-5, Dalton Cook 2-5, Scott Held 3-4, J. Pfennigs 3-5, Sam Wingerter 2-6, Joshua Kakalecik 3-3, Tyler Pfennigs 1-5,

Derik Powell 2-4, McLean 0-2.

2B-Held, J. Pfennigs (2); 3B-Bonilla; HR-Wingerter; RBI-Bonilla (3), Lee (2), Cook (5), Held (4), J. Pfennigs (4), Wingerter (4), Kakalecik (4).