Hot-hitting Lakers claim Canadian Days title
The Canadian Days Tournament ended with a smash.
The Kalispell Lakers battered the Calgary Redbirds 14-2 and won the tournament title for the second year in a row at Griffin Field on Sunday.
Kalispell finished 3-1 for the second year in a row. Glacier and Edmonton were 3-1 also but the Lakers claimed first through virtue of a fewest-runs-allowed tiebreaker.
"We felt really good about how we hit the ball all weekend. We feel good where we're at offensively," Kalispell skipper Ryan Malmin said. "Now we need to fine tune some things defensively and find some consistency."
Michael O'Connell had two doubles and two RBI and Sid Schenk chipped in a double and three RBI. Starter Matt McLean allowed only two hits and struck out four, improving his record to 3-0.
Dillon Matteson and Nate Bengston each knocked doubles and Dominic Eickert had an RBI along with Michael Bare.
Kalispell got back in the win column after dropping a frustrating one against Edmonton on Saturday. The Lakers watched a 7-0 lead vanish and the boys went on to lose 12-9.
"It was good that we bounced back in a big way today after a loss like last night," Malmin said.
The Lakers are off to a similar start as last year when the club won the Canadian Days Tournament and was 12-5 through the first 17 games. Winners of nine of their last 10, Kalispell is 12-4 and opens conference play in Whitefish at 6 p.m. on Wednesday against rival Glacier.
Calgary 000 02 - 2 2 4
Kalispell 2(10)2 0x - 14 12 1
Matt McLean and Cody Dopps. Nolan Bumstead, Matt Zanutto (2), Yure Suzuki(3) and Ted Higa. W- McLean (3-0); L - Bumstead.
KALISPELL - Dillon Matteson 1-1, Dominic Eickert 2-3, Michael O'Connell 2-4, Joe Pistorese 1-3, Scoob Decker 1-1, Cody Dopps 0-2, Alex Stanley 1-3, Sid Schenk 2-3, Nate Bengston 2-2, Louis Freudenburg 1-1, Michael Bare 1-2.
2B - M. O'Connell 2, Matteson, Bengston, Schenk; RBI - Eickert, M. 0' Connell 2, Schenk 3, Bare
CALGARY - L. Bailey 0-3, D. Williams 0-2, Suzuki 0-2, Bumstead 0-2, D. Longen 0-0, J. Field 1-2, Higa 0-2, T. Grant 1-2, K. Kostiuk 0-2, C. Wilson 0-2.
2B - Grant; RBI - Bailey.
Glacier 12, Edmonton 5
The Glacier Twins are making sure Kalispell isn't the only hot-hitting team in the valley.
Geoff Streeter had a grand slam in the fourth inning and the turnaround Twins won their 10th game of the season.
Streeter knocked his third homer of the season in a six-run inning for Glacier. He finished with five RBI. Cody Hill added two RBI and Jack Cronin, Kyler Blades and Chris King each chipped in one.
Starter Devyn Rocker improved to 4-0 and went the distance for the Twins (10-7).
The Twins have had an impressive so far this season, putting up big offensive numbers and being competitive in every game.
"We played well (at Canadian Day)," head coach Lindsay Fansler said. "We had a chance to win all the games and came out with a 3-1 record. We are looking forward to taking this offense rolling into the conference game on Wednesday."
The Twins host rival Kalispell at 6 p.m.
Glacier 500 601 - 12 8 5
Edmonton 320 000 - 5 7 1
Devyn Rocker and Jim Jumper. Koslofski, Kotcherosfi (5) and Wedgewood. W - Rocker (4-0); L - Kosloski.
GLACIER - Jeremy Nielson 0-2, Kyler Blades 2-3, Cody Elek 0-3, Chris King 0-2, Jack Cronin 1-2, Geoff Streeter 1-3, Cody Hill 1-3, Jumper 1-3, Rocker 2-2.
2B - Cronin, Hill; HR - Streeter; RBI - Blades, King, Cronin, Hill 2, Streeter 5.
EDMONTON - Watamaniuk 1-3, Wedgweood 1-4, Ferguson 0-3, Langley 1-3, Ouellette 1-4, Hiegh 2-3, Craig 0-4, Gazluy 1-3, Brown 0-2.
HR - Watamaniuk; RBI - Watamaniuk, Oullette.
Canadian Days Tournament
AA Scores
Friday
Edmonton 6, Trail 3
Glacier 12, Calgary 2
Kalispell 8, Sherwood Park 0
Saturday
Glacier 11, Trail 9
Kalispell 15, Trail 3
Edmonton 8, Calgary 2
Sherwood Park 11, Glacier 10
Sherwood Park 10, Calgary 7
Edmonton 12, Kalispell 9
Sunday
Glacier 12, Edmonton 5
Trail 15, Sherwood Park 4
Kalispell 14, Calgary 2