AA State Legion baseball: Scarlets sink Twins

WHITEFISH — After giving up seven runs to the Billings Scarlets in the fourth inning of their loser-out game on Thursday at the Montana-Alberta Class AA state baseball tournament, the Glacier Twins had every reason to pack it in. The Twins had lost every game in the last two months and had seen plenty of innings like this.

“Those guys said just give us our chance,” Glacier coach Scott Murray said. “We told them to just start chipping away.”

And boy did they chip away. The Twins put their first eight batters of the fifth inning on base, scoring five runs in the frame to turn a blowout into a close game.

After a run by the Scarlets stretched the lead to 8-5 in the sixth inning, Glacier scored three in the eighth to tie it up, electrifying the home crowd at Memorial Field.

“We were down there and we didn’t give up,” Murray said. “We believed we could get it done.”

But after all those runs, the Twins were held scoreless in the ninth, leaving the door open for Billings.

The Scarlets hit a single to start the ninth then followed with a pair of bunt singles to load the bases with no outs. Two pitches later, Scarlets second baseman Wiston Cox roped a single to left field to send Billings to a 9-8 win.

“It was really rough,” Murray said. “I told them you can’t hang your head. You gave it everything you got.

“It’s kind of a little bit of our season’s story. That’s how it’s been. These are a great bunch of kids. We did have a tough season. I’ve got to give them credit. Some teams couldn’t handle that kind of adversity, we never gave up and they always kept believing in each other.”

Garrett Houston was 3 for 5 in the game and Carl Talsma and Corey Davis each had two RBIs to lead the Twins. It was a single from Davis that scored the game tying run in the eighth. Jeremy Nielsen got the loss in relief, pitching two innings of no-hit ball before the disastrous ninth.

The Twins finish the season 6-47 overall and 0-25 in conference. The Scarlets (1-1 at state, 33-21 overall) will play today at noon against the Bozeman Bucks (1-1, 41-16).

Glacier    000    050    030    —    8    13    0

Billings Scarlets    000    701    001    —    9    12    4

Carl Talsma, Isaac Venezio (5), Jeremy Nielsen and Garrett Houston. Myles Berkram, Jalen Garcia, Christian Martinson and Nick Funyak. W — Martinson. L — Nielsen.

GLACIER — Jeremy Nielsen 1-4, Carl Talsma 0-3, Corey Davis 1-3, Garrett Houston 3-5, Bryce Wehrli 2-5, Nathan Carr 1-5, Jacob Slaybaugh 2-5, Conner Donahue 2-3, Shane Marcial 1-1, Isaac Venezio 0-1, Peter Seymour 0-2.

2B — Wehrli. RBI — Davis (2), Talsma (2), Nielsen, Houston, Wehrli.

BILLINGS — Torry Huppert 0-2, Kenny Clarin 1-4, Nick Funyak 0-4, Ian Byorth 1-3, Gage Hinsz 2-2, Colron Welhaven 0-2, Jalen Garcia 2-2, Christian Martinson 1-1, Colter Endy 2-5, Brayden Wickam 2-4, Winston Cox 1-4, Myles Berkram 0-2.

2B — Hinsz, Garcia. HR — Byorth. RBI — Byorth (4), Clarin (2), Garcia, Wickam, Cox.

Chargers 2, Senators 1

The Great Falls Chargers set the tone for what would be an exciting day at Memorial Field, hitting a walkoff single to beat Helena.

Jayse McLean got the winning hit for the Chargers, capping a 2 for 5 day at the plate that also included a home run. Great Falls’ Anthony Bonilla got the win in relief, pitching one shut out inning.

Helena    001    000    000    —    1    6    3

Great Falls    100    000    001    —    2    8    2

Cody Carroll and Daniel Hansen. Garrett Cornwell, Anthony Bonilla (9) and Justin Pfennigs. W — Bonilla. L — Carroll.

HELENA — Lee Mueller 1-4, Troy Arntson 1-3, Raymond Schnur 0-2, Ryan Estep 0-2, Daniel Hansen 0-3, Jarin Gassett 0-4, Colter Andriolo 1-3, Wyatt Eckert 1-4, Matthew Burgess 0-3, Tristan Shea 2-3, Cody Carroll 0-0.

2B — Arntson. RBI — Mueller.

GREAT FALLS — Anthony Bonilla 1-5, Jayse McLean 2-5, Cayden Napierala 3-4, Scott Held 0-3, Destin Wassman 0-3, Dalton Cook 0-4, Tyler Pfennigs 1-4, Sam Wingerter 1-2, Justin Pfennigs 0-3, Garrett Cornwell 0-0.

HR — McLean. RBI — McLean (2).

Moose Monarchs 3, Bucks 2

Medicine Hat kept the walk off parade going in the third game of the day, when Moose Monarchs designated hitter Jose Calderon hit in the winning run to beat Bozeman.

Calderon’s single capped a rally by Medicine Hat that saw them score all three runs in the last three innings. Monarchs pitcher Brad Paradis went the distance for the win, allowing six hits and striking out three batters.

Bozeman    100    100    000    —    2    6    1

Medicine Hat    000    000    111    —    3    6    1

Matt Hape, Cody Cooper (9) and Nate Lamberty. Brad Paradis and Austin Weisgerber. W — Pardis. L — Cooper.

BOZEMAN — Corey Hockett 0-4, Conner Linebarger 1-2, Ean Weaver 0-4, Cody Cooper 0-0, Matt Hape 2-4, Keith Ailes 1-3, Sam Olson 0-2, Jake Ekstrom 0-4, Nate Lamberty 1-4, Isaac Thompson 1-3.

2B — Hape. RBI — Hape, Olson.

MEDICINE HAT — Braden Goldade 2-4, Cody Florkowski 1-4, Konner Lutz 0-3, Greg Adams 1-4, Andy Scott 0-3, Austin Weisgerber 0-3, Nolan Rattai 0-2, Justin Becic 1-4, Jose Calderon 1-3, Brad Paradis 0-0.

2B — Becic. RBI — Goldade, Calderon.

Royals 10, Mavs 8

Luke Reinschmidt doubled, homered and drove in two runs to help the Royals stay undefeated in tournament play.

Eli Gunderson, 2 for 3, drove in three runs for the Royals.

Missoula    011    020    022    —    8    10    5

Billings Royals    211    123    00x    —    10    12    3

Matthew McHugh, William Keffeler (4) and Slade Heggen; DJ Baxter, Spencer Bower (5), Konner Weichman (5) and Nick Scanson. W — Wiechman. L — McHugh.

MISSOULA — Tanner Reinschmidt 2-5, Alec Bouchee 1-3, Riley King 2-5, Nathan Jewett 0-3, Heggen 2-4, Shane Olson 1-5, Jesson Preston 1-4, Joshua Meader 1-3, Tanner Maier 0-4.

BILLINGS ROYALS — Joseph Zimmer 1-5, Luke Reinschmidt 3-5, Hunter Kovash 2-4, Chance Ackerman 0-4, Scanson 1-3, Weichman 1-4, Matt Shelhamer 1-4, TJ Jacobs 1-4, Eli Gunderson 2-3.

2B—King, Preston; L. Reinschmidt, Jacobs; HR—L. Reinschmidt; Gunderson; RBIs—Jewett (3), Heggen (2), Meader (3); L. Reinschmidt (2), Kovash (2), Gunderson (3).