Chargers edge Lakers

Kalispell Lakers Dillon Matteson slides safely into second base on a steal during Monday’s American Legion baseball conference matchup with Great Falls at Griffin Field.

Kalispell Lakers third baseman Sean O’Connell throws to first during Monday’s game with Great Falls.

by The Daily Inter Lake
| July 2, 2012 11:32 PM

Kalispell Lakers third baseman Sean OConnell throws to first during Mondays game with Great Falls.

The Great Falls Chargers pulled out a 3-2 American Legion baseball AA conference victory over the Kalispell Lakers at Griffin Field on Monday.

Kalispell had the upper hand early, holding a 1-0 lead through five innings.

Great Falls then scored twice in the top of the sixth to jump on top for the first time.

Kalispell tied it with a run in the bottom of the eighth, but Great Falls came right back with the game winner in the top of the ninth.

“We had two difficult calls go against us that caused a two-run swing,” Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said.

“Despite the tough calls, the bottom line is we left 11 guys on base. We have to come up with clutch hits.”

Malmin said both pitchers — Kalispell’s Matt McLean and Great Falls’ Dalton Cook were superb.

Cook had seven strikeouts and walked four. McLean had eight Ks and walked two.

“Matt McLean was great on the mound for us, he pitched a gem, as did Cook,” Malmin said.

“It was a great baseball game. The two pitchers pounded the zone and let the defense behind them make plays.”

Kendrick Lee led the Laker attack with two hits. Cody Dopps doubled for the Lakers.

Jayse McLean, 3 for 4, tripled and homered for the Chargers.

Both teams are back at it today with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Great Falls 000 002 001 — 3 8 3

Kalispell 000 100 010 — 2 6 2

WP—Dalton Cook. LP—Matt McLean.

GREAT FALLS — Anthony Bonilla 1-4, Cayden Napierala 0-4, Scott Held 1-3, Tanner Watson 1-4, Destin Wassmann 1-4, Sam Wingerter 0-4, Jayse McLean 3-4, Tyler Pfennings 1-4, Justin Pfennings 0-3.

KALISPELL — Kendrick Lee 2-5, Dillon Matteson 0-5, Sean O’Connell 0-4, Dillon Eaves 1-5, Adam Frandsen 0-3, Cody Dopps 1-4, Charlie Obermiller 1-4, Nate Bengston 0-3, Jake Johnson 1-2.

2B—Watson; Dopps; 3B—Bonilla, J. McLean; HR—J. McLean; RBIs—Watson, J. McLean (2); Johnson.

Chino 13, Libby 0

LIBBY — This time, Cody Ponce was the star with his bat.

Ponce, 2 for 3, doubled, homered and drove in four runs as the Chino Reds blanked the Libby Loggers in nonconference American Legion baseball play.

Chino outhit Libby 13-4 and scored in five straight innings after being held scoreless in the first two.

Ponce and Chino were coming off a big performance Sunday at the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament in Whitefish. Ponce threw a no-hitter in the championship game — a 1-0 victory over the Club Spokane Dodgers. Ponce had 11 strikeouts in the contest and issued just one walk.

Chino Reds 002 541 1 — 13 13 2

Libby Loggers 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Greg (NA), Anthony Virgen (5) and Christian Kelley; Jared Winslow, Andrew Haggerty (4), Micah Germany (4), Will Reichel (5) and Oliver Gruphenhoff. W — Greg. L — Haggerty.

CHINO — Michael Johnson 2-4, Rodnee Little 2-3, Greg Espenosa 1-2, Dillon Grap 2-5, Christian Kelley 0-3, Taylor Valentine 0-3, Joe Harris 0-0, Jonny Reynoso 2-3, A. Virgen 1-2, Scotty James 0-1, Nathan Virgen 0-1, Cody Ponce 2-3, Brett Early 1-2, Aaron Reynoso 0-2.

LIBBY — Luke Haggerty 0-3, Reichel 0-3, Winslow 1-3, Germany 0-3, Gruphenhoff 1-2, Andrew Haggerty 0-1, Matt Willis 0-1, Isaac Jones 0-0, Josh Foote 1-2, Nic Robertson 1-2, Cameron Burkes 0-1, Colin Johnson 0-1.

2B—Johnson (2), Grap, Ponce; HR—A. Virgen, Ponce; RBIs—Johnson, Little, Espenosa, Grap (3), A. Virgen, James, Ponce (4), A. Reynoso.

Lethbridge 12, Glacier 1

Lethbridge 7, Glacier 2

WHITEFISH — Lethbridge swept a conference American Legion baseball doubleheader from the Glacier Twins AA.

After rolling to an easy victory in the opener, Lethbridge needed a seven-run seventh inning to win the second game.

Despite the two losses, Cory Davis had an outstanding day for the Twins. He was 5 for 6 hitting and pitched six scoreless innings in the second game. He struck out four and walked four.

Glacier is back in action Wednesday at the Wood Bat Tournament in Spokane. The Twins play the Billings Royals at 8 a.m. and have a second game that day at 1:45 p.m.

Lethbridge 400 503 — 12 15 1

Glacier Twins 000 001 — 1 3 4

WP—B. Groves. LP—Garrett Houston.

LETHBRIDGE — J. McDonald 4-5, B. Balog 1-4, B. Heyland 2-5, T. Sakatch 1-3, R. Visser 1-3, Groves 0-2, J. Shirakawa 2-3, T. Layton 1-4, D. Herauf 2-4, A. Gurr 1-1.

GLACIER — Jeremy Nielsen 0-2, Carl Talsma 0-3, Cory Davis 3-3, Peter Seymour 0-3, Bryce Wehrli 0-2, Isaac Venezio 0-1, Shane Marcial 0-1, Nathan Carr 0-3, Jake Slaybaugh 0-2, Houston 0-1.

2B—McDonald (2), Heyland (2), Visser; RBIs—McDonald (2), Heyland (2), Sakatch, Visser, Shirakawa (2), Layton, Gurr; Houston.

Lethbridge 000 000 7 — 7 10 2

Glacier Twins 000 011 0 — 2 5 1

WP— Layton. LP—Cory Davis.

LETHBRIDGE — McDonald 1-3, Balog 1-3, Heyland 0-4, Sakatch 1-4, Groves 0-2, Visser 1-3, Shirakawa 3-4, J. Sturm 2-5, Herauf 1-3.

GLACIER — Nielsen 1-4, Talsma 0-1, Davis 2-3, Venezio 0-3, Donahue 1-3, Nick LaGrandeur 0-3, Wehrli 1-3, Slaybaugh 0-2, Houston 0-3, Seymour 0-0.

2B—Shirakawa, Sturm; RBIs—McDonald, Balog, Visser (2), Shirakawa (2); Donahue.