Mariners crowned State A Legion baseball champs

GREAT FALLS — Mission Valley defeated Glasgow 11-3 and 13-4 on Monday to claim the Montana/Alberta Class A State American Legion baseball tournament title at Centene Stadium.

The Mariners (51-7) had to beat Glasgow twice to claim their first state championship since 2007.

The Mariners placed second last year to Laurel, which won the state trophy for the third-straight year.

Glasgow was going for its first state championship.

Mission Valley, competing at state for the sixth time in seven years, posted a 5-1 mark in state play. Glasgow (42-20) wound up 4-2.

The Mariners lone loss in tournament action was to Glasdow, 4-3, on Thursday. Mission Valley won five straight after that.

Justin Evertz was the winning pitcher for Mission Valley in the opener. He struck out 13 and walked six in six innings work.

Bradley Pichler finished up.

Cole McArthur, Chris Clary and Zeke Webster-Yaqui had two hits each for the Mariners. Clary drove in three runs.

Robert Gauthier went all nine innings in the second title game of the double-elimination tournament to pick up the win.

Evertz, 4 for 7, and Jacob Young, 2 for 5, were the offensive leaders in that outing. Evertz had two RBI.

Errors were costly in both games for Glasgow (42-20). The Reds had five in the first title game, nine in the second.

Up next for both teams is the Northwest A Regional in Burley, Idaho. That starts Thursday.

Glasgow 000 020 010 — 3 3 5

Mission Valley 301 005 20x — 11 9 3

Walter Dalbey, Blayd Sanders (7) and Jes Hanks; Justin Evertz, Bradley Pichler (7) and Jack Humphreys. W—Evertz. L—Dalbey.

GLASGOW — Grant Legare 0-4, Hanks 1-4, Tom Leland 0-3, Wacy Ortman 1-3, Andy Gardner 0-1, Parker Kulczyk 1-1, Gage Legare 0-4, Zach Rodgers 0-3, Griffin Bengochea 0-2, Jonathan Koessl 0-3, Dalbey 0-0, Sanders 0-0.

MISSION VALLEY — Evertz 0-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 2-3, Robert Gauthier 1-5, Chris Clary 2-3, Jacob Young 1-5, Humphreys 0-3, Pichler 0-4, Cole McArthur 2-4, Dalton Molzhon 1-3.

2B—McArthur; 3B—Gauthier, Clary; RBIs—Gage Legare, Koessl; Webster-Yaqui (2), Clary (3), Young, McArthur (2).

Mission Valley 104 040 031 — 13 10 2

Glasgow 100 100 101 — 4 7 9

Gauthier and Humphreys; Gardner, Koessl (8), Ortman (9) and Hanks. W—Gauthier. L—Gardner.

MISSION VALLEY — Evertz 4-7, Webster-Yaqui 1-4, Gauthier 1-5, Clary 1-4, Young 2-5, Humphreys 0-3, Pichler 0-5, McArthur 0-3, Molzhom 1-5.

GLASGOW — Grant Legare 1-5, Hanks 0-4, Leland 2-4, Ortman 2-4, Gardner 1-3, Dalbey 0-4, Rodgers 1-4, Bengochea 0-4, Koessl 0-2.

2B—Webster-Yaqui; Leland, Ortman; RBIs—Evertz (2), Webster-Yaqui, Gauthier, Young, Humphreys, Pichler, McArthur; Leland (2), Ortman, Bengochea.