Dopps HRs twice in Laker sweep
HELENA — Cody Dopps hit two home runs — a two-run shot in the first game and a three-run shot in the second — as the Kalispell Lakers downed Helena in an American Legion AA baseball twinbill on Saturday.
The Lakers won the first game 6-3 and the second 5-4.
Matt McLean pitched six innings to claim the victory in the first game and Sid Schenk went five innings to get the win in the second.
“Overall, in Game 1, the kids did a good job of executing offensively. We struggled defensively, but Matt continued to throw well and get ground balls for us,” said Laker coach Ryan Malmin.
Kalispell jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second game, but then coasted a bit and let Helena back into the contest, the coach said.
Helena scored three runs in the sixth, and had runners on second and third with one out, but Dopps got a strikeout and pop-up to end the inning.
“Our seniors stepped up and shut the door, like they are expected to,” Malmin added.
The Lakers (3-1) play host at 1 p.m. today to the Mission Valley Mariners.
Lakers 6, Senators 3
Kalispell Lakers 200 101 2 — 6 8 7
Helena Senators 101 000 1 — 3 2 1
Cody Carroll, Cole Andriolo (6) and Dan Hansen; Matt McLean, Cody Dopps (7) and Kendrick Lee. W – Dopps, L – Carroll.
KALISPELL – Dillon Matteson 1-3, Lee 1-3, Dopps 2-4, Sean O’Connell 1-2, Sid Schenck 1-3, Charlie Obermiller 2-2, Adam Frandsen 0-3, Hank McLeod 0-3, Nate Bengston 0-2.
HELENA – David Lindgren 1-3, Lee Mueller 0-2, Jarin Gassett 1-4, Ray Schnur 0-4, Hansen 0-3, Andriolo 0-3, Joe Spradlin 0-2, Tristan Shea 0-3, Troy Arntson 0-3.
2B – Matteson, Dopps; HR – Dopps; RBIs – Dopps 2, Lee, Obermiller, Frandsen, Gassett.
Lakers 5, Senators 4
Kalispell 230 000 0 — 5 7 1
Helena 000 013 0 — 4 7 0
Spradlin, D. Lindgren (4) and Ryan Estep; Schenck, Dopps (6) and Dopps, Lee (6). W – Schenck, L – Spradlin.
KALISPELL – Matteson 0-2, Lee 0-3, Dopps 2-4, O’Connell 1-2, Obermiller 0-1, Frandsen 1-3, Bengston 0-3, Zack Porsonette 2-3, Jake Johnson 1-3.
HELENA (2-6) – D. Lindgren 0-4, Shea 1-4, Gassett 1-3, Schnur 1-4, Hansen 1-2, Andriolo 2-2, Carroll 0-3, Eckert 0-2, Estep 1-3.
2B – Schnur; HR – Dopps; RBIs – Dopps 3, Obermiller, Frandsen, Gassett, Eckert, Estep.