Glacier Twins State A Legion baseball champs

LEWISTOWN — AJ Wetsch took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and leadoff hitter Colton Gove drove in two runs as the Glacier Twins defeated Laurel 8-4 in the championship game early Sunday morning at the Montana/Alberta State A American Legion baseball tournament at Ryan Sparks Field.

The game was originally scheduled for 4 p.m., but was delayed because of thunderstorms until just after 9 p.m.

Glacier advanced to the title game with a 14-4 loser-out victory over Belgrade earlier in the day on Saturday.

Wetsch, the tournament pitching MVP, gave up three hits and two earned runs in the seventh before giving way to reliever Jonny Sapa. Wetsch fanned just one batter and walked three.

“He pitched out of his mind (at state),” Glacier Twins coach Bob Rupp said.

“He gave us seven strong, really good innings.”

Laurel’s Anthony Panella singled in the seventh to spoil Wetsch’s no-hitter.

Laurel scored four times in that inning to trail 5-4, but Glacier came right back with three runs in the top half of the eighth to complete the scoring.

“They never quit,” Rupp said of his players.

“They just kept pounding away.”

Glacier scored twice in the second and fourth innings for a 4-0 lead.

The Twins outhit the Dodgers 11-5.

Kyler Howke, Tristan Steinwand and Tyler Murphy had two hits each for Glacier.

The Twins had two extra-base hits, both doubles, by Colten Parker and Steinwand.

Vincent Smith did not have a hit in this contest, but was named the tournament’s top hitter.

It was the second meeting for the two teams at state. Laurel and Glacier played a semifinal contest on Thursday with the Dodgers winning that outing 9-1.

The win advances Glacier (37-22-1) to the Northwest A Regionals in Anchorage, Alaska. That tournament starts Thursday.

Glacier will be honored with a firetruck ride today in Whitefish at 6 p.m. The parade will begin at Memorial Field.

Glacier 020 200 130 — 8 11 4

Laurel 000 000 400 — 4 5 2

AJ Wetsch, Jonny Sapa (7) and Tyler Murphy. Jacod Worden, John Preller (4), Mitch Kaufman (8) and Mason O’Donnell. WP-Wetsch. LP-Worden.

Glacier Twins — Colton Gove 1-5 (2 rbi), Jayce Fagerland 1-4, Colten Parker 1-6 (rbi), Vincent Smith 0-5, Kyler Howke 2-4, Tristan Steinwand 2-5 (rbi), Jesse Walburn 1-3 (rbi), Austin Robins 1-4, Tyler Murphy 2-3.

Laurel Dodgers —- Kameron Fisher 1-4 (rbi), Trevor Meier 05 (rbi), Mason O’Donnell 1-5, Jacob Anderson 1-3 (rbi), Dawson Cortese 0-3, Anthony Panella 1-4, Karson Kukes 1-4, Bryson McGann 0-2, Kade Osborne 0-4.

2B--Parker, Steinwand.