Lakers collapse in seventh
<p>Kalispell first baseman Leif Erickson (17) high fives a teammate after closing out the fourth inning Saturday evening during the Lakers game against Vauxhall in the John R. Harp tournament at Griffin Field in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Kalispell's Quinn Barber slides in safe to home plate Saturday evening during the Lakers game against Vauxhall in the John R. Harp tournament at Griffin Field in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Kalispell second baseman (28) flips the ball to second base for an out Saturday evening during the Lakers game against Vauxhall in the John R. Harp tournament at Griffin Field in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Kalispell's Jayson Combs makes a catch in the outfield Saturday evening during the Lakers game against Vauxhall in the John R. Harp tournament at Griffin Field in Kalispell. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Holding a 10-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh and final inning at the John R. Harp Tournament, the Kalispell Lakers A had their game against Vauxhall wrapped up. Or so it seemed.
The Lakers fell apart in the final half inning, with four errors, five walks, two hit batters and a single in the frame, allowing 11 runs and the game to slip away, losing 15-14 on a walkoff error.
“It was a lack of concentration,” Lakers head coach Travis Krause said. “That’s all that is. That’s thinking the game’s over, not staying focused, not finishing. Going out there and expecting them to roll over and give us the game.”
Kalispell entered the inning with a 14-4 lead and had been rolling for six and a half innings. After retiring the first three batters in first inning, the team hit around the order in the second inning, scoring six runs, then scored a run in every inning except the sixth, including four more in the top of the seventh to insure what looked like an insurmountable lead.
The bottom of the seventh started off ominously, with a routine ground ball to second base misfielded for the first error of the game, allowing the leadoff runner on base. But a single was followed by yet another error on a routine grounder, this time when the Lakers tried to turn a double play before catching the ball on the turn, loading the bases.
Kalispell walked in the first run of the inning then misplayed a force play at the plate, with the throw pulling the catcher off home plate for the second run. After picking off a runner at second base, the Lakers walked the next two batters and hit the next two after that before inducing a fly ball for the second out of the inning. Two more walks followed, but the Lakers still held a two-run lead when the final batter came to the plate.
With the bases loaded, Vauxhall shortstop Adam Cress fell behind 0-2 before hitting a lazy grounder to third base, but the Lakers threw the put out five feet behind the first base bag into foul territory. As Kalispell scrambled to catch up to the errant throw, the bases cleared, scoring the final three runs for the Spurs and completing the 11-run rally.
Despite the loss, the Lakers put up good offensive numbers. Six different batters had multiple hits in the contest, led by Jayson Combs, who went 3 for 3 from the plate with a double and two RBIs.
Kalispell will have to regroup from the ending of its final game of the group stage when it takes on Cranbrook at 10 a.m. today at Archie Roe Field.
“It’s over,” Krause said. “Tomorrow’s another day. That’s the great thing about baseball. We’ll go out there tomorrow and see what we’re made of. See what kind of heart we have.”
Kalispell 061 210 4 — 14 16 4
Vauxhall 030 001 11 — 15 8 2
KALISPELL— Brooks Krause 2-5, Keaton Mohl 1-3, Chris Corpron 2-2, Leif Erickson 2-3, Tiler Whiteaker 1-2, Patrick O’Connell 2-4, Jayson Combs 3-3, Lukas DeCock 2-5, Quinn Barber 1-4, Logan DeCock 0-1.
VAUXHALL— Jayden Wandler 1-2, Jaylin Lane 1-5, Jason Wong 0-1, Vance Fode 0-3, Adam Cress 2-2, Nolan Gilbertson 0-2, Matt Perrin 1-2, Nick Bolt 1-2, Fujita 2-3.
2B—Mohl, Corpron, O’Connell, Combs. Perrin. RBIs—Krause 2, Mohl 2, O’Connell, Combs 2, Lukas DeCock, Barber; Bolt, Fujita, Fode.
Mission Vly Mariners 10, Medicine Hat Knights 0
The Mission valley Mariners slugged their way into the championship game for the second consecutive year by defeating he Medicine Hat Knights in six innings on Saturday night at Griffin Field.
After three scoreless innings, the Mariners put up three runs in the bottom of the fourth, and after their five-run sixth inning the game ended due to mercy-rule.
Alex Killian went 1 for 3 with two RBIs for Mission Valley. Bradley Pichler had a game-high three RBIs with a double. Bransen Krebs and Jarod Young also had two RBIs.
The Mariners will take on the Calgary Rockies in the championship game today at 3 p.m. at Griffin Field.
Medicine Hat 000 000 — 054
Mission Valley 000 325 — 1060
WP — Derek Peel. L — Stark.
MEDICINE HAT — Evan Welford 1-3, Riley McDonnell 0-3, Connor McCurdy 2-2, Nathan Schlachter 1-1, Ethan Ropcean 1-2, Steve Clarke 0-2, Colby Futrell 0-2, Jorden Rayner 0-1, Matt Stark 0-1, Jonathan Stark 0-2.
MISSION VALLEY — Ryan Pablo 0-3, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 1-2, Alex Killian 1-3, T.J. Olson 1-2, Bradley Pichler 1-2, Jared Young 0-1, Jacob Harrod 0-1, Bransen Krebs 1-2, Trevor Paro 1-2,
2B — Ropcean, Webster Yaqui, Pichler. — RBIs — Killian 2, Pichler 3, Young 2, Krebs 2.
Friday’s Scores
Calgary Rockies 10, Cranbrook 5
Mission Valley 5, Vauxhall 1
Glacier 7, Calgary Redbirds 3
Post Falls 4, Edmonton 2
Mission Valley 15, Cranbrook 3
Calgary Rockies 5, Medicine Hat 2
Kalispell 12, Post Falls 3
Saturday’s Scores
Edmonton 5, Calgary Redbirds 0
Vauxhall 14, Glacier 5
Medicine Hat 11, Cranbrook 1 (5)
Calgary Rockies 11, Kalispell 8
Edmonton 11, Glacier 3 (6)
Calgary Rockies 8, Post Falls 7 (6)
Mission Valley 10, Medicine Hat 0
Sunday
(Seeds in parentheses)
Archie Roe Field
10 a.m. — (9) Kalispell vs. (10) Cranbrook
12:30 p.m. — (7) Glacier vs. (8) Post Falls
Griffin Field
10 a.m. — (5) Medicine Hat vs. (6) Calgary Redbirds
12:30 p.m. — (3) Edmonton vs. (4) Vauxhall
3 p.m. — (1) Mission Valley vs. (2) Calgary Rockies