Legion baseball: Bitterroot sweeps Twins A

HAMILTON — Fresh off a championship finish at the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament, the Glacier Twins were humbled on Tuesday, dropping a pair of games to the Bitterroot Red Sox in an American Legion baseball road doubleheader.

Heading into the twin bill, Glacier (33-13) was 17-3 in their last 20 contests, but the Twins couldn’t solve Bitterroot pitcher Kyle Norman in the opener.

Norman threw six innings of two-hit ball, striking out three batters along the way, and the Red Sox took Game 1, 4-1.

Twins pitcher Johnny Sapa shutout the Red Sox in four of his six innings on the mound, but Bitterroot plated two runs in both the second and fifth innings for the final tally.

Jayce Fagerland and Vinny Smith earned hits for Glacier. Fagerland slapped a base hit while Smith knocked a double. They each finished 1 for 3.

A close contest was broken open late by Bitterroot in Game 2.

The Red Sox exploded for a combined eight runs in their final two innings at the plate to take the nightcap, 9-3.

Glacier tied the game at one in the top of the fourth, but Bitterroot responded with fours runs in both the fifth and sixth innings for the win.

Smith led the Twins offensive charge, finishing 2 for 2 with a double.

Glacier’s James Sampson-Keck was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

A short turnaround, Glacier hosts the Mission Valley Mariners in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m., today at Memorial Field in Whitefish.

 First game

Glacier    010    000    0    —    1    2    0

Bitterroot    020    020    x    —    4    9    1

W – Kyle Norman. L – Johnny Sapa.

GLACIER — Colten Parker 0-2, James Sampson-Keck 0-1, Jayce Fagerland 1-3, Kyler Howke 0-3, Vinny Smith 1-3, Jesse Walburn 0-3, Tristin Steinwand 0-1, Austin Robins 0-1, AJ Wetsch 0-2, Tyler Murphy 0-2.

BITTERROOT — Jonathan Ringer 0-2, Nate Loranger 1-4, Tylor Nixon 1-4, Zach Ringer 1-4, Kody Lane 2-3, Justin Horvath 2-2, Austin Ray 1-3, Joe Johnson 1-3, Bret Huxtable 0-2.

2B – Smith; Kody Lane, Justin Horvath. 3B – Lane. RBI – Ringer, Horvath 3.

Second game

Glacier    000    102    0    —    3    6    2

Bitterroot    001    044    x    —    9    7    2

Austin Robins, Tyler Murphy (5) and n/a. Tyler Scheffer, Bret Huxtable (6) and n/a. W – Scheffer. L – Robbins.

GLACIER — Kyler Howke 1-2, Jayce Fagerland 0-3, Tristin Steinwand 0-3, Vinny Smith 2-2, James Sampson-Keck 2-3, Austin Robins 0-2, Tyler Murphy 0-1, AJ Wetsch 0-1, Kaleb Veneman 0-1, Greyson Bistodeau 0-2, Johnny Sapa 0-1, Derek Kastella 1-3

BITTERROOT — Jonathan Ringer 0-3, Tylor Nixon 2-4, Kody Lane 1-1, Zach Ringer 2-4, Justin Horvath 0-1, Austin Ray 0-2, Nate Loranger 1-4, Joe Johnson 0-2, Kyle Crossman 1-2.

2B – Vinny Smith; Zach Ringer. HR – Nate Loranger. RBI – James Sampson-Keck; Tylor Nixon 2, Ringer 3, Loranger.