Legion baseball: Lakers split Bucks
The Bozeman Bucks snuck out of Kalispell salvaging a split in an American Legion doubleheader at Griffin Field on Thursday, a series the Lakers AA felt should have been a clean sweep.
After Kalispell pitcher Robert Reaser mowed down the Bucks for a 3-0 complete-game shutout in Game 1, the Lakers committed four errors and allowed two unearned runs during a 3-1 loss in the nightcap.
Walker Malmin followed Reaser’s stellar outing with a gem of his own, surrendering just three hits in six innings of work.
The sixth inning, however, proved fatal for Kalispell.
An errant throw over first base allowed Bozeman to plate DJ Perdeams for a 2-0 lead, and the Bucks loaded the bases with no outs.
Malmin nearly escaped the jam, sending down the next to batters, but after Bozeman catcher Austin Frandsen flew out to left field and every runner retreated back to his respective base, the incoming throw skipped past the Lakers cutoff and backup, rolling to the backstop while Jenner Keanz crossed the plate.
Bozeman lead 3-0.
“(Walker Malmin) pounds the zone and gives us a chance to make plays behind him defensively,” Lakers AA coach Ryan Malmin said. “That could have been an awful sixth inning with bases loaded and nobody out. In retrospect, we were disappointed we even gave up the two runs because we had two outs and they were able to score on an errant throw.
“We just need to clean up some of our mistakes and have a better approach at the plate. We were sitting back and putting ourselves in bad counts and not attacking the fastball like we needed to. Every conference win is important, but I really felt we should have competed better in Game 2. We beat ourselves.”
Kalispell scrapped a two-out run across the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but a putout at third and double-play concluded the nightcap for Kalispell in the seventh.
The four errors in Game 2 seemed uncharacteristic on Thursday, especially after Reaser’s performance in the opener. Reaser was nearly untouchable. He scattered four hits in his complete-game shutout, striking out 10 Bucks while the Lakers defense was flawless.
“He’s been pretty consistent for us all year. Anytime you get a guy that can go deep into a game that really helps our pitches staff,” Ryan Malmin said.
“He’s a competitor. The kids have confidence when he’s on the mound. It’s been really fun to watch these kids develop, pitch and play defense behind them. We were really clean in Game 1.”
Walker Malmin, Andrew Schleusner and Patrick O’Connell all had RBIs in the third inning of the opener, giving Reaser all the run support he would need.
The Lakers are back in action on Saturday when they take on Lethbridge in a nine-inning contest at Griffin Field. First pitch is schedule for 3 p.m.
“We’re going to have to battle, compete and be consistent with our approach — attack the strikes. It should be a good game,” Malmin said.
Game 1
Bozeman 000 000 0 — 0 6 1
Kalispell 003 000 x — 3 4 0
WP—Robert Reaser; LP—DJ Perdaems.
BOZEMAN — Bailey Paddock 0-4, Bennett Hostetler 2-4, Perdaems 1-3, Jenner Kearns 1-3, Joel Thayer 2-3, Michael Guenther 0-2, Adam Hubley 0-0, Morgan Hostetler 0-1, Jake Murfitt 0-3, Robert Samson 0-1.
KALISPELL — Walker Malmin 1-2, Andrew Schleusner 0-2, Patrick O’Connell 1-3, Leif Ericksen 0-3, Reaser 1-3, Brandon Maassen 0-3, Tiler Whiteaker 1-2, Levi Brenneman 0-2, Keatin Mohl 0-1.
2B—Kearns, B. Hostetler; O’Connell; RBI—Malmin, Schleusner, O’Connell.
Game 2
Bozeman 001 002 0 — 3 4 1
Kalispell 000 001 0 — 1 6 4
WP—Hubley; LP—Malmin.
BOZEMAN — Paddock 0-4, B. Hostetler 1-3, Perdaems 1-2, Kearns 2-4, Thayer 0-3, M. Hostetler 0-2, Guenther 0-3, Austin Frandsen 0-3, Connor Tweet 0-3.
KALISPELL — Whiteaker 0-3, Schleusner 1-4, O’Connell 0-3, Reaser 1-3, Ericksen 0-2, Maassen 1-3, Brenneman 2-3, Quinn Barber 0-2, Jayson Combs 0-2, Andy Bemis 1-1.
2B—Perdaems; Brenneman; RBI—Kearns; Maassen.