Lakers A win state American Legion baseball tournament opener

The Kalispell Lakers scored big early and resorted to small ball late, scoring a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings to put some space between themselves and Vauxhall, needing every run to top the North A champions 10-9 in the first round at the Montana/Alberta American Legion Class A state baseball tournament at Griffin Field on Thursday evening.

The Lakers’ Haydn Schlepp reached base on an error in the eighth, and a pair of deep fly balls were enough to score him and what turned out to be the winning run.

That run, compiled with a run on an error in the seventh and a two-run squeeze in the sixth, were enough to hold off a scrappy Vauxhall team that had an answer for nearly everything the Lakers put out there.

“We thought that this was going to be a tight game and we thought that every run would count,” Lakers A manager Jesse McFarland said. “Sure enough it comes down to a one-run ball game. We needed them all and the guys stepped up and got the job done when we needed them.”

The Lakers started the game strong, reaching the first four batters of the second inning, and benefiting from errors on three consecutive plays from the Vauxhall shortstop. A sacrifice fly and a double scored the final of five runs in the inning to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead.

Vauxhall was quick to answer, however, scoring five runs of its own in the top of the third. The Spurs reached base in six consecutive at bats with two outs in the inning, capped by a three-run double from first baseman Vance Fode.

The Lakers would take the lead again in the fifth inning, scoring a single run, only for Vauxhall to score twice in the top of the sixth.

Kalispell answered by loading the bases with one out in the home half of the inning. The Lakers laid down a perfect squeeze play, scoring a run and forcing the Vauxhall pitcher into an error on the throw to first base, scoring another.

After holding the Spurs off the board in the seventh, the Lakers were finally able to get some breathing room in the bottom of the inning, again reaching the first three batters of the inning to plate another run.

Vauxhall scored a run in the top of the eighth and another in the ninth, with three hits in the final inning, only for a Kalispell to hold off every rally.

Schlepp was 3 for 5 with a double and two RBIs to lead the Lakers at the plate. Torin Bowden and Jaycob Serrano each had two hits and an RBI.

Jonas Nyman earned the win pitching three innings of relief.

“We knew they swung the bat and we knew they were going to get some runs,” McFarland said. “Sure enough they came right back and got a few more.

“These guys competed. We asked (the Lakers) to come out and play a complete game and they competed for nine innings and got it done today. I’m very proud of these guys.”

The Lakers will play Glasgow in the nightcap at 7 tonight in the undefeated quarterfinals. The Reds beat Helena 5-4 in the first round to advance.

In the day’s other games, Laurel beat Deer Lodge 13-0 and Bitterroot beat Lethbridge 16-3.

Vauxhall 005 002 011 — 9 14 6

Kalispell 050 012 11x — 10 10 2

Jalen Lane, Adam Kress (8). Dawson Smith, Spencer Pisk (6), Jonas Nyman (6). W— Nyman. L— Kress.

VAUXHALL—Nick Bolt 1-5, Jalen Lane 0-3, Kaden Fujita 0-2, Ryan Marshall 1-5, Adam Kress 2-4, Jason Wong 1-5, Jaydon Wandler 1-3, Vance Fode 4-5, Dylan Wolosuk 2-4, Reed Odland 2-4.

KALISPELL—Haydn Schlepp 3-5, Gunnar Marsh 0-5, Spencer Pisk 0-2, Torin Bowden 2-5, Eric Seaman 1-4, Jonas Nyman 1-3, Dawson Smith 0-3, Jaycob Serrano 2-4, Keaden Morisaki 1-4.

2B—Bolt, Kress 2, Odland, Fode 2, Schlepp. RBIs—Bolt, Lane, Kress 2, Fode 3, Wolosuk. Schlepp 2, Pisk, Bowden, Smith, Serrano, Morisaki.

Laurel 103 035 10 — 13 9 2

Deer Lodge 000 000 0x — 0 2 6

John Preller. Sheldon Danforth and Ethan Perrault (7). W—Preller. L—Danforth.

LAUREL—Carson Hoke 0-2, Trevor Meier 2-2, Mason O’Donnell 0-3, Dawson Cortese 2-3, Daniel Stamper 2-5, Kade Osborne 1-4, Bryson McGann 1-5, Karson Zeiler 1-4, Braden McIlvain 0-1, Chase Feller 0-3.

DEER LODGE—Derek Walker 0-3, Kenny Stryker 0-3, Dakota Crowe 0-3, Taylor Stone 0-3, Kaehl Lowery 0-2, Sheldon Danforth 1-3, Michael Heisdorf 1-2, Logan Beck 0-1, Porter Struble 0-2, Ethan Perrault 0-1, Logan Danforth 0-2.

2B—S. Danforth. RBIs—O’Donnell, Cortese 2, Stamper, McGann 5, Zeiler, Feller 2.

Lethbridge 020 010 0 — 3 7 4

Bitterroot 042 721 x — 16 13 3

Zachary Goruk, Wyatt Tomalty (3), Lukas Ankermann (4). Kyle Norman, Ladd Grenfell (5), Hunter Omlid (7). W—Norman. L—Goruk.

LETHBRIDGE—Liam Leech 1-4, Raleigh Ferby 0-2, Lukas Ankermann 1-2, Torrin Vaselenak 1-4, Kyle Bloor 0-3, Blake Braun 1-4, Zachary Goruk 1-2, Jack Jensen 1-2, Zac Aos 1-2, Wyatt Tomalty 0-2.

BITTERROOT—Jonathan Ringer 1-3, Nate Loranger 2-4, Justin Horvath 2-3, Zach Ringer 2-3, Kody Lane 1-5, Tylor Nixon 0-4, Joe Johnson 2-3, Bret Huxtable 0-1, Aunstin Ray 1-3, Brennan Fisher 2-3.

2B—J. Ringer, Z. Ringer, Lane. RBIs—Leech, Goruk, Aos. J. Ringer 3, Loranger, Horvath 2, Z. Ringer 4, Lane 3.

Glasgow 001 001 120 — 5 12 3

Helena 102 000 100 — 4 5 2

Keil Krumwiede, Jason Thibault (9) and Gage Lagare. Tanner McMahon, Caleb Jackson (8), Andrew Rosstown (8) and Austin Whitehouse. W – Krumwiede. L – Jackson.

GLASGOW—Thibault 3-5, Krumwiede 3-5, Lagare 1-4, Samuel Schultz 1-5, Jake Kolstad 2-4, Ryan Padden 1-4, Blake Mattfeldt 1-5, Parker Kulcyzk 0-2, Hunter Losleben 0-2, Kasey Seyfert 0-1, Dylan Guttenberg 0-2.

HELENA—Ryan Arntson 1-3, Carter Wald 0-5, Colin Sassano 2-5, Ray Moore 0-4, Robert McCarvel 0-3, Andrew Rosston 0-4, Whitehouse 1-4, Talon Burchard 0-3, Eamonn Byrne 1-4.

2B – Krumwide. 3B – Sassano. RBI – Krumwiede 2, Lagare, Schultz, Guttenberg, Sassano, Moore.