Legion baseball roundup: Lakers AA stay perfect at Memorial Day Tournament
MISSOULA — The Kalispell Lakers AA improved to 3-0 in pool play at the Memorial Day Tournament on Sunday by defeating the Glacier Twins A 5-2.
The Lakers (13-6 overall) will face the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Lumbermen today in their final pool game at 10 a.m. The Lakers will then play in the championship bracket at 5:30 p.m.
Kalispell finished second in this American Legion baseball event two years ago.
The Lakers also played in the championship game last weekend at their Canadian Days Tournament.
“We used some small ball and we were more aggressive with our base running,” Lakers manager Ryan Malmin said of the outing with Glacier.
“That kind of helped us take the lead in the late innings.”
Kalispell led 2-1 after three innings, but the Twins tied it at 2-all with a run in the top of the fourth.
Kalispell took charge in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three times.
Brandon Maassen went the distance on the mound for Kalispell. He allowed six hits, struck out three and walked just one batter.
“Brandon Maassen continues to get better and better as he continues to develop,” Malmin said.
“He had command (of his pitches) and showed great poise on the mound in an emotional rivalry game.”
The Lakers pitching staff has allowed just three earned runs in the last 19 innings.”
Leif Ericksen went 2 for 3 for the Lakers and drove in a run.
Maassen, Jayson Combs and Keatin Mohl also had one RBI each.
Derek Kastella and Colten Parker had two hits each for the Twins.
Glacier started the day falling to the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen, 18-9.
Coeur d’Alene did the bulk of its scoring in the final three innings — 15 runs. The big inning was the fifth with eight runs scored.
Glacier matched Coeur d’Alene in hits — 14 each.
Kyler Howke went 4 for 4 for the Twins. Greyson Bistodeau was 2 for 4.
Jayce Fagerland and Austin Robins had two hits each.
Glacier (9-6) faces the Helena Senators today at 12:30 p.m. in pool play at the tournament. Glacier is 0-3.
The Twins have lost five straight games. Earlier this season they won eight in a row.
Glacier 010 100 1 — 2 6 4
Kalispell 002 003 x — 5 8 3
WP — Brandon Maassen; LP — A.J. Wetsch.
GLACIER — Kyler Howke 0-3, Jayce Fagerland 1-4, Jesse Walburn 0-3, Vinny Smith 0-3, Colten Parker 2-3, James Sampson-Keck 1-3, Derek Kastella 2-2, Austin Robins 0-1, Wetsch 0-2, Tyler Murphy 0-3.
KALISPELL — Tiler Whiteaker 1-4, Walker Malmin 0-4, Maassen 1-2, Andrew Schleusner 1-3, Leif Ericksen 2-3, Levi Brenneman 1-3, Quinn Barber 0-2, Jayson Combs 1-3, Keatin Mohl 1-3.
2B—Fagerland; Ericksen; RBIs—Maassen, Ericksen, Combs, Mohl.
—————
Coeur d’Alene 300 384 — 18 14 5
Glacier 403 200 — 9 14 4
WP—Devin Kluss; LP—Jonny Sapa.
COEUR d’ALENE — Vaudreiul Steve 0-2, Parker Gabrielson 2-3, Cody Garza 2-4, Gibson Green 2-4, Dom Conigtiaro 1-4, Sam Slusser 1-5, Cam Nosinaiethy 0-1, Tanner Criswell 2-3, Tared hall 2-4, Elliott Sparks 2-3, No. 2 0-1.
GLACIER — Greyson Bistodeau 3-4, Jayce Fagerland 2-4, Sean Hoerner 0-3, Kyler Howke 4-4, Austin Robins 2-3, James Sampson-Keck 0-4, Vinny Smith 1-4, Jesse Walburn 1-3, A.J. Wetsch 1-4.
2B—Green, Sparks (2); Fagerland, Howke (2); RBIs—Gabrielson (2), Garza, Green (5), Conigtiaro, Hall (3), Sparks (3); Robins (3), Walburn, Wetsch.
Bucks 5, Loggers 2
Bucks 9, Loggers 6
FLORENCE — Libby’s Loggers came up short twice, dropping a Class A doubleheader to the Bitterroot Bucks.
Bitterroot jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead and held on for a 5-2 victory in Game 2.
Oliver Grupenhoff went 2 for 2 for Libby. Taylor Wisdom had a RBI.
Libby did all of its scoring in the top of the seventh inning.
Erik Lauer pitched five innings for the Loggers. He allowed five hits, struck out four and walked three batters.
Libby scored often, and late in the opener, losing 9-6.
Down 8-0, Libby scored three times in the sixth and three times in the seventh to make it close.
Jared Winslow went 2 for 3 and drove in two runs. He had the lone extra-base hit, a double.
Luke Haggerty was 2 for 4.
Libby plays at the Kalispell Lakers A on Wednesday. The single nine-inning game begins at 6 p.m.
Libby 000 000 2 — 2 4 0
Bitterroot 300 101 x — 5 5 0
WP — Gravlak; LP—Erik Lauer.
LIBBY — Luke Haggerty 0-1, C. Johnson 0-3, Jared Winslow 1-3, Oliver Grupenhoff 2-2, Dylon Lane 0-3, Lauer 1-3, Braydan Thom 0-2, Taylor Wisdom 0-2, Mason Chapel 0-2.
BITTERROOT BUCkS — Thorson 1-2, Finley 0-4, Zeiler 0-1, LeSoine 0-3, Chimo 1-2, Sage 2-2, McCullough 0-2, Gaviak 0-3, Zeiler 1-2.
3B—Sage; RBIs — Wisdom; Finley, Gaviak.
Libby 000 003 3 — 6 7 0
Bitterroot 110 151 x — 9 12 0
WP—Zeiler; LP—Lane.
LIBBY — Haggerty 2-4, Johnson 1-3, Winslow 2-3, Grupenhoff 0-1, Lane 1-4, Lauer 1-3, Bandon Sadewasser 0-3, Thom 0-2, Wisdom 0-3.
BITTERROOT BUCKS — Thorson 0-4, Finley 1-4, Zeiler 2-3, LeSoine 2-4, Chimo 2-3, Sage 1-3, McCullough 1-1, Zeiler 3-4, McCawley 0-2.
2B—Winslow; RBIs— Winslow (2), Grupenhoff, Lane, Lauer; Finley (2), LeSoine, McCullough, Zeiler (2).
Lakers A 13, Spikes 10
MISSOULA — The Kalispell Lakers A defeated Bozeman in the Memorial Day Tournament.
The Lakers outhit Bozeman 10-4.
No other details were available.