Twins finish 2nd at State A tournament

GREAT FALLS — The Glacier Twins fell just short of a second state championship in three years, falling 9-7 to the defending champion Bitterroot Red Sox in the Montana/Alberta American Legion Class A state baseball championship on Monday at Centene Stadium.

The Twins loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, needing just a ball out of the infield to extend the game. They got that, but a shot from James Sampson-Keck was tracked down by the Bitterroot right fielder ending the game.

Glacier battled with the Red Sox all game, but couldn’t quite get the timely hits to take the lead.

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the second inning, the Twins tied the game in the bottom of the frame but stranded a runner on third base. Bitterroot scored three runs in the top of the third and Glacier answered with two in the bottom of the inning but again stranded a pair of runners in scoring position.

The Twins had a runner in scoring position in every inning but the seventh, outhitting the Red Sox with 18 hits to Bitterroot’s 16, but left 14 runners on base in the game.

Bitterroot cashed in on its opportunities early, adding to its early 4-3 lead with four runs in the fourth inning. When Glacier answered with three runs in the fifth, the Red Sox added one more in the sixth to take a 9-6 lead.

The Twins narrowed the lead in the eighth, reaching their first two batters on errors then scoring two batters later with a single from Vinny Smith to cut the lead to 9-7. However, with runners on first and second and one out, the Twins flew out in their next two at-bats to end the threat.

Glacier kept a clean sheet in the top of the ninth to give itself one more chance to extend the game and loaded the bases with two outs on singles from Ryan Veneman and Tristin Steinwand and a walk from Max Smyley. Sampson-Keck’s attempt to clear the bases caught too much air, however, ending the rally.

Steinwand was 5 for 6 in the game with a double and Ryan Veneman was 5 for 5 with two triples and two RBIs.

Joe Johnson led the Red Sox at the plate, going 3 for 4 with the game-winning RBIs in the fourth inning. Austin Ray was 3 for 5 and finished a home run short of the cycle.

Glacier beat Laurel earlier in the day in the third-place game, scoring five runs in the eighth inning to stretch out what was a close game early.

Bitterroot 013 401 000 — 9 15 3

Glacier 012 030 010 — 7 18 3

Jon Ringer, Kyle Norman (6), Tylor Nixon (8) and Austin Ray. Colten Parker, Jonny Sapa (3), Vinny Smith (9) and Tyler Murphy.

BITTERROOT — Austin Ray 3-5, Nate Loranger 1-4, Tylor Nixon 2-5, Jon Ringer 1-5, Justin Horvath 2-5, Joe Johnson 3-4, Kyle Norman 1-3, Chase Conner 0-1, Hunter Omlid 1-5, Tanner Goligoski 1-5.

GLACIER — Tristin Steinwand 5-6, Max Smyley 2-3, James Sampson-Keck 0-6, Vinny Smith 2-5, Jesse Walburn 1-5, A.J. Wetsch 2-4, Derek Kastella 0-5, Ryan Veneman 5-5, Tyler Murphy 1-5.

2B—Ray, Omlid. Walburn, Steinwand. 3B—Ray. Veneman 2. RBIs—Nixon, Ringer 2, Horvath, Johnson 2, Norman, Omlid 2. Smith, Walburn, Wetsch 2, Veneman 2, Murphy.

Glacier 100 101 050 — 8 16 1

Laurel 000 011 000 — 2 6 2

Tyler Murphy, Vinny Smith (5) and Ryan Veneman. Carson Hoke, Chase Feller (6), Cameron Schriver (8) and Mason O’Donnell.

LAUREL — Carson Hoke 0-4, Mason O’Donnell 1-5, Dawson Cortese 1-3, Chase Feller 0-2, Karson Zeller 0-1, Trevor Meier 0-4, Braden McIlvain 1-3, Carson West 0-4, Kanyin Moran 3-4, Deklan Harper 0-1, Brandon Gordon 0-1.

GLACIER — Tristin Steinwand 3-6, Max Smyley 1-5, James Sampson-Keck 2-6, Vinny Smith 1-4, Jesse Walburn 1-5, A.J. Wetsch 3-5, Derek Kastella 2-4, Ryan Veneman 2-4, Tyler Murphy 1-3.

2B—Sampson-Keck, Smith, Wetsch, Kastella 2, Moran. 3B—McIlvain. RBIs—Steinwand 2, Smyley 2, Sampson-Keck, Walburn, Murphy 2. Feller, Moran.