BASEBALL: Glacier Twins turn triple play, down Lakers in Kalispell

Jonny Sapa went the distance on the mound and the Glacier Twins turned a triple play in a 7-3 Class A American Legion baseball victory Saturday evening over the Kalispell Lakers at Griffin Field.

Sapa allowed eight singles, walked one batter and struck out five.

The Twins defense turned the triple play in the bottom of the seventh inning. Third baseman Tristin Steinwand made a diving backhand catch of a one hopper off the bat of a Kalispell hitter and tagged third for the first out, quickly fired the ball to Vinny Smith at first got get the hitter for the second out and Smith then tagged a baserunner, who was trying to get back to first, for the third out.

“My first one ever in all of my years of coaching,” Glacier coach Bob Rupp said of the triple play.

Glacier (33-19 overall, 19-5 league) broke the game open with a five-run eighth inning.

Colten Parker and Jesse Walburn were both 2 for 5 while Steinwand and Max Smyley both had 2 for 4 plate appearances.

Walburn drove in two runs.

Steinwand, Parker and James Sampson-Keck all doubled.

Clayton Jaques and Jaycob Serrano were Kalispell’s top hitters. Both went 2 for 4.

The Twins and Lakers conclude regular-season play tonight in Whitefish at Memorial Park with a single nine-inning contest starting at 7 p.m. Both teams then head to Florence for the district tournament, which begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday.

The state tournament starts Aug. 27th in Great Falls.

Glacier 000 100 051 — 7 11 3

Kalispell 000 200 001 — 3 8 5

WP—Jonny Sapa; LP—Brady Peiffer.

GLACIER — Colten Parker 2-5, Tristin Steinwand 2-4, James Sampson-Keck 1-5, Vinny Smith 0-5, Jesse Walburn 2-5, Max Smyley 2-4, Ryan Veneman 1-4, Tyler Murphy 1-4, Sapa 0-4.

KALISPELL – Ryan Symmes 1-4, Randy Stultz 0-4, Keaden Morisaki 0-4, Eric Seaman 1-4, Sam Elliott 1-4, Clayton Jaques 2-4, Jaycob Serrano 2-4, Jaryon Venturini 1-3, Tyler Kitch 0-4.

2B—Steinwand, Parker, Sampson-Keck; RBIs—Parker, Walburn (2),Veneman, Murphy; Kitch.

Mariners 12, Rangers 5 | Mariners 12, Rangers 2

POLSON — Strong pitching by Walter Wood and Micah McClure carried the Mission Valley Mariners to a sweep of the Kootenai Valley Rangers in a Class A doubleheader.

Micah McClure held the Rangers to three hits, Anthony Jones went 5 for 5 at the plate and drove in four runs and Warren Wood, 3 for 4, doubled, homered and had two RBIs to power the Mariners in the first game.

McClure, who went 6 2/3 innings, struck out three batters and walked one.

Mission Valley outhit the Ranger 16-3 and scored in every inning.

Kade Schutzmann, Anthony Jones, Walter Wood and Nyqolas Gillingham also doubled for the victors.

Connor Harmon and Dawson Henrie had doubles for the Rangers.

Henrie stole two bases and scored twice.

Walter Wood tossed a 1-hitter in the nightcap.

He fanned six batters, but walked 10.

Sam Hannay had the lone hit for Kootenai Valley, a single.

Mission Valley had just five hits in that outing, one each by five different players. Schutzmann doubled and drove in three runs. Bransen Krebs and Jacob Harrod both singled and scored twice.

This was the regular-season finale for Mission Valley. Up next is district play in Florence, which begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday.

First Game

Kootenai Valley 140 000 0 — 5 3 0

Mission Valley 231 213 x — 12 16 4

WP—Micah McClure; LP — Colton Cooper.

KOOTENAI VALLEY — Dawson Henrie 1-2, Cooper 0-3, Sam Hannay 0-3, James Dunn 0-3, Quade Anderson 0-3, Hank Dunn 1-2, Mo Henderson 0-2, Donovan Fornall 0-2, Connor Harmon 1-3.

MISSION VALLEY — Anthony Jones 5-5, Jacob Harrod 1-3, Bransen Krebs 2-4, Nyqolas Gillingham 2-3, Kade Schutzmann 1-2, Walter Wood 1-4, Warren Wood 3-4, McClure 0-2, Tyson Petticrew 1-2.

2B—Harmon, Henrie; Schutzmann, Jones, Walter Wood, Gillingham, Warren Wood; HR—Warren Wood; RBIs—Henrie, Hannay, Harmon; Jones (4), Krebs, Gillingham (2), Walter Wood, Warren Wood (2).

Second Game

Kootenai Valley 002 00 — 2 1 4

Mission Valley 903 0x — 12 5 0

WP—Walter Wood; LP—Henderson.

KOOTENAI VALLEY — Henrie 0-2, Cooper 0-0, Hannay 1-2, J. Dunn 0-2, Anderson 0-1, H. Dunn 0-2, Henderson 0-1, Chet McCully 0-2, Daymond Baney 0-2, Harmon 0-1.

MISSION VALLEY — Jones 0-3, Harrod 1-2, B. Krebs 1-1, Gillingham 0-1, Schutzmann 1-2, Karsen Krebs 1-3, Warren Wood 0-2, McClure 1-2, Marquise Askan 0-1, Brendan Blood 0-1.

2B—Schutzmann; RBIs—Hannay, H. Dunn; Harrod (2), B. Krebs, Schutzmann (3), K. Krebs, McClure (2), Blood.

Mavs 6, Loggers 4 | Loggers 6, Mavs 1

LIBBY — Brady Bateman tossed a 3-hitter and went 3 for 4 at the plate with two RBIs to give the Libby Loggers a win in the second game of a Class A doubleheader.

Bateman fanned two batters and issued no walks.

Seth Bateman, 2 for 4, and Erik Lauer, 1 for 4, both scored twice.

Libby had nine hits in the win.

Missoula held on to win the opener.

Seth Bateman and Lauer had two hits each in that one.

This was the regular-seaon finale for Libby. The Loggers head to Florence for district tournament action, starting Wednesday.

First Game

Missoula 301 200 0 — 6 6 1

Libby 200 101 0 — 4 7 4

WP—A. Zimmerman; LP—Dylon Lane.

MISSOULA — W. Larsen 0-2, B. King 2-3, S. Buchy 2-4, D. Fraser 0-2, D. Leonard 0-3, P. Stevens 1-2, B. Buchanan 0-3, J. Denman 1-3, A. Zimmerman 0-3.

LIBBY — Seth Bateman 2-4, Lane 0-3, Brady Bateman 1-2, Erik Lauer 2-3, Tim Carvey 1-3, Braydan Thom 0-3, Shayne

Walker 1-3, Collin Johnson 0-3, Tanner Wood 0-3.

2B—Denman; Lauer; RBIs—Bucy, Fraser, Leonard, Stevens; B. Bateman,Lauer, Carvey, Walker.

Second Game

Missoula 000 100 0 — 1 3 1

Libby 002 022 x — 6 9 5

WP—Brady Bateman; LP—J. Graham.

MISSOULA — Larson 0-3, King 0-3, Bucy 1-3, Fraser 1-3, Leonard 0-2, Stevens 0-3, K. Johnson 0-3, K. Taylor 0-2, Buchanan 1-3.

LIBBY — S. Bateman 2-4, D. Bateman 3-4, Lane 1-3, Lauer 1-4, Carvey 0-4, Thom 1-2, Walker 1-1, Tanner Schatz 0-2, Joe Reynolds 0-1, Johnson 0-3.

2B—Bucy; Bateman (2), Lauer; RBIs—Leonard, Taylor; B. Bateman (2),Lauer, Thom.