Lakers split Harp Tournament play on Day 2
Adam Joy provided the most productive at-bat of the night for the Kalispell Lakers A in Saturday’s American Legion baseball matchup with the Medicine Hat Knights.
Joy, who drove in the Lakers’ first run with a second-inning double, stepped to the plate in the top of the sixth inning, his team trailing by two runs. He struck out swinging, but by the time he left the batter’s box, the game was tied.
The Lakers pushed across both runs on wild pitches thrown by Medicine Hat relief pitcher Easton Brooks, two pitches that gave Kalispell new life on an evening full of offensive frustration.
Unfortunately for the home team, it wasn’t enough.
Theryn Berndt lifted a sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, and Brooks struck out the side after a leadoff walk in the seventh to hand the Lakers a 4-3 loss, their first of the John R. Harp Memorial Tournament.
“We’ve scored 29 runs in the last two games, so I think what can come with that sometimes is a little complacency at the plate,” Lakers head coach Jesse McFarland said.
“A lot of that is credit to Med Hat, as well. Their pitchers were hitting spots and made things tough on us, but absolutely, we needed to take a better approach today, too.”
The struggles at the plate spoiled solid outings from Evan Todd and Clayton Jaques on the mound.
Todd allowed two runs, both in the bottom of the third, in four innings of work. He struck out only one, but the Lakers’ defense was mostly solid behind him.
“Evan’s been great all year, and today was no different,” McFarland said.
“We had a couple of mistakes in (the third) inning and they took advantage of it, but for the most part, Evan and Clayton both were great. They both competed hard out there today.”
A pair of hits set the Knights up with runners at the corners with no outs in the third, but it appeared Todd had taken the first step toward escaping the jam when he induced a grounder right back to the mound. However, he didn’t see the runner breaking for the plate before throwing to first.
Medicine Hat extended its lead in the fifth inning off Jaques.
He struck out the first batter he faced, but then allowed a walk and back-to-back singles, the latter of which drove in the Knights’ third run.
It appeared three runs might be enough to do the Lakers in until the sixth, when Brooks took the ball from starter Ethan Boutkan with one out.
His first pitch skipped into the dirt and to the backstop, allowing Jaques, who led off the inning with a double off the left-field wall, to race home.
After Brooks’ second offering found the strike zone, his third pitch was also in the dirt, giving Logan Siblerud ample time to cross the plate and tie the game.
The deadlock was shortlived.
Berndt’s sacrifice fly gave the Knights the lead that would last in an inning when Jaques was troubled by his command.
A bunt single and two walks loaded the bases.
Jaques escaped the inning without further damage despite the Knights having runners at the corners, giving the Lakers a chance for seventh-inning fireworks.
They were not to be, as Kalispell went quickly after a leadoff walk.
“(Jaques) was having a little trouble with his footing out there, but he got it together and kept us in the game,” McFarland said.
“We had a chance to win at the end, and that’s all you could ask for.”
The nightcap was a disappointing end to a positive two days for the Lakers in tournament play.
Earlier on Saturday, Logan Siblerud led the way with four hits, including two doubles, in a 13-3 thrashing of the Calgary Redbirds A.
The Lakers, powered by the top of the order, scored multiple runs in each frame of the five-inning game.
The first five Kalispell batters in the lineup combined to go 11-for-17 with 10 runs scored and seven RBIs.
The Lakers were unable to replicate that firepower in the nightcap.
“The biggest thing was just being aggressive early in the count,” McFarland said.
“(Medicine Hat’s) guy did a great job of getting ahead and putting us in a tough spot and was kind of in the driver’s seat for a lot of at-bats.”
The loss likely cost the Lakers an opportunity to play in today’s tournament championship game, but McFarland still was encouraged by the weekend’s results as his team enters the final week of the regular season before district tournament play begins in Whitefish.
“We put up a lot of runs, and the pitching was great all weekend,” McFarland said.
“Defensively, we were really good in that last one. They’re really starting to figure out, in these tight games against good teams, you come out and you pitch and you play defense, you’re going to have a chance. I’m real confident that these guys are going to have a good shot down the homestretch.”
Calgary 011 10 — 3 5 0
Kalispell 333 22 — 13 14 2
WP: Nate Kelly LP: Anthony Kelley
CALGARY REDBIRDS A — Dale Bratz 0-2, Jose Rojas 0-3, Bret Knibbs 1-3, Hunter Wrigley 0-2, Wallin 2-3, Ben Tatterson 1-3, Hankins 0-2, Matt Donn 1-1, Coumont 0-1
KALISPELL LAKERS A — Brandon Jordan 2-4, Grant Marsh 2-3, Jonathan Craver 2-3, Nate Vanderbeek 1-3, Logan Siblerud 4-4, Ryan McDonald 1-2, Evan Todd 1-2, Taylor Morton 1-2, Nate Kelly 0-3
2B: Matt Donn. Jonathan Craver, Logan Siblerud 2, Nate Vanderbeek, Brandon Jordan. RBI: Dale Bratz, Ben Tatterson, Coumont. Grant Marsh, Jonathan Craver, Nate Vanderbeek 3, Logan Siblerud 2, Ryan McDonald, Evan Todd 2, Taylor Morton, Nate Kelly.
Kalispell 010 002 0 — 3 2 2
Medicine Hat 002 011 x — 4 7 3
WP: Ethan Boutkan LP: Clayton Jaques
KALISPELL LAKERS A — Tyler Kitch 0-2, Brandon Jordan 0-3, Taylor Morton 0-3, Nate Vanderbeek 0-2, Jonathan Craver 0-4, Clayton Jaques 1-4, Logan Siblerud 0-2, Cole Crosby 0-1, Adam Joy 1-2
MEDICINE HAT KNIGHTS A — Keon Venechagin 1-3, Zach Tark 2-2, Theryn Berndt 1-3, Ethan Bartram 1-4, Justin Borassa 0-3, Ashtyn Street 1-2, Travis Small 0-3, Dylan Koening 0-1, Peyton Cox 1-3
2B: Clayton Jaques, Adam Joy. RBI: Adam Joy. Theryn Berndt 2, Ethan Bartram 2.