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Lakers A knock off Twins on day of upsets at West District tourney

The Daily Inter Lake

WHITEFISH — Upset, upset, upset and another upset.

There were that many — 4 — on the second day of play Friday at the West District A American Legion baseball tournament at Memorial Field.

It all started with loser-out surprises in the morning and early afternoon as No. 8 seed Cranbrook Bandits spilled No. 5 Libby Loggers 10-8 in eight innings and No. 7 Mission Valley Mariners blanking No. 3 Missoula Mavs 2-0.

The trend continued in championship-round games in the afternoon and early evening with the No. 4 Bitterroot Bucs topping No. 1 Bitterroot Red Sox 4-2 in nine innings and No. 6 Kalispell Lakers edging No. 2 Glacier Twins in the evening finale 5-4.

The Twins were 4-0 versus the Lakers this season as were the Loggers over the Bandits and the Red Sox over the Bucs.

“We have an excited bunch here,” Lakers coach Jesse McFarland said of his team.

“I couldn’t be happier for them.”

Tyler Kitch scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh when the Twins failed to turn a double play and had an overthrow at first. Kitch motored home from second base.

The Lakers received a stellar performance from 15-year-old Wesley Palmer, who made his season debut with the team. He was moved up from the Lakers B squad for the tournament.

He went the distance — seven innings — to get the win. He allowed six hits, struck out two and walked two.

“Just call it a gut feeling,” McFarland said of going with the newcomer.

“Wesley is a tough kid, a great competitor. He was tougher than heck out there. If he was nervous, he sure didn’t show it.”

The Lakers will face the Bucs today at 4 p.m. in a semifinal matchup. Those two teams split during the regular season, each winning once.

The Lakers had six hits against the Twins, one each by six players.

The Twins also had six hits.

Nate Vanderbeek and Adam Joy doubled for Kalispell.

Greyson Bistodeau and Thomas Hellwig had doubles for the Twins and Tyler Murphy homered in the fourth inning, a solo shot.

The top two teams advance to state tournament play next week in Three Forks.

West District A Tournament

At Memorial Field, Whitefish

Friday

Winners’ Bracket Box

Kalispell 100 300 1 — 5 6 3

Glacier 200 110 0 — 4 6 1

WP—Wesley Walker; LP—Coby Clark-Dickenson.

KALISPELL — Tyler Kitch 1-3, Cole Crosby 1-4, Taylor Morton 1-4, Nate Vanderbeek 1-4, Clayton Jaques 0-2, Logan Siblerud 0-3, Nate Kelly 0-3, Brandon Jordan 1-3, Adam Joy 1-3.

GLACIER — Greyson Bistodeau 1-3, Thomas Hellwig 2-3, Ryan Veneman 0-4, Clark-Dickenson 0-4, Derek Kastella 2-3, Tyler Murphy 1-2, Dan Seymour 0-2, Gunner Marsh 0-2, James Sampson-Keck 0-1, Terek Bistodeau 0-3.

2B—Vanderbeek, Joy; G. Bistodeau, Hellwig; HR—Murphy; RBIs—Vanderbeek, Kelly, Joy; Hellwig, Kastella (2), Murphy.

NOTE: No other boxes were available

Friday’s Scores

Loser Out

Cranbrook Bandits 10, Libby Loggers 8 (10)

Mission Valley Mariners 2, Missoula Mavs 0

Winners’ Bracket

Bitterroot Bucs 4, Bitterroot Red Sox 2 (9)

Kalispell Lakers 5, Glacier Twins 4

Today’s Schedule

Loser Out

10 a.m. — Bitterroot Red Sox vs. Mission Valley

1 p.m. — Glacier Twins vs. Cranbrook

Championship Semifinal

4 p.m. — Kalispell Lakers vs. Bitterroot Bucs