Surprising Lakers advance to West Dist. A title game
WHITEFISH — Kalispell battled back from a 10-0 deficit to slip by the Bitterroot Bucs 13-12 in semifinal play Saturday afternoon at the West District A American Legion baseball tournament at Memorial Field.
Bitterroot scored seven times in the first inning and added three more in the second to seemingly have the game under control.
But the sixth-seeded Lakers regrouped, much like they have the entire tournament, and scored five times in the fifth, came right back with two more in the sixth and then exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh to complete the stunning comeback.
“No quit in this group,” Lakers coach Jesse McFarland said.
“I knew if we could get the ball rolling, we could get back in that thing. When we went down 10-0, you just have to start with that first run and go from there.”
Bitterroot’s Bucs, the tournament’s fourth seed, scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to complete the scoring.
Taylor Morton, 2 for 4, Logan Siblerud, 3 for 4, and Jonathan Craver, 1 for 4, had three RBIs each.
Cole Crosby, 3 for 5, drove in two more runs for the Lakers.
Nate Kelly and Morton both scored three times.
Kalispell had 13 hits, including three doubles — two by Crosby and one by Craver.
Reliever Clayton Jaques pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn the win. Siblerud picked up the save.
Jaques had the team’s lone stolen base.
“They found a way, like they have all weekend,” McFarland said.
“I’m very, very proud of these guys.
“I got almost everyone on the team involved at one point,” he added.
“I trust every kid in that dugout in any situation. Everyone came through at some point today.”
The Lakers advance to tonight’s championship game at 7. The top-seed Bitterroot Red Sox eliminated the No. 2 seed Glacier Twins in a late Saturday loser-out game 8-2.
The Red Sox will face the rival Bucs today with that winner moving on to the final against Kalispell.
The Red Sox are defending champions.
The Twins were second last year.
If a second championship game is needed in the double-elimination tournament, it will be played Monday at 10 a.m.
The top two teams advance to State A Tournament action later this week in Three Forks.
McFarland said Kalispell Lakers Board Members informed him that this is the first time the A team has played for a District championship.
Kalispell competed at the State A Tournament two years ago, but as the host team.
Championship Semifinal
Kalispell 000 052 6 — 13 13 2
Bitterroot Bucs 730 000 2 — 12 12 0
WP—Clayton Jaques; S — Logan Siblerud; LP—Jake Scully.
KALISPELL — Tyler Kitch 0-2, Nate Kelly 1-3, Cole Crosby 3-5, Taylor Morton 2-4, Nate Vanderbeek 2-4, Jaques 0-1, Siblerud 3-4, Jonathan Craver 1-4, Brandon Jordan 0-1, Brian Olson 0-1, Thomas O’Connell 0-2, Grant Marsh 0-2.
BITTERROOT — Alex Gavlak 1-3, Marcus Zeile 3-5, Liam Lecoure 1-5, Jake Finley 1-5, Colby Kohlman 1-4, Brendan Schneiter 2-3, Scully 1-2, Beaxton McCollough 1-2, Brendan Bailey 1-2, Jonny Lineback 0-1, Alec Wells 0-2.
2B—Craver, Crosby (2); McCollough, Finley; RBIs—Crosby (2), Morton (3), Vanderbeek, Jaques, Siblerud (3), Craver (3): Gavlak, Zeile (2), Lecoure, Schneiter, scully (2), McCollough (2), Bailey (2).
Loser Out
Twins 16, Bandits 6
Cranbrook 014 01 — 6 9 4
Glacier 080 62 — 16 13 2
WP—Skyler Warner; LP—Ryan Detcheverry.
CRANBROOK — Cedar Kemp 1-2, Detcheverry 0-0, Tatsuki Ishihara 0-3, Robert Nickell 1-3, Linden 0-0, Greg Rebadiati 1-2, Carson 1-3, Jake Bromley 1-2, Ryley Dochame 0-1, Quinn Grist 1-1, Parker Thomson 0-2, Brenden Bird 3-3.
GLACIER — Greyson Bistodeau 3-4, Tom Hellwig 1-3, Ryan Veneman 1-2, Coby Clark-Dickenson 2-3, Derek Kastella 2-4, Tyler Murphy 2-3, Zach Veneman 0-2, James Sampson-Keck 0-0, Nathan Hader 0-0, Dan Seymour 1-2, Jack Schwaiger 0-1, Gunner Marsh 1-2.
2B—G. Bistodeau, Murphy; 3B—Clark-Dickenson; RBIs—Ishihara (2), Bromley, Bird; G. Bistodeau (5), Veneman (2), Clark-Dickenson (2), Kastella (2), Seymour (2), Marsh (2).
Red Sox 8, Twins 2
Glacier 000 200 0 — 2 7 3
Bitterroot 000 503 x — 8 7 2
WP—Omlid; LP—Murphy
GLACIER — G. Bistodeau 1-3, Hellwig 0-4, Veneman 0-3, Clark-Dickenson 2-4, Kastella 0-2, Murphy 0-1, Sampson-Keck 2-3, Seymour 1-2, Marsh 1-2, Terek Bistodeau 0-3.
BITTERROOT — Rothie 1-4, Goligoski 0-2, Nixon 1-3, Omlid 0-3, Brown 0-2, Fisher 2-3, Catavach 0-2, Grenfell 2-2, Jones 1-3.
2B—Marsh; Rothie; HR—Fisher; RBIs—G. Bistodeau, Kastella, Marsh; Rothie, Goligoski, Nixon, Fisher (2), Jones.
Bitterroot Red Sox 11, Mission Valley Mariners 1
No box available
Today’s Schedule
Loser Out
4 p.m. — Bitterroot Bucs vs. Bitterroot Red Sox
Championship Game
7 p.m. — Kalispell Lakers vs. winner of 4 p.m. game
NOTE: If a second championship is necessary in the double-elimination tournament, it will be play Monday at 10 a.m.