Lakers A ousted at Class A state tournament
THREE FORKS — An early lead slowly evaporated and eventually disappeared completely for the Kalispell Lakers A in a season-ending, 6-5 loss to the Billings Cardinals on Saturday in the Montana/Alberta Class A American Legion state baseball tournament.
Kalispell scored all five of its runs in the third inning and held a 5-2 lead after the frame, but Billings cut into the deficit with two runs in the fourth inning and a tying run in the sixth. The Cardinals pushed across the deciding run in the top of the eighth inning, the first extra frame.
“It was a real gut-wrenching way to end the season, obviously, a one-run game in extra innings,” Lakers head coach Jesse McFarland said. “We had a lead early and just couldn’t quite hang on.”
Taylor Morton, Clayton Jaques and Adam Joy each had two hits to lead the Lakers offense.
A walk, balk and base hit pushed across the go-ahead run for Billings in the eighth inning.
Both teams had three errors in the game.
Aaron Seward allowed Kalispell’s five runs (two earned) in the third inning, but the Lakers could not solve him again after that. Seward threw just 88 pitches over an economical eight innings of work, giving up seven hits and striking out five.
“I think we were very close to running him out of there, but he hung in there and stayed a couple more innings,” McFarland said. “He just continued to throw strikes, and we had a little trouble keeping the ball out of the air.”
The loss ended the Lakers’ season in the state tournament, where they’d led off with a loss to the Belgrade Bandits and stayed alive Friday with a win over the Miles City Mavericks. The appearance at state was courtesy of a surprising run through the district tournament which saw Kalispell advance to the district championship game.
“What a tough group of kids,” McFarland said. “I think after they get a little time away from this thing, they’ll be able to reflect on the kind of season they had and be proud of what they did this year.”
Billings 200 201 01 — 6 9 3
Kalispell 005 000 00 — 5 7 3
WP: Aaron Seward LP: Cole Crosby
BILLINGS CARDINALS — Trevin Gradney 2-4, Max Egan 1-5, Koby Croft 2-4, Cory Brownson 2-4, Logan Meyer 0-3, Levi Drew 0-1, Brooks Rohrer 0-3, Jarron Wilcox 0-3, Tyler Brownson 1-4, Connor Ryan 0-2, Ben Egan 1-2
KALISPELL LAKERS A — Cole Crosby 0-5, Tyler Kitch 0-4, Taylor Morton 2-4, Nate Vanderbeek 0-4, Clayton Jaques 2-3, Logan Siblerud 0-3, Jonathan Craver 0-2, Evan Todd 1-4, Adam Joy 2-2
2B: C. Brownson 2, T. Brownson. Joy. RBI: Gradney, M. Egan, C. Brownson 2, T. Brownson. Jaques, Siblerud, Joy.
Saturday’s Other Scores
Undefeated Bracket
Bitterroot Red Sox 4, Belgrade Bandits 0
Loser-out
Medicine Hat Knights 8, Lewistown Redbirds 2
Sunday’s Schedule
Noon — Billings Cardinals vs. Belgrade Bandits
2:30 p.m. — Medicine Hat Knights vs. Bitterroot Red Sox