Lakers drop State AA opener to Scarlets
GREAT FALLS — Michael Feraldio hit a 2-run double and the Billings Scarlets pitched in and out of trouble in a 3-1 victory over the Kalispell Lakers Wednesday, at the State AA Legion baseball tournament.
The Billings combo of Bradley Wagner and Jackson Schaubel allowed a combined seven hits and four walks, which is to say the Lakers (34-19-1) had their chances at Centene Stadium.
Ethan Diede doubled in the first and was stranded; the Lakers had two runners on in the second and fifth innings and loaded the bases in the fourth, and didn’t score.
They loaded the bases again in the sixth on Schaubel, and got their run when Ethan Diede struck out but reached on a wild pitch. Kael Willis, who’d hit a leadoff single, scored. Then Danny Kernan fanned to end the inning.
“The baseball just hasn’t bounced our way this last sprint of 10 games,” Lakers’ coach Ryan Malmin said. “We make good pitches and guys get seeing-eye singles or infield hits, (and) we have squared some balls up right at people.”
For the game Kalispell was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position — the hit belonged to Grady Drish, loading the bases in the fourth — and left 13 men on base.
The Scarlets started fast: A double, single and double from Nate McDonald, Kyler Northrop and Feralio staked them to a 2-0 lead in the first. They banged out nine hits against starter Max Holden, before he gave way to Kostya Hoffman with two out in the fourth.
Hoffman threw well, allowing two hits in 31/3 innings. He fanned one.
“Pitching was great, defense was great,” Malmin said. “Just wasn’t our day at the dish. We win these tight games with a break here or there. It’s what makes the game great.”
Wagner and Schaubel each fanned four Lakers, with Wagner getting the win and Schaubel a two-inning save.
The Lakers get a day to regroup: They won’t play again until a loser’s bracket game Friday at 4 p.m. They play the loser of Thursday’s 7 p.m. winner’s bracket game.
In Wednesday’s second game the Helena Senators beat two-time defending champion Bozeman 10-0. Cy Miller threw a five-inning one-hitter for the Senators, striking out seven.
Scarlets 201 000 0 - 3 1 2
Lakers 000 001 0 - 1 7 0
Bradley Wagner, Jackson Schaubel (6) and Rocco Gioioso. Max Holden, Kostya Hoffman (4) and Grady Drish.
BILLINGS SCARLETS — Nate McDonald 3-4, Kyler Northrop 1-4, Michael Feralio 2-3, Schaubel 1-3, Gioioso 2-3, Spencer Berger 0-3, Max Murphy 1-3, Jaden Sanchez 0-3, Kolten Wynia 1-3.
KALISPELL LAKERS — Thomas O’Connell 1-4, Gage Brink 1-3, Ethan Diede 1-4, Danny Kernan 0-2, Joseph Schlegel 0-4, Carver Van Aken 0-4, Kael Willis 2-4, Elijah Owens 1-3, Grady Drish 1-3.
2B — McDonald, Feralio, Wynia, Diede. RBI — Feralio 2, Schaubel.