Mavs edge Lakers with late rally

MISSOULA — The offense was there for the Kalispell AA Lakers Wednesday, in the first game of their Legion baseball doubleheader against Missoula, but the pitching and defense lagged behind.

The Mavericks rallied from deficits 2-0, 4-2 and 7-5 to beat the Lakers 9-8 at Lindborg-Cregg Field; the second game had not ended at press time.

Missoula took advantage of six walks, four hit batters and seven errors to hand the Lakers (0-3 in league, 18-6 overall) their third straight loss.

Kostya Hoffman had two hits and drove in three for Kalispell, and Ethan Diede’s 2-run homer in the third staked the Lakers to a 4-2 lead.

Down 5-4, Kalispell picked up three runs in the sixth: Hoffman singled in Danny Kernan to tie it at 5-5; an error on a pickoff attempt scored Hoffman; and Joe Schlegel added an RBI single to cap the inning.

The Mavs came back with four runs in its half-inning, with two Laker errors sandwiching a single by Peyton Stevens. That scored one run, and a hit batter followed by a bases-loaded walk from Schlegel knotted the game again at 7-7.

Skye Palmer’s 2-run single gave Missoula a 9-7 lead and it held up. Caleb Morgan doubled in a run with one out in Kalispell’s seventh, but he and go-ahead run Kael Willis, who’d walked, were stranded.

The Lakers outhit the Mavericks 9-6. Hoffman had two hits. Max Holden smacked a double.

Lakers AA 202 003 1 - 8 9 7

Missoula 020 214 x - 9 6 2

Caleb Morgan, Joseph Schlegel (4) and Kael Willis. Adam Jones, Henry Black (6), Charlie Kirgan (6), Alex Certel (7) and Andrew Clawson.

KALISPELL LAKERS AA — Thomas O’Connell 1-4, Gage Brink 0-2, Carver Van Aken 0-1, Ethan Diede 2-4, Danny Kernan 1-2, Kostya Hoffman 2-3, Ayden Driear 0-2, Morgan 1-2, Devon Wallack 0-0, Willis 0-2, Elijah Owens 0-4, Schlegel 1-3, Max Holden 1-1.

MISSOULA — Nick Beem 0-2, Bridger Johnson 1-4, Skye Palmer 1-5, Kirgan 0-4, Zack Hangas 0-2, Conner Jordan 0-2, Payton Stevens 2-4, Clawson 0-3, Dayton Bay 2-4.

2B — Holden. HR — Diede. RBI — Hoffman 3, Diede 2, Morgan, Schlegel, Palmer 2, Hangas, Jordan, Johnson.