AA Lakers 2-1 at NW Premier tourney

MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — Gage Brink doubled, tripled and drove in three runs and Kostya Hoffman threw five strong innings as the Kalispell AA Lakers thumped Lakeside Recovery 9-2 at the Northwest Premier tournament.

The win capped a 2-0 day for the Lakers (21-7). Earlier Saturday Grady Drish’s sacrifice fly capped a 3-run rally and gave them a 7-6 walk-off win over the Spokane Cannons. They are 2-1 for the tournament, having lost to Reign 3-1 late Friday.

Brink and Ethan Diede drove in three runs each against Lakeside Recovery, and Hoffman helped his own cause with two RBIs.

Brink got things started with an RBI triple in the first inning; he later scored on Hoffman’s groundout. Deide’s 3-run double was the key hit in a 4-run fourth inning; Brink added a 2-run double in the fifth, and then threw the sixth and final inning.

Hoffman allowed four hits and no walks in his five innings on the mound. He fanned five.

Carver Van Aken had three hits and scored twice for the Lakers; Owen Schilling had two hits and two runs.

The Lakers play a fourth game Sunday at 9 a.m. against Expos Blue - Webb.

Lakeside Rec 000 200 - 2 6 2

Lakers AA 204 30x - 9 9 0

AA Lakers 6,

Spokane Cannons 5

The win came after the Cannons scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to lead 5-3.

The Lakers responded in their half with a lead-off walk by Hoffman, a one-out double by Danny Kernan, an RBI single by Van Aken, and a double steal that brought in Kernan with the tying run.

Van Aken advanced to third on the play at the plate, then scored on Drish’s fly to center. The game ended then because of a time limit.

Kennan had two of the Lakers’ eight hits, and scored twice.

Joseph Schlegel got the win in relief of Diede, recording two outs in the sixth. Hoffman started and threw three scoreless innings.

The Lakers executed two more double steals in their 3-run second inning, with Schlegel and Kernan, then Elijah Owens and Drish. In between Owens had an RBI single, then stole second and third — two of nine steals by Kalispell.

Cannons 000 104 - 5 8 1

Lakers AA 030 003 - 6 8 1

Reign 3, Lakers 1

In Friday’s late game, Max Holden threw well for the Lakers, scattering seven hits and a walk in six innings, and striking out three.

Three Reign pitchers combined to surrender just three hits and three walks. Ayden Driear drove in Hoffman with Kalispell’s only run, with a groundout in the sixth inning.

Late Friday

Lakers AA 000 001 0 - 1 3 1`

Reign 200 010 x - 3 7 1