Legion: AA Lakers split with Chargers
Kalispell Lakers AA's Kostya Hoffman (4) connects on an RBI triple in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Gage Brink (3) is thrown out at home trying to score on a sacrifice fly in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Gage Brink (3) is thrown out at home trying to score on a sacrifice fly in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Ostyn Brennan (center) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on an RBI triple by Kostya Hoffman in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Gage Brink (3) connects on an RBI double in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Kostya Hoffman, right, is congratulated by teammates after hitting an RBI triple and scoring on teammate Gage Brink's RBI double in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA second baseman Ostyn Brennan (10) fires to first but can't complete a double play in time against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Kane Morisaki (18) slides into second base under the tag by Great Falls' second baseman Nate Fowler (5) after Morisaki advanced to second after the Lakers' Elijah Owens got caught in a rundown between second and third on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA third baseman Haiden Bunyea (12) throws out a runner at first base after fielding a ground ball against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA third baseman Haiden Bunyea (12) throws out a runner at first base after fielding a ground ball against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Gage Brink (3) dives back into first base after hitting a single against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. Brink advanced to second on an errant throw to first on the play. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Gage Brink (3) dives back into first base after hitting a single against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. Brink advanced to second on an errant throw to first on the play. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA's Nic Gustafson, left, congratulates Kostya Hoffman, right, after Hoffman hit an RBI triple and then scored on teammate Gage Brink's RBI double in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Kalispell Lakers AA starting pitcher Max Holden (15) delivers in the first inning against the Great Falls Chargers at Griffin Field on Wednesday, July 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Grady Drish drove in three runs, Gage Brink hit a big triple, and the Kalispell Lakers downed Great Falls 7-5 to earn a split of their AA Legion baseball doubleheader Wednesday.
After the Chargers won the first game 7-4, the visitors opened the nightcap by opening up a 3-0 lead.
The Drish and Brink went to work.
Brink’s RBI triple drove in Ostyn Brennan, who hit a leadoff single, to put the Lakers (27-15) up for good in the fourth inning, 5-4.
Haiden Bunyea brought in Brink with a two-out single to right, making it 6-4.
Bunyea had three hits and scored twice; Oscar Kallis, Brennan and Drish also had three hits.
Drish had a two-run single in the second inning and an RBI base hit in the sixth — an important insurance run as the Chargers mounted a seventh-inning rally, scoring a run and loading the bases.
Brennan, who pitched the seventh in place of Kostya Hoffman, fanned Great Falls’ Fox Weymouth to end the game.
Hoffman, who came on in relief of the first game, allowed 10 hits and two walks in six innings. He fanned one.
In the opener Great Falls scored four runs in the seventh to prevail. The key blow was a one-out, two-run double by Wesley Gilcher that broke a 4-4 tie.
The Chargers strung together three singles and a bases-loaded walk to tie the game; Gilcher’s double made it 6-4 and left runners at second and third, and an RBI grounder brought in another run.
The Lakers had led 4-1, after scoring two runs in the third: Hoffman hit an RBI single and eventually came in on a double steal with Brink, who took second.
Kalispell got three of its five hits in the first: Brennan singled to lead off; Hoffman hit a triple; and Brink followed with an RBI double.
Max Holden was strong through six innings, before the Chargers rallied against him and Hoffman in the seventh. Holden allowed eight hits and two walks, fanning four.
First game
Chargers 010 101 4 - 7 11 3
Lakers AA 202 000 0 - 4 5 0
Shane Jefferson, Scott Klinker (3) and Tyler Marr. Max Holden, Kostya Hoffman (7), Asher Baines (7) and Grady Drish.
GREAT FALLS CHARGERS — Nate Fowler 2-4, Brinkley Evans 1-3, Trigg Mapes 1-4, Marr 1-2, Lane Seim 3-4, Wesley Gilcher 2-4, Landon Lockwood 1-4, Mason Davis 0-4, Kellan Lawhon 0-3, AJ Sloan 0-0.
KALISPELL LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 1-3, Hoffman 2-3, Gage Brink 2-2, Max Holden 0-2, Haiden Bubneya 0-3, Elijah Owens 0-3, Kane Morisaki 0-1, Oscar Kallis 0-1, Drish 0-3, Jackson Nelson 0-2.
2B — Gilcher, Brink. 3B — Hoffman. RBIs — Gilcher 2, Marr, Lockwood, Hoffman 2, Brink.
Second game
Chargers 211 000 1 - 5 13 1
Lakers AA 040 201 x - 7 15 0
Austin Armstrong, Josh Banderob (5) and Brinkley Evans. Hoffman, Ostyn Brennan (7) and Grady Drish.
CHARGERS — Fowler 2-4, Evans 1-3, Mapes 2-4, Marr 1-3, Seim 2-4, Gilcher 2-3, Lockwood 1-2, Logan Sloan 0-2, Fox Weymouth 1-2, Kellan Lawhon 1-3.
LAKERS AA — Brennan 3-4, Hoffman 1-3, Brink 2-4, Holden 0-4, Bunyea 3-3, Kallis 3-4, Owens 0-2, Drish 3-4, Nelson 0-2.
2B — Evans, Maps. 3B — Mapes, Brink. RBIs — Evans, Mapes, Marr, Seim, Lockwood, Drish 3, Hoffman, Brink, Bunyea.
