AA Lakers drop pair to Senators
HELENA — The Helena Senators blew open a tight game with eight runs in the fifth inning Sunday, and downed the Kalispell AA Lakers 11-1 on the way to a sweep of their American Legion doubleheader.
Helena won the nightcap 11-6 behind Aaron Fuzesy’s six RBIs, including a home run.
In the first game the Lakers (27-17) jumped out 1-0 on Haiden Bunyea’s RBI single in the first inning, before Helena answered with two runs in the second.
Then the Senators (36-9) sent 13 hitters to the plate in the fifth. The frame included five walks — three came with the bases loaded — and four singles.
Helena added one run in the sixth and the game ended under the mercy rule.
In the second game, Fuzesy hit a three-run double in the second inning to put his team up 7-4, then — after Kalsipell closed to 7-6 on RBI singles by Elijah Owens and James Moody — added a two-run homer in the sixth to make it 11-6.
Nic Gustafson drove in two runs with a second-inning single, and a double by Ostyn Brennon and RBI single by Kostya Hoffman had the Lakers up 4-3, before Helena rallied for its 15th straight win.
The teams play two more games today, beginning at 3 p.m.
Lakers AA 100 000 - 1 3 2
Senators 020 081 - 11 6 0
Ostyn Brennan, Asher Baines (5), Fletcher Postlewait (5), James Moody (6) and Grady Drish Luke Dowdy and Hunter Bratcher.
KALISPELL LAKERS AA — Brennan 0-2, Kostya Hoffman 1-3, Gage Brink 0-1, Max Holden 1-3, Haiden Bunyea 1-2, Oscar Kallis 0-2, Kane Morisaki 0-3, Drish 0-3, Jackson Nelson 0-2.
HELENA SENATORS — Bratcher 1-3, Trysten Mooney 0-2, Ty Tenney 0-3, Hunter Wallis 0-2, Mike Hurlbrrt 3-3, Walker Bennett 1-4, Manu Melo 0-3, Gavin Thennis 0-2, Eric Cockhill 1-3.
RBIs — Buneay, Bennett 2, Cockhill 2, Bratcher, Tenney, Melo, Thennis.
Lakers AA 042 000 0 - 6 10 3
Senators 341 102 x - 11 8 1
Aaron Crutsinger, Postlewait (4) and Nic Gustafson. Will Lyng, Bennett (3), Thennis (6) and Wallis.
LAKERS — Brennan 1-3, Hoffman 2-4, Brink 1-3, Bunyea 0-3, Kallis 1-3, Max Holden 2-4, Elijah Owens 1-3, James Moody 1-3, Nic Gustafson 1-2.
SENATORS — Cockhill 1-3, Bohden Bahnmiller 0-2, Aaron Fuzesy 3-4, Wallis 1-3, Bennett 1-2, Tyler Cutler 0-1, Thennis 0-1, Tycen Mooney 0-3, Carter Perlinski 1-1, Sam Ark 0-2, Dylan Willcut 0-0, Melo 1-2.
2B — Brennan, Fuzesy, Perlinski. 3B — Wallis. HR — Fuzesy. RBIs — Gustafson 2, Owens, James M, Hoffman, Brennan, Fuzesy 6, Perlinski, Cockhill, Wallis, Bennett.