AA Lakers split home twinbill with Medicine Hat
The Kalispell Lakers AA dropped the first game of their double header with the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs 11-1 at Griffin Field on Tuesday.
The Lakers were stuck playing comeback after a three-run first inning from the Moose Monarchs put them in an early hole.
Six errors committed by the Lakers defense made it tough for their starter Max Holden to find his rhythm in the losing effort.
Holden pitched five innings while allowing 11 hits and 7 earned runs to the Moose Monarchs.
Despite going hitless as a team, the Lakers found an offensive spark in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Kane Morisaki drove in the Lakers’ lone run on a ground ball to shortstop that scored Haiden Bunyea, who reached on leadoff walk.
Cade Harrison pitched the entire game for Medicine Hat while throwing a no-hitter in the process and picking up the shutout victory. It was a team effort for the Moose Monarchs, with six different players driving in runs.
The Lakers AA squad bounced back strong in the second game with starting pitcher Koysta Hoffman picking up the 6-4 victory over the Moose Monarchs.
Hoffman pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out five while tacking on a solo home run to right field in the top of the first inning that gave Kalispell a 1-0 lead.
Medicine Hat retaliated in the bottom of the first by scoring two runs of their own.
An RBI single from Ostyn Brennan tied things back up and then a sacrifice bunt from Haiden Bunyea scored Brennan to put Kalispell up 3-2.
Brennan came up big again in the fourth inning by driving in Nic Gustafson on a ground out to shortstop.
In the top of the fifth, Kalispell pushed the lead to 5-2 on an Oscar Kallis line drive double to center field that drove in Gage Brink.
Medicine Hat kept it close with an Evan Morrison two RBI single in the bottom of the 5th making it a one run game.
That’s when Hoffman helped his own cause once again by driving in Jackson Nelson on a fielder’s choice to first base, pushing the Lakers’ lead to 6-4.
Hoffman would go onto throw a scoreless sixth and seventh inning to lock up the game two win for Kalispell.
First game
Moose Monarchs 300 17x x — 11 11 0
Lakers AA 010 00x x — 1 0 6
Max Holden. Cade Harrison.
KALISPELL LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 0-2, Kostya Hoffman 0-2, Gage Brink 0-2, Haiden Bunyea 0-1, Oscar Kallis 0-1, Max Holden 0-1, Kane Morisaki 0-1, Grady Drish 0-1, Jackson Nelson 0-2.
MEDICINE HAT MOOSE MONARCHS — Aiden Eckersal 1-2, Kyle Woolridge 1-4, Evan Morrison 3-4, Trevin Ressler 2-4, Payton Eddy 0-3, Cade Harrison 2-3, Hayden Hall 0-2, Ryan Staarup 0-3, Graceon Little 1-3.
2B — Morrison, Ressler. RBI —Eckersal, Harrison, Hall, Little, Morrison 2, Ressler 3
Second game
Lakers AA 102 111 0 — 6 7 2
Moose Monarchs 200 020 0 — 4 8 1
Kostya Hoffman. Dylan Lefler, Travin Ressler (5).
KALISPELL LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 1-5, Kostya Hoffman 1-3, Gage Brink 0-3, Haiden Bunyea 0-2, Oscar Kallis 2-3, Max Holden 0-3, Elijah Owens 0-4, Nic Gustafson 1-3, Grady Drish 1-1, Jackson Nelson 1-1.
MEDICINE HAT MOOSE MONARCHS — Aiden Eckersall 2-4, Kyle Woolridge 0-2, Evan Morrison 2-4, Trevin Ressler 1-4, Jeff Bullock 1-2, Cade Harrison 1-3, Payton Eddy 0-2, Hayden Hall 0-3, Dylan Lefler 0-0.
HR— Hoffman 2B — Kallis, Nelson. RBI — Brennan 2, Bunyea,Harrison, Hoffman 2, Kallis, Morrison 2, Ressler