Bullpen, clutch hitting key A Lakers’ sweep
GREAT FALLS — An excellent bullpen and timely hitting led the Kalispell A Lakers to a doubleheader sweep of the Great Falls Chargers Saturday, 6-5 and 4-3.
Relievers Hunter Fann and Cale Brink picked up both decisions, though starting pitchers Liam Benson and Trever Cockerill were solid.
Cockerill allowed three hits, one walk and no earned runs in 5 2-3 innings in the second game; Brink came on and got the win by recording four outs, one by strikeout.
In the first game Fann threw 3 2-3 innings of perfect relief, fanning two, while the Lakers made up a 5-3 deficit. Luke Nikunen drove in two runs in that game; he and Breckan Walcheck came home on Cockerill’s two-run single that put the Lakers up 6-5 in the sixth inning.
Nikunen scored twice in the nightcap, including a run on Jackson Heino’s RBI single to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh.
In the second game Hunter Glidden had three hits, stole two bases and scored a run. Glidden also stole three bases and scored twice in the opener.
The A Lakers play again Sunday, in Havre.
First game
Lakers A 300 012 0 - 6 6 2
Chargers A 000 500 0 - 5 3 3
Liam Benson, Hunter Fann (4) and Ethan Kim. C Pace, Kaiden A (3), C Hollern (4), J Simonson (5) and J Komac.
KALISPELL A LAKERS — Hunter Glidden 1-2, Trever Cockerill 1-3, Luke Nikunen 1-3, Bryce Buckmaster 1-3, Braden Capser 1-3, Fann 1-3, Breckan Walcheck 0-2, Kim 0-3, Cale Brink 0-3.
GREAT FALLS CHARGERS — N Banderob 0-3, Komac 0-2, J Simonsen 1-3, E Lorgang 0-2, B Carns 0-1, C Hillern 0-1, H Clark 0-2, D cook 0-1, A Boutilier 1-3, C Nichols 1-3, W Parsons 0-3.
2B — Fann, Nichols. RBIs — Nikunen 2, Cockerill, Casper, Nichols 2, Boutilier, Carbs.
Second game
Lakers A 200 001 1 - 4 11 2
Chargers A 000 012 0 - 3 3 0
Cockerill, Brink (6) and Bryce Quinnell. G Gray, Banderon (6) and Komac.
A LAKERS — Glidden 3-4, Fann 1-4, Nikunen 1-3, Buckmaster 1-4, Brysen Herion 1-3, Jackson Heino 1-3, Quinnell 1-4, Benson 1-3, Easton Capser 1-1, B.Capser 0-2.
CHARGERS — Banderob 0-3, Komac 0-4, Pace 1-3, Lorgang 1-2, Parsons 0-0, Cook 0-3, Carbs 1-3, Clark 0-1, Hollern 0-1, Boutilier 0-3, Nichols 0-2, Sikmonson 0-1.
2B — Heino, Glidden, Carns. RBIs — Buckmaser, Herion, Heino, Carns, Boutilier.