AA Lakers hit, pitch way to series win with Elks
Ostyn Brennan threw six sharp innings, Carter Schlegel had four hits and the Kalispell Lakers beat Lethbridge 8-4 Thursday in AA American Legion baseball at Griffin Field.
The victory, a day after the Elks and Lakers split a Wednesday doubleheader, gave Kalispell its 30th of the season along with a series win. The Lakers are 6-9 in the Montana/Alberta standings and 30-16 overall.
Brennan set the tone early, throwing five shutout innings before the Elks rallied for four runs in the sixth inning. That cut the Lakers’ lead to 5-4, but the hosts answered with three runs: Max Holden and Schlegel hit RBI singles before Schlegel and Oscar Kallis executed a “leave early” double steal that brought Schlegel in with his team’s eighth run.
Kallis then came on with one out and one on in the seventh and closed out the win.
Brennan allowed six hits, four walks and four runs, and fanned six; Kallis and Schlegel scored two runs each.
The Lakers lost the series opener 1-0 Wednesday, with Lethbridge’s Garrett Smith and David Stewart combining on a one-hit shutout. Smith allowed all four Laker hits and fanned five.
Andre Cephers, who went 6 1-3 innings, also allowed four hits and Adam Nikunen came on after Corbin Roberts hit a double in the seventh. Roberts came on in a fielding error for the game’s lone run.
The Lakers got a man on in their half of the inning but couldn’t get him in.
Kalispell won Wednesday’s nightcap 10-4, with Max Holden throwing a complete game four-hitter and Kallis driving in three runs — including a 2-run single in Kalispell’s nine-run second inning.
Carter Schlegel scored twice in that inning, the second time on Nate Skonard’s sacrifice fly; earlier in the frame Nate Skonard had a run-scoring bunt single.
Holden allowed three walks and fanned 10, and helped his cause with two hits and an RBI. He scored once.
It’s been a busy holiday stretch for the Lakers, who were runners up at the Demary Tournament in Minot on July 2 and have played 13 games in 13 days. They close out their home schedule Tuesday and Wednesday with a three-game set against the Billings Royals at Griffin Field; Tuesday’s doubleheader begins at 5 p.m.
Then they’re on the road to play the Billings Scarlets and Great Falls Chargers.
The State AA Tournament is set for July 22-26 in Missoula.
Thursday
Elks 000 004 0 - 4 6 2
Lakers AA 030 023 x - 8 11 0
Kade Pallett, Payton Lyon (2) and Josh McNeil. Ostyn Brennan, Oscar Kallis (7) and Nate Skonard.
LETHBRIDGE ELKS — Corbin Roberts 1-4, Lyle Steadman 1-3, Karsen Haney 2-4, Brennan McTavish 0-3, Ben Puszkar 0-2, River Hope 0-3, David Stewart 1-1, Carter Capton 1-3, McNeil 0-3.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 0-1, Adam Nikunen 1-2, Max Holden 1-4, Kallis 2-4, Carter Schlegel 4-4, Kaden Drish 1-1, Kane Morisaki 0-2, Timmy Glanville 0-0, Andre Cephers 0-1, Skonard 1-3, Joey Thatcher 1-3.
2B — Capton, Skonard. 3B — Schlegel. RBIs — Haney, Puszkar, Hope, Capton, Schlegel 2, Skonard 2, Nikunen, Holden.
Wednesday
First game
Elks 000 000 1 - 1 4 0
Lakers 000 000 0 - 0 4 2
G Smith, D Stewart (7) and McNeil. Cephers, Nikunen (7) and Brennan, Skonard (7).
LETHBRIDGE ELKS — Steadman 0-4, Hope 1-3, Haney 0-4, McTavish 0-3, T Carrier 2-3, Stewart 0-0, Puszkar 0-2, McNeil 0-3, Roberts 1-2.
AA LAKERS — Brennan 0-4, Nikunen 0-3, Holden 2-3, Kallis 0-3, Schlegel 2-3, Cephers 0-3, Skonard 0-0, Drish 0-3, Thatcher 0-0, Glanville 0-2, Kyne Vojta 0-1.
2B — Roberts.
Second game
Elks 110 020 0 - 4 4 4
Lakers 090 010 x - 10 11 2
M Wright, Capton (2) and Carrier. Holden and Skonard.
LETHBRIDGE ELKS — Roberts 1-4, Steadman 0-3, Haney 2-4, McTavish 0-3, Carrier 0-3, Hope 0-3, Puszkar 0-1, Capton 1-3, Stewart 0-2.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 1-4, Nikunen 1-2, Holden 2-3, Kallis 1-3, Schlegel 2-4, Drish 2-4, Morisaki 0-2, Sknoard 1-3, Thatcher 1-4.
2B — Roberts. RBIs — Haney 3, Capton, Kallis 3, Skonard 2, Thatcher, Morisaki, Holden.