AA Lakers take pair from Royals
Max Holden and Andre Cephers each threw complete games, and the Kalispell Lakers swept a AA Legion doubleheader from the Billings Royals Tuesday at Griffin Field.
Holden allowed seven hits and Carter Schlegel hit a go-ahead two-run double as the Lakers beat the Royals 3-2 in the first game at Griffin Field. Just one Billings run was earned and Holden maneuvered through a rocky seventh inning for the decision.
Cephers took the bump in the nightcap and allowed just three hits, one walk and one unearned run in a 5-1 Kalispell victory.
The Lakers improved to 8-9 in the Montana/Alberta conference standings and are 32-16 overall; the Royals fell to 11-8 and 31-23.
The teams play a third game today at 1 p.m. at Griffin.
Lakers 3, Royals 2
After the Royals erased an early 1-0 deficit with runs in the third and fourth innings, the Lakers struck back in the fifth: Adam Nikunen hit a one-out single, Oscar Kallis got a base hit with two outs and Schlegel brought them both in with a double to center.
The seventh inning got interesting. Holden hit the leadoff batter with a pitch, though he picked off pinch-runner Gavin Stichman for the first out. Then he walked the next two hitters and uncorked a wild pitch. He retired the next two via strikeout (Nate Skonard held on to a foul tip) and popout.
Royals pitcher Davis Mosier also went the distance, scattering five hits and two walks in six innings. He hit a batter and fanned four.
Laker 5, Royals 1
Cephers was stingy, retiring 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. It paid off when the Lakers put up a five-spot in the fifth inning.
Timmy Glanville got it started with a leadoff triple, and came in on a passed ball. Skonard then singled.
Kyne Vojta was then hit with a pitch, and Ostyn Brennan singled to load the bases ahead of a two-run single by Nikunen. That left Nikunen and Brennan on second and third, and each scored on sacrifice flies from Holden and Oscar Kallis.
First game
Royals 001 100 0 - 2 7 3
Lakers AA 100 020 x - 3 6 1
Mosier and Thorson. Holden and Skonard.
BILLINGS ROYALS — Davis Chakos 0-4, Kayden Keith 1-4, Davis Mosier 1-3, Jenkins 1-3, Sy Waldron 1-3, Jaiden Turner 1-3, Ethan Chaney 1-2, Nathan Kojetin 1-2, Cooper Thorson 0-2, Ryan Denowh 0-0.
KALISPELL LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 0-2, Adam Nikunen 0-1, Max Holden 0-3, Oscar Kallis 2-3, Carter Schlegel 1-3, Andre Cephers 2-3, Nate Skonard 0-2, Kane Morisaki 0-2, Joey Thatcher.
2B — Kojetin, Keith, Kallis, Schlegel, Cephers. RBIs — Keith, Schlegel 2.
Second game
Royals 010 000 0 - 1 3 0
Lakers 000 050 x - 5 7 1
Turner, Ethan Moore (6) and Denowh. Cephers and Skonard.
ROYALS — Chakos 0-2, Keith 1-3, Mosier 0-3, Carson Jenkins 0-3, Waldron 1-3, Denowh 1-3, Chaney 0-3, Kojetin 0-3, Waskow 0-2.
LAKERS — Brennan 1-2, Nikunen 1-3, Holden 1-2, Kallis 0-2, Schlegel 1-2, Cephers 1-3, Timmy Glanville 1-3, Skonard 1-3, Kyne Vojta 0-2.
2B — Cephers. 3B — Gl anville. RBIs — Nikunen 2, Holden, Kallis.