Twins fall into loser’s bracket, Mariners eliminated at State A
LAUREL — The pitching-rich Glacier Twins had a tough time with the opponents’ hurler Thursday, losing 5-1 to Caden Clifford and the Billings Blue Jays at the State A Legion baseball tournament.
Clifford threw a four-hitter at the Twins (29-10), and allowed two walks besides. He didn’t strike out a batter, and Glacier’s lone run was unearned.
The loss dropped the Twins into a 1 p.m. Friday loser-out contest with the Lethbridge Miners, who eliminated the Mission Valley Mariners 8-2 on Thursday.
The Billings Blue Jays advanced to the winner’s bracket semifinal set for 7 p.m. Friday. They’ll play either the host Laurel Dodgers or Belgrade Bandits, who played Thursday’s late game.
Blue Jays 5, Twins 1
After the Blue Jays’ Ryder Murdock hit a 2-run single in the first inning, Glacier got one run back when Maddox Muller reached on error and came around on a walk to Mikey Glass, Tristan Butts’ single and Jake McIntyre’s sacrifice fly.
That was it. Muller singled to lead off the third inning but was erased by a double play; another double play blunted a fifth-inning rally; only Glass got as far as second base after the first inning, after his sixth inning single was misplayed.
Meanwhile Murdock added an RBI single in the third to put Billings up 3-1, and the Blue Jays added on in the fifth (Chaise Tracy RBI single) and sixth (bases-loaded walk).
Talon Murphy went five innings on the hill for Glacier, allowing six hits, a walk and four earned runs. He fanned two, and he and reliever Dayne Tu hit two Blue Jay batters. Tu struck out three in his two innings of work.
Lethbridge Miners 8, Mariners 2
Lethbridge (39-10) had four RBI singles in the first inning — two came after two were out — and weren’t really threatened by the Mariners (24-17).
Bowen Weaver followed up his first-inning run-scoring single witl a two-run base knock in the second that made it 6-0.
Mission Valley got a solo home run from Cymian Kauley in the second inning and a run-scoring groundout from Cole Wadsworth that brought Landon Shoemake home in the seventh.
Dawson DuMont threw 5 2-3 solid innings in relief of Shoemake, striking out five.
Jesse-James Olson threw a complete game three-hitter for Lethbridge, striking out five.
State A Tournament
July 26-30, Laurel
Wednesday
Game 1: Glacier Twins 1, Butte Miners 0
Game 2: Belgrade Bandits 7, Mission Valley Mariners 3
Game 3: Billings Blue Jays 10, Havre Northstars 9
Game 4: Laurel Dodgers 9, Lethbridge Miners 6
Thursday
Game 5: Butte Miners 14, Havre Northstars 1. loser out
Game 6: Lethbridge Miners 8, Mission Valley Mariners 2, lo
Game 7: Billings Blue Jays 5, Glacier Twins 1
Game 8: Belgrade Bandits (29-9) vs. Laurel Dodgers (53-8), late
Friday
Game 9: Lethbridge Miners (39-10) vs. Glacier Twins (29-10) 1 p.m., lo
Game 10: Butte Miners (32-11) vs. Loser 8, 4 p.m., lo
Game 11: Billings Blue Jays (50-9) vs. Winner 8, 7 p.m., semifinal
Saturday*
Game 12: Winner 9/10 vs. Loser 11, 4 p.m.
Game 13: Winner 9/10 vs. Winner 11, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Game 14: Championship, Noon
Game 15: 45 minutes after Game 14 (if necessary)
*-Games 12/13 will not be rematches unless absolutely necessary.
NOTE: If three teams remain after Game 13, the winner of Game 11 draws a bye through Game 14.