AA Lakers salvage split of opening twinbill

Carter Schlegel threw four innings of sharp relief and broke a 6-6 tie with an RBI single as the Kalispell AA Lakers beat Missoula 10-6 to earn a split of their season-opening doubleheader Sunday.

After the AA Mavericks took the opener 7-6, they came back from an early 5-2 deficit in the nightcap at Griffin Field before the Lakers  (1-1) took command. Tanner Cockerill, who singled and moved up on a passed ball, scored the go-ahead run on Schlegel’s two-out base hit in the fifth inning.

A single by Luke Nikunen brought home Schlegel to make it 8-6; the Lakers tacked on two runs in the sixth inning via RBI single by Bryce Buckmaster and a passed ball.