Legion: AA Lakers sweep Cranbrook
Kalispell Lakers AA starting pitcher Andre Cephers (7) delivers in the first inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
The Lakers AA congratulate Ostyn Brennan (10) and Michael Owens (8) after scoring on Kaden Drish's two-run single in the third inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Kaden Drish (6) drives in two runs with a single in the third inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA shortstop Kaden Drish (6) scoops up a grounder against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Luke Nikunen (12) doubles against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Luke Nikunen (12) celebrates with the dugout after hitting a double against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Bryce Buckmaster (17) bunts in a run from third on safety squeeze in the fourth inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA first baseman Michael Owens (8) tosses to pitcher Carter Schlegel (5) for the final out of the game against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kaden Drish drove in two runs in the opener and Trever Cockerill had three RBIs in the second game, and the Kalispell AA Lakers swept a Legion baseball doubleheader from Cranbrook, Alberta Saturday at Griffin Field.
After holding off the Class A Bandits 4-3, the Lakers beat them 14-4 to improve to 3-1 this season.
Drish’s third-inning, two-run single gave the Lakers’ a 2-0 lead in the opener. Luke Nikunen’s leadoff double started a two-run rally in the next inning, which was aided by a walk, a Cranbrook error and Michael Owens’ RBI groundout. That made it 4-0.
The Bandits rallied in the sixth inning against reliever Colin Leonard, getting a hit by pitch and four straight singles. They greeted the Lakers’ third pitcher, Carter Schlegel, with a single as well, cutting the gap to 4-3 — but the tying run was cut down at the plate.
In the seventh Cranbrook loaded the bases on three walks, one intentional, before the Lakers’ Owens snared a grounder to first for the final out.
All this happened after Andre Cephers threw 5 1-3 scoreless innings for the Lakers, allowing just three hits and striking out eight.
In the second game, Oscar Kallis keyed a four-run first inning with a run-scoring single, and Cockerill had an RBI triple in the middle of a six-run fifth that put the Lakers up 12-4. The Lakers used a double steal and took advantage of three walks and a hit batter in that fifth inning.
Cockerill, who also drove in a run with a fourth-inning single, added a sacrifice fly in the sixth that scored Brysen Herion. That ended the game under the 10-run mercy rule.
Bryce Buckmaster started on the hill and allowed two hits, four walks and two earned runs in four innings. He hit a batter and struck out five. Cockerill threw the final two innings, fanning one.
First game
Cranbrook 000 003 0 - 3 8 1
AA Lakers 002 200 x - 4 6 1
Owen Relkoff, Ty Dupley (3), Dallin Rodger (6), N/A (7) and Josh Pighin. Andre Cephers, Colin Leonard (6), Carter Schlegel (6) and Ostyn Brennan.
CRANBROOK BANDITS — Brantley Johnson 0-4, Pighin 0-3, Michael Clark 3-3, Blayke Butler 1-3, Clark Reimer 1-4, Rodger 1-3, Leif Dubreuil 2-3, Vinny Fiorentino 0-3, O Williams 0-2.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 1-2, Kaden Drish 1-3, Schlegel 0-3, Oscar Kallis 0-2, Luke Nikunen 2-3, Trever Cockerill 0-2, Bryce Buckmaster 0-2, Cephers 1-1, Michael Owens 1-3, Jackson Heino 0-2.
2B — Nikunen, Cephers. RBIs — Reimer, Roger, Drish 2, Owens.
Second game
Cranbrook 001 210 - 4 4 4
AA Lakers 401 162 - 14 8 0
Dubrey, Pighin (4), Butler (5) and Roger. Buckmaster, Cockerill (5) and Cephers.
BANDITS — Johnson 1-3, Relkoff 0-1, Clark 0-3, Butler 0-1, Reimer 1-2, Dupley 1-2, Rodger 0-3, Fiorentino 0-2, Dubrey 1-2, Pighin 0-0, No. 41 0-2.
AA LAKERS — Brennan 0-4, Cockerill 2-4, Nikunen 1-1, Cephers 0-2, Schlegel 1-1, Kallis 2-3, Owens 0-2, Buckmaster 0-0, Heino 0-0, Brysen Herion 0-3, Leonard 2-4.
3B — Cockerill. RBIs — Dubrey 2, Clark, Cockerill 3, Kallis 2, Owens, Herion, Leonard.
The Lakers AA congratulate Ostyn Brennan (10) and Michael Owens (8) after scoring on Kaden Drish's two-run single in the third inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Kaden Drish (6) drives in two runs with a single in the third inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA shortstop Kaden Drish (6) scoops up a grounder against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Luke Nikunen (12) doubles against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Luke Nikunen (12) celebrates with the dugout after hitting a double against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA's Bryce Buckmaster (17) bunts in a run from third on safety squeeze in the fourth inning against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA first baseman Michael Owens (8) tosses to pitcher Carter Schlegel (5) for the final out of the game against the Cranbrook Bandits at Griffin Field on Saturday, April 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider