AA Legion: Lakers fall to Senators, 1-0

HELENA — The Kalispell Lakers were one pitch away from pushing the defending champion Helena Senators to extra innings Wednesday.

When that two-out pitch got past the catcher, Connon Devine scored for a 1-0 victory in the bottom of the seventh. The win, coming in the final first-round game at the State AA Legion baseball tournament, moved the Senators into a Thursday 7 p.m. game against the Missoula Mavericks. 

The Mavericks beat Medicine Hat 7-1 earlier Wednesday, meaning the Lakers (38-24) and Moose Monarchs have a loser-out game at 1 p.m. at Kindrick Legion Field. 

In Wednesday’s other games, the Billings Royals beat Bozeman 2-0, and the top-seeded Billings Scarlets beat Lethbridge 8-4. 

The Lakers played the Senators even, with lefty Jackson Heino stymying them on five hits and two walks in 6 2-3 innings. Heino struck out one batter and had errorless defense behind him. 

Helena ace Will Lyng, meanwhile, allowed three hits in two walks in seven innings. He fanned four.  

Kalispell’s best chance came in the second inning, when Kaden Drish singled and Trevor Cockerill walked. However, Drish was picked off second, ahead of a single by Kaden Drish. In fact, the Lakers made three outs on the bases, in a game in which just five batters reached base. 

Meanwhile Helena, after stranding two runners in the first inning, got nothing going until Devine led off the seventh with a single. He moved up on a walk and a sacrifice bunt, though Tycen Mooney’s infield pop kept him at third. Then a pitch went to the backstop and Devine scored. 

The Lakers went 1-2 in a series with the Moose Monarchs July 6-7.