Lakers bounce Medicine Hat from AA Legion
HELENA — Luke Nikunen threw a six-hitter and Carter Schlegel brought in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly as the Kalispell Lakers beat Medicine Hat 3-2 at the State AA Legion baseball tournament Wednesday.
The win moves the Lakers into a Friday 1 p.m. game against the Billings Scarlets. The top-seeded Scarlets fell 12-6 to the Billings Royals Thursday at Kindrick Legion Field.
In other games Thursday, the Lethbridge Elks eliminated the Bozeman Bucks 5-4, and the host Helena Senators edged Missoula 7-6 in 10 innings in the late game.
Schlegel’s fly brought in Andre Cephers, who’d hit a leadoff single and moved up on Ostyn Brennan’s single and an errant pickoff throw.
One out later Kaden Drish hit a double and eventually the Lakers left the bases loaded — but it didn’t matter because Nikunen retired the Moose Monarchs in order in the bottom of the seventh. He closed the game with his sixth and seventh strikeouts, to go with two walks and three hit batters.
Schlegel had two sacrifice flies Thursday: He hit one in the third inning that brought in Brennan, who’d hit a double and then stolen third.
That tied the game 1-1, and Hunter Fann put the Lakers up 2-1 in the fourth with an RBI single that scored Trever Cockerill.
Medicine Hat (20-31) tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth with Parker Hunt’s second RBI single of the game.
Lakers 001 100 1 - 3 9 0
Monarchs 010 100 0 - 2 6 1
Luke Nikunen and Ostyn Brennan. Cade Harrison, Jeff Bullock (7) and Trevin Ressler.
KALISPELL LAKERS — Brennan 3-3, Carter Schlegel 0-1, Nikunen 0-3, Kaden Drish 1-3, Trever Cockerill 1-3, Oscar Kallis 0-4, Hunter Fann 2-2, Michael Owens 1-3, Andre Cephers 1-3.
MEDICINE HAT MOOSE MONARCHS — Aidan Eckersall 1-3, Mason Heintz 0-2, Cade Moch 0-1, Bullock 0-4, Kayne Olinski 0-2, Harrison 1-3, Ryler Straarup 1-2, Ressler 1-2, Landon MacPherson 0-2, Parker Hunt 2-3.
2B — Fann, Drish, Brennan. RBIs — Schlegel 2, Fann, Hunt 2.
State AA Scores
Wednesday’s Games
Billings Royals 2, Bozeman Bucks 0
Billings Scarlets 8, Lethbridge Elks 4
Missoula Mavericks 7, Medicine Hat Monarchs 1
Helena Senators 1, Kalispell Lakers 0
Thursday
Lethbridge 5, Bozeman 4, loser out
Kalispell 3, Medicine Hat 2, loser out
Billings Royals 12, Billings Scarlets 6
Helena Senators 7, Missoula Mavericks 6, 10 innings
Friday
Game 9: Kalispell (39-24) vs. Billings Scarlets (56-11), 1 p.m.
Game 10: Lethbridge (18-26) vs. Missoula (50-26), 4 p.m.
Game 11: Billings Royals (33-22) vs. Helena (42-16), 7 p.m.
Saturday
Game 12: Winner 9 vs. Loser 11, 4 p.m.
Game 13: Winner 10 vs. Winner 11, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Game 14: Winner 12 vs. Winner 13, championship, 11 a.m.
Game 15: If necessary, 45 minutes after Game 14 ends