Lakers bow out of AA with 10-inning loss
HELENA — Cody Collis’ bases-loaded single in the 10th inning kept the Billings Scarlets alive Friday, with a 5-4 win over the Kalispell Lakers at the Montana/Alberta State AA Legion tournament.
It was an epic game and a second heart-breaking tournament loss for the Lakers, who ended up 39-25. Kalispell fell to defending champion Helena 1-0 on a walk-off wild pitch Wednesday (on Thursday Helena walked off the Billings Royals 7-6 with a squeeze bunt).
Friday the Lakers led 4-2 on Ostyn Brennan’s RBI single in the fourth inning, and took that lead to the seventh where the top-seeded Scarlets (57-11) pushed across two runs to force extras.
It was a tough seventh: The Lakers got singles from Ostyn Brennan and Carter Schlegel to lead off their half, but then bunted into an out. Then Scarlets reliever Nolan Berkram came in for ace Paxton Prill and got two strikeouts.
In the bottom half Collis led off with a base hit and came around on singles by Kade Vatnsdal and Berkram. That cut the gap to 4-3; Billings got the equalizer when Vatnsdal came across on a double steal.
The Lakers got two singles with one out in the eighth but couldn’t break through against Berkram, who got five of his eight outs by strikeout.
Meanwhile Kalispell was getting excellent pitching, especially from Schlegel — who came on in the third inning — and Brennan. Schlegel held Billings in check for four innings before allowing three hits in the seventh. Brennan took over and went 2 2-3 innings, fanning three, before the Scarlets put together two hits and two walks in the 10th.
Brennan’s three hits included a two-run single in the second; Oscar Kallis also had an RBI single that inning. Brennan went 6-for-10 at the plate in three tournament games while throwing out two base stealers and back-picking another.
The Lakers played some of their best ball the last half-dozen games, after losing 11 of 15 at one point. With a state tournament berth on the line, they swept the Great Falls Chargers to get the No. 7 seed; they lost one-run games to the top two seeds in the tournament.
“The Kalispell Lakers are the best of the best,” coach Ryan Malmin said, noting his team committed one error in 24 innings at state and got outstanding pitching from Luke Nikunen on Thursday (a 3-2 win over Medicine Hat) and Jackson Heino in Wednesday.
Lakers 030 100 000 000 0 - 4 10 1
Scarlets 020 000 200 1 - 5 10 2
Oscar Kallis, Carter Schlegel (3), Ostyn Brennan (7) and Brennan, Brady Buckmaster (7). Paxton Prill, Nolan Berkram (7) and Jaron Pinter.
KALISPELL LAKERS — Brennan 3-5, Schlegel 2-5, Luke Nikunen 1-4, Kaden Drish 0-4, Trever Cockerill 1-4, Kallis 1-4, Hunter Fann 1-5, Michael Owens 1-4, Bryce Buckmaster 0-2, Brady Buckmaster 0-1.
BILLINGS SCARLETS — Berkram 3-6, Chase Wise 0-2, Hunter Doyle 0-1, Kyler Northrop 1-5, Nate McDonald 0-3, Brady Randall 1-5, J Wilcox 1-3, Cody Collis 3-5, Pinter 0-4, Kade Vatnsdal 1-3.
2B — Cockerill, Berkram. RBIs — Brennan 3, Kallis, Berkram 2, Collis.