Med. Hat takes 2 from AA Lakers

The Kalispell Lakers’ series against the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs started well enough, before the visitors from Alberta took Sunday’s game 9-4 to win their second straight AA contest.

After the Lakers (31-14) opened the series with a 12-2 win, the Monarchs (16-23-1) won Saturday’s late game 9-1. In both games Medicine Hat used a five-run outburst to take command at Griffin Field. 

Sunday’s big inning was the fifth, and erased a 3-1 deficit: Riley Staarup started it with an RBI triple; Jeff Bullock’s two-run triple put the Monarchs up 5-3, and he came in on a Kayne Olinski single to cap the rally. 

That came after Luke Nikunen and Trever Cockerill hit RBI triples as the Lakers put up three runs in the fourth.  Andre Cephers added a sacrifice fly in the sixth for Kalispell. 

Saturday night the Lakers were held to four hits by the Straarup — he allowed three hits, six walks and one unearned run in five innings — and two relievers. 

Nikunen had two of those hits, including another triple. Meanwhile Medicine Hat got a three-run triple from Pryce Velichko to cap a five-run fourth inning and a solo homer from Landon MacPherson in the second.  

The Lakers are headed to Alberta next, for a Tuesday doubleheader with Lethbridge. 

Sunday 

Monarchs    010    051    2    -    9    10    1 

AA Lakers    000    301    0    -    4    6    3

Cade Harrison, Trevin Ressler (7) and Landon MacPherson. Carter Schlegel, Ostyn Brennan (5), Oscar Kallis (7) and Andre Cephers. 

MEDICINE HAT MOOSE MONARCHS — Ryler Straarup 1-3, Hertz 1-3, Aiden Eckersen 0-3, Jeff Bullock 1-4, Kayne Olinski 2-4, MacPherson 0-2, Pryce Velichko 0-2, Resller 4-4, P Hunt 1-4. 

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 0-4, Kaden Drish 1-3, Luke Nikunen 1-3, Kallis 0-3, Trever Zcockerill 2-2, Brysen Herion 0-2, Schlegel 0-1, Cephers 2-2, Michael Owens 0-3, Bryce Buckmaster 0-1, Hunter Fann 0-1. 

2B — Drish. 3B — Bullock, Hunt, Straarup. Nikunen, Cockerill. RBIs — Straarup, Hertz, Bullock, Olinski, Ressler, Hunt, Nikunen, Cockerill, Cephers.  

Late Saturday 

Monarchs    011    500    2    -    9    7    1 

AA Lakers    001    000    0    -    1    4    3

Straarup, Harrison (6), Ressler (7) and MacPherson. Nikunen, Cockerill (4) and Brennan. 

MEDICINE HAT — Straarup 0-3, Asha Frey 0-3, Hertz 0-0, Eckersell 3-3, Harrison 0-0, Bullockk 1-4, Olinski 1-4, MacPherson 1-3, Cade Moch 0-3, Ressler 0-3, Velichko 1-2. 

KALISPELL — Brennan 0-2, Drish 1-3, Nikunen 2-4, Kallis 0-0, Fann 0-3, Herion 0-1, Cockerill 0-4, Owens 1-3, Schlegel 0-2, Buckmaster 0-1, Cephers 0-1. 

2B — Velichko. 3B —  Nikunen. HR — MacPherson. RBIs — Velichko, Straarup, Eckersell, Bullock, Olinski, MacPherson.