AA Lakers take 2 from Calgary
Solid pitching and defense guided the Kalispell AA Lakers to 9-1 victory in game one, and set up a sweep over the Calgary Cardinals at Griffin Field in an American Legion doubleheader on Friday.
Jackson Heino took the mound for the opener, allowing just two hits and striking out four through five innings. Battery mate Andre Cephers sparked the offense with a base hit and four RBIs.
“This is what we expect from him (Heino), consistent pounding the zone and forcing the guys to put the ball in play,” Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said. “It was huge for us as we struggled offensively in the quality of our bats, so it was great to see what he needed to do as a leader.”
The Lakers (3-2) came alive in the 19-1 victory nightcap behind more solid pitching from starter Luke Nikunen — who went four innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run while striking out five. He helped his cause at the plate, lacing a double into the gap to score two runs.
Cephers started the scoring in game one as his 2-run RBI single scored Bryce Buckmaster and Teegan Dixon, who was held up at third after Buckmaster’s double. The Lakers loaded the bases in the third inning and plated two more runs on sacrifice flies from Cephers and Dixon to lead 4-0.
Kalispell loaded the bases again in the bottom of sixth and plated three more runs on an RBI single from Kyler Croft, an error and another sacrifice fly from Cephers. George Schwan pitched the last two innings, allowing two hits and one earned run.
The Cardinals (0-2) took the lead in the first inning of game two, loading the bases and scoring on an error before Nikunen struck out the next two batters.
Kalispell responded with 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by back-to-back doubles from Hunter Fann and Oscar Kallis that drove in a run each. Calgary committed three errors in the frame, leading to four unearned runs.
“You always want to execute and get 21 outs and not give the other team extra outs,” Malmin said. “We struggled with that last week in our opener; tonight was their opener and the first time they have been able to practice outside because of the weather. We were that way last week and today we were much better defensively.”
Miles Arrowsmith, Croft and Fann led the offensive charge for the Lakers, all with identical stat lines going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Arrowsmith and Fann also scored three runs each with Croft and Reggie Sapa crossing the plate twice.
Kaeden Kahler pitched the final inning for Kalispell and ended the game with a nice reaction to a comebacker where he doubled up the runner on second. That ended the game in five innings due to the run rule.
The Lakers play the Cardinals once again Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. It’s part of a doubleheader: They have a game against the Cranbrook Bandits at 3 p.m.
First game
AA Cardinals 000 000 1 - 1 4 4
AA Lakers 022 104 x - 9 7 2
Hunter Trew, Duncan Sauve (6) and Caleb Furuya. Jackson Heino (5), George Schwan (7) and Andre Cephers.
CALGARY AA CARDINALS — Dyllan Grant 1-3, Sam Clements 1-2, Mike Gartley 0-3, Evan Drake 0-2, Bennett Quipp 2-3, Ethan Scyrup 0-3, Tyson Bodie 0-2, Braylon Becker 0-1, Caleb Furuya 0-2.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Hunter Fann 0-4, Luke Nikunen 1-3, Oscar Kallis 0-1, Kaeden Kohler 1-2, Kyler Croft 1-3, Teegan Dixon 1-1, Bryce Buckmaster 1-4, Andre Cephers 1-2, Cole Brink 1-4.
2B — Buckmaster. RBIs — Drake. Cephers 4, Croft 2, Buckmaster, Dixon, Kahler.
Second game
AA Cardinals 100 00x x - 1 2 4
AA Lakers 1007 2xx x - 19 13 2
Tyson Bodie (4) and Ethan Drake. Luke Nikunen (4), Kyler Kahler (5) and Andre Cephers.
CALGARY AA CARDINALS — Quipp 0-3, Grant 1-2, Sauve 0-1, Drake 0-1, Trew 0-2, Clements 0-2, Kash Chapiel 1-2, Becker 0-2, Gartley 0-2, Jack Johnstone 0-1.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Sapa 1-5, Fann 2-3, Nikunen 1-1, Kallis 0-0, Kahler 0-2, Croft 2-3, Buckmaster 0-2, Schwan 0-2, Cephers 2-4, Wyatt Asher 2-4, Miles Arrowsmith 2-3.
2B — Fann, Kallis. RBIs — Arrowsmith 2, Croft 2, Fann 2, Nikunen 2, Asher, Cephers, Heino, Kallis, Kahler.