Whitefish, Columbia Falls pick up 9-8 wins

MISSOULA — Heading to a stalemate in the bottom of the sixth inning, Whitefish’s Tait Orme hit a walk off single, scoring Calvin Eisenbarth for a 9-8 Bulldogs win over Stevensville at the PaddleHeads Baseball Showcase Saturday. 

In a later game, Columbia Falls beat Dillon by the same 9-8 score. 

Orme finished with two hits, including a double, and scored once. Eisenbarth doubled ahead of his game-winner. 

Carter Godsey went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Christian Schwaderer added two runs as the Bulldogs’ 4-5-6 hitters combined to go 6-for-9.  

Stevensville (6-2) took a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning, plating five runs, two of them coming with two out thanks to an error. Whitefish (7-0) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on Drew Queen’s RBI single and a Ryan Conklin sacrifice fly.  

Orme led off the fifth inning with a double and came around to score on Avery Caton’s single, before adding another run on an error. Stevensville tied it in the sixth before Eisenbarth scored the winning run.  

Columbia Falls 9, Dillon 8 

Columbia Falls watched its early 7-3 lead dwindle over the final two innings before responding with two runs to beat the Dillon Beavers (6-4). 

In the bottom of the sixth, Cooper Ross reached on an error and the next batter, Nico Young, laced a double to tie the game, 8-8. Reggie Sapa singled home Young on the next at bat to retake the lead. 

Young recorded the final three outs on the hill as the Wildcats improved to 6-1 on the season. 

Jett Pitts started the scoring in the first inning for the Wildcats with a bases-clearing double, scoring three runs on his way to a 3-for-4 day. Young recorded two extra-base hits, a double and triple, and earned the win pitching a scoreless 1 2/3 innings. 

Sapa started the game, lasting 5 1/3 innings, allowing six earned runs and striking out four. At the plate he finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs.