A Lakers win wild opener over Loggers

A wild pickoff throw allowed the Kalispell A Lakers to break a 10-10 tie in the seventh inning, and two more runs in the eighth proved important in their 13-11 win over Libby, in the American Legion baseball opener for both teams Wednesday.

Jake Hale had an RBI single in that eighth inning to put the Lakers up 12-10; another run scored on a passed ball, in a Griffin Field contest that featured nine errors, 17 walks — 11 issued by the Libby Loggers — and 10 hit batters (seven by Libby). 

It also featured four lead changes: Libby led 6-2, trailed 9-6 and then lead 10-9 going to that seventh inning. The Loggers pushed across an 11th run in the ninth inning, thanks to an error, a walk and two wild pitches.  

Beau Schultz had three hits, including a two-run double in the second inning, and drove in four runs for the Lakers.  Schultz, George Schwan and Max Schara each scored twice. 

Jayce Wheeler, the eighth Lakers pitcher, also struck out three Loggers in the ninth to seal the win. Hale, Schultz, Falon Clark and Wheeler combined to allow just one unearned run over the final four innings, with 11 strikeouts. 

Libby scored four times in the third inning, getting a hit batter with the bases loaded, another run on a wild pitch, a third on a bases-loaded walk to Bransen Holzer and another on Tanner Wolfe’s RBI single. Kale Riddle added an RBI single in the fourth as Libby’s lead grew to 6-2. 

Kalispell got seven runs in the fourth, the first two coming while Libby pitchers hit four straight batters.  

Schultz’s two-run single put the Lakers up 7-6, and yet another hit batter — Clark — drove in a run to make it 9-6. 

Brody Gilmore’s RBI triple put Libby back in front, 10-9, in the fifth. 

Holzer — an A Laker a year ago — and Wolfe both drove in two runs for Libby. Holzer had a double. Noah Gillespie and Riddle each scored twice.  

Libby used seven pitchers in eight innings, with Boe Miles, Kale Hall and Holzer combining for 3 2-3 scoreless innings and five strikeouts. Aidan Rose threw the first two innings, allowed two unearned runs and fanning four. 

 The A Lakers’ next action is a Saturday doubleheader at Great Falls, at 1 p.m.