AA Lakers sweep twinbill from Mt. Spokane

by Daily Inter Lake
| July 12, 2025 9:05 PM

MEAD, Wash. — Kaeden Kahler threw the ball well and hit it even better, helping the Kalispell AA Lakers sweep a Legion doubleheader from Mt. Spokane Saturday.

Kahler’s three innings of one-hit relief helped the Lakers close out the Wild 5-3 in the first game.

in the nightcap Kahler doubled and drove in five runs in a 14-5 victory.

AA Lakers 5, Wild 3

In the opener the Lakers (30-17) took advantage of two walks, a single, a wild pitch, a passed ball, two hit batters — Wyatt Asher earned a run batted in — and an RBI groundout (Ostyn Brennan) to score four runs in the second inning.

That held up because Luke Nikunen and Kahler combined to hold the Wild to two hits. Mount Spokane took advantage of two Laker errors to score twice in the sixth inning; Kalispell was able to get out of the inning partly because Hunter Fann threw home to nail the Wild’s Joe Spier on a double steal attempt.

Kahler, who came on in the fourth inning, hit an RBI single in the seventh to move the lead to 5-3. He then worked a 1-2-3 inning to close out the win; he allowed one hit, one walk and two unearned runs while striking out two.

Nikunen allowed one hit in his three innings and walked two. He fanned four.

AA Lakers 040 000 1 - 5 4 3

Wild AAA 000 102 0 - 3 2 1

Luke Nikunen, Kaeden Kahler (4) and Brady Buckmaster. Reece Chimienti, Jaxson Kelly (6) and Ben Wiser.

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 0-3, Nikunen 0-1, Kahler 1–1, Oscar Kallis 0-3, Andre Cephers 0-3, Hunter Fann 1-3, Kyler Croft 1-3, Buckmaster 0-3, Wyatt Asher 0-2, Cale Brink 1-2.

MT. SPOKANE WILD — Landon Bennett 0-3, Joe Spier 1-3, Kelly 1-2, Wiser 0-3, Brody Three Stars 0-1, Aaron Shaw 0-3, Johnny Horner 0-2, Angelo Olson 0-2, Jackson Naresh 0-1, Chimienti 0-2.

2B — Fann. RBIs — Brennan, Kahler, Asher, Kelly, Wiser.

AA Lakers 14, Wild 5

Kalispell sent 10 men to the plate in a seven-run third inning, amassing four walks and two hit batters. Kahler walked in one for an RBI, and Nikunen’s two-run single put the Lakers up 8-0.

Kahler, who got hit twice by pitches, added a two-run single in the fourth inning and then a two-run double in the seventh after Mt. Spokane (20-14-1) cut a 10-0 deficit in half.

Cale Brink was the beneficiary of the offensive largess; he threw four shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk. He struck out one.

Kallis got four outs before Croft took over in the sixth to quell the Wild’s bats after they closed to 10-5.

Nikunen also had a double; Fann drew two walks, was hit by a pitch and scored four times.

AA Lakers 017 200 4 - 14 11 2

Wild AAA 000 023 0 - 5 6 1

Brink, Kallis (5), Croft (6) and Brennan. P Wurslin, Olson (3), J. Spier (5) and Shaw.

AA LAKERS — 1-4, Nikunen 2-5, Kallis 1-3, Reggie Sapa 0-0, Brady Buckmaster 1-1, Bryce Buckmaster 1-1, Cephers 0-1, Asher 0-0, Fann 1-2, Kahler 2-3, Croft 1-3, Heino 0-4, Teagan Dixon 1-3.

MT. SPOKANE WILD — J.Spier 0-3, Chimienti 1-4, J Famolaro 1-4, Kelly 0-2, Wiser 1-4, Shaw 1-4, Horner 1-3, Olson 0-4, Naresh 1-1.

2B — Kahler, Nikunen, Chimienti. RBIs — Kahler 5, Nikunen 2, Croft 2, Brady Buckmaster, Heino, Brennan, J Spier, Chimineti, Shaw, Horner.