AA Lakers take 2 of 3 from Bucks

by Daily Inter Lake
| July 17, 2025 12:00 AM

Knocked around by the Kalispell Lakers late Tuesday, the Bozeman Bucks got strong pitching from Cash Tasker and Gus Musial to salvage the final game of a three-game Legion baseball set Wednesday, 3-1 at Griffin Field.

That blunted the momentum Kalispell built Tuesday while beating the Bucks 1-0 and then 12-8. The latter game saw Bozeman cut a 10-2 deficit to 10-8 before the Lakers pulled away.

Tuesday

AA Lakers 12, Bucks 8

Ostyn Brennan had three hits, including a double, and he and Kaeden Kahler each drove in three runs to help the Lakers clinch the series Tuesday.

Carter Schlegel’s double and Kahler’s single drove in runs in the first inning for Kalispell, and an error on Schlegel’s bases-loaded grounder in the second inning gave the Lakers a 4-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Andre Cephers hit a two-run single and Ostyn Brennan added a three-run double as the gap grew to 10-2 in the third inning.

Bozeman used two Kalispell errors and RBI singles from Quinn Pershing and Grayson Herz to close to 10-8 in the sixth; the Lakers answered with Kahler’s two-run single in their half.

Luke Nikunen was charged with four earned runs in his 5 2-3 innings on the mound; he allowed eight hits and four walks, with five strikeouts.

Bucks 020 024 0 - 8 10 2

AA Lakers 235 002 0 - 12 11 3

Grant Perry, Mac Melin (3), Van Shockley (4), Grayson Herz (6) and Sam Talbot. Luke Nikunen, Carter Schlegel (6), Ostyn Brennan (7) and Brady Buckmaster.

BOZEMAN BUCKS — Louis Musial 0-4, Herz 1-5, Cole Smith 1-5, Shockley 2-3, Quinn Pershing 2-2, Jacob Snyder 1-4, Braeden Matthews 1-4, Cash Tasker 2-2, Talbot 0-2.

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 3-4, Cale Brink 1-2, Carter Schlegel 1-4, Nikunen 1-4, Kaeden Kahler2-3, Hunter Fann 1-3, Oscar Kallis 1-4, Andre Cephers 1-4, Buckmaster 0-0.

2B — Schlegel, Brennan. 3B — Shockey. RBIs — Musial 2, Pershing 2, Shockley, Herz, Matthews, Brennan 3, Kahler 3, Cephers 2, Schlegel.

Wednesday

Bucks 3, Lakers 1

Tasker allowed six hits and the Lakers’ lone run in five innings, while fanning three. Musial supplied two innings of hitless relief.

Bozeman got two runs in the first via single, double, sacrifice fly (Cole Smith) and RBI single (Van Shockley). That was enough, though Smith added an RBI single in the third for a 3-0 lead.

The Lakers used two base hits and a double steal — Nikunen scored while Hunter Fann stole second — to close to 3-1 in the fourth inning. The Lakers managed just one from there, though, by Fann to lead off the seventh. He was erased by a double play.

Jackson Heino allowed all three Bozeman runs, on eight hits in four innings. He fanned one. Kyler Croft gave up one hit over the final three innings, and also struck out one.

The Lakers are home for the rest of the regular season, starting with a three-game set with Lethbridge. They play the Elks once Saturday at 6 p.m., then a doubleheader beginning at noon on Sunday.

Bucks 201 000 0 - 3 9 2

AA Lakers 000 100 0 - 1 6 0

Tasker, Musial (6) and Snyder. Jackson Heino, Kyler Croft (5) and Brennan.

BUCKS — Musial 3-4, Herz 1-3, Smith 1-2, Shockley 1-2, Pershing 0-3, Snyder 1-3, Matthews 0-3, Tasker 0-3, Talbot 2-3.

LAKERS — Brennan 1-3, Brink 0-3, Schlegel 1-3, Nikunen 0-3, Kahler 1-3, Fann 2-3, Kalllis 0-3, Cephers 0-3, Teagan Dixon 1-2.

2B — Herz. RBIs — Smith 2, Shockley.