10-run 3rd carries AA Lakers over Elks
Kalispell's Luke Nikunen (12) drives in two runs in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA pitcher Kyler Croft (11) delivers against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA centerfielder Oscar Kallis (3) tracks down a long fly ball against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA shortstop Carter Schlegel (5) makes a play on a grounder against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Teagon Dixon (6) drives in two runs with a double in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA second baseman Hunter Fann (15) makes a play on a ball against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA starting pitcher Jackson Heino (4) delivers against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA right fielder Teagon Dixon (6) squeezes a fly ball for an out against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA second baseman Hunter Fann (15) makes a play on a ball against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Kaeden Kahler (21) drives in a run in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Lakers AA shortstop Carter Schlegel (5) makes a play on a grounder against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Ostyn Brennan (10) drives in a run in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Ostyn Brennan delivers in a relief appearance against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
The Kalispell Lakers got one big inning Saturday, pushing across 10 runs in the third frame on the way to a 10-7 win over the Lethbridge Elks in Montana/Alberta AA Legion baseball at Griffin Field.
The Lakers (33-18 overall, 9-10 in league games) trailed 1-0 before sending 14 men to the plate in the third. Ostyn Brennan drove in two runs in the frame, first with a bases-loaded walk and then a two-out single that made it 10-1; Luke Nikunen and Teagan Dixon each had two-run doubles,
Cale Brink and Kaedan Kahler added RBI singles and Carter Schlegel drew a bases-loaded walk.
Up big, the Lakers sandwiched two errors around a hit batter in Lethbridge’s half of the fourth inning and the Elks were on the comeback. A two-run single by Ty Mabin, a sacrifice fly by Evan Machum and a two-run triple from Carter Mann cut Kalispell’s lead to 10-6.
The Elks (21-24-1, 5-12 in league) weren’t done: Mabin drove in another run with a groundout in the fifth. After Lowen Kitawaga singled, the Elks brought the tying run to the plate — but Kyler Croft struck out the next two batters to end that threat.
Croft came in for starter Jackson Heino, who allowed six hits, a walk and three hit batters, but just one earned run in four innings. Heino fanned one.
Brennan relieved Croft with two on and two out in the sixth inning, then worked around a walk and a hit batter in the seventh to close it out.
Oscar Kallis and Dixon each scored twice for the Lakers.
It was the first game of an important three-game set as the regular season winds down. The teams play a doubleheader Sunday, with the first game to start at noon.
The top seven teams in the Montana/Alberta standings advance to the State AA tournament, along with tournament host Medicine Hat (6-25-1, 0-19 in league).
Currently the Lakers sit sixth, ahead of Great Falls (9-13), Lethbridge and Medicine Hat in the league standings. Kalispell closes the regular season with a three-game home set with Helena beginning Friday.
Elks 010 510 0 - 7 7 1
AA Lakers 00(10) 000 x - 10 8 4
Carter Bevans, Jesse-James Olson (3) and Willis Takahashi. Jackson Heino, Kyler Croft (5), Ostyn Brennan (6) and Brennan, Brady Buckmaster (6).
LETHBRIDGE ELKS — Evan Machum 0-5, Alex Westlund 1-3, Carter Mann 1-5, Takahashi 0-2, Ben Puszkar 0-3, F Bruinsma 1-2, Midnite Toker 1-4, Ty Mabin 1-4, Lowen Kitagawa 2-3.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 1-3, Cale Brink 1-4, Carter Schlegel 0-2, Luke Nikunen 2-3, Kaeden Kahler 1-3, Hunter Fann 0-2, Oscar Kallis 1-2, Andre Cephers 0-3, Buckmaster 0-0, Teagan Dixon 2-3.
2B — Dixon. 3B — Mann. RBIs — Mabin 3, Mann 2, Machum, Dixon 3, Brennan 2, Nikunen 2, Kahler, Schlegel, Brink.
Lakers AA pitcher Kyler Croft (11) delivers against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA centerfielder Oscar Kallis (3) tracks down a long fly ball against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA shortstop Carter Schlegel (5) makes a play on a grounder against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Teagon Dixon (6) drives in two runs with a double in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA second baseman Hunter Fann (15) makes a play on a ball against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA starting pitcher Jackson Heino (4) delivers against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA right fielder Teagon Dixon (6) squeezes a fly ball for an out against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA second baseman Hunter Fann (15) makes a play on a ball against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Kaeden Kahler (21) drives in a run in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Lakers AA shortstop Carter Schlegel (5) makes a play on a grounder against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Ostyn Brennan (10) drives in a run in the Lakers' 10-run third inning against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Kalispell's Ostyn Brennan delivers in a relief appearance against the Lethbridge Elks at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider