AA Lakers take pair of wins at Church tourney
LEWISTON, Idaho — Cale Brink started the day with a walk-off and the Lakers ended the day with eight-run showing to take two wins at the Dwight Church Memorial Tournament Friday.
Brink hopped on a 2-1 pitch in the bottom of the seventh to score Carter Schlegel from second and power Kalispell to a 2-1 victory over the Tri-City Titans to open the tournament.
In game two, the Lakers scored a pair of pivotal seventh inning runs and held of an RCA Green comeback attempt for an 8-7 victory.
The Lakers advance to play Benz Boys Saturday for a chance to move on to the championship game.
AA Lakers 8, RCA Green 7
Ostyn Brennan drove one down the line in the top of the seventh for the eventual game-winning run on an RBI double in the top of the seventh as Kalispell advanced in the winner's bracket.
The Lakers (19-8) started off with a three-run first as a walk and two sacrifice flies brought runs home.
RCA bounced back in the third as Kai Twaites tied the game at three on a double to center.
Later in the inning, Holden Koziol gave them a 5-3 lead on an RBI single scoring Tyson Landoni.
A two-run single in the fifth capped off a three-run frame as the Lakers took the lead back in the fifth. Andre Cephers knocked one to center, scoring Hunter Fann and Oscar Kallis.
In the seventh Kalispell extended the lead on a passed ball that scored Kallis before Brennan’s double.
RCA pulled within one in the seventh with a hit batsman bringing in one and a fielder’s choice scoring another. Koziol stepped in with a chance to tie or take the lead, but went down looking as Brennan closed out the game on the mound.
Kyler Croft and Carter Schlegel also took the mound for the Lakers with Schlegel striking out four in his four innings on the mound.
Kalispell 300 030 2 - 8 9 2
RCA 104 000 2 - 7 10 0
Carter Schlegel, Kyler Croft (5), Ostyn Brennan (7) and Brady Buckmaster. Kai Twaites, Tyson Grillo (1), Justus Schmid (4), Caylor Hayward (6), Tyson Landoni (7) and Brody Taylor.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 1-3, Luke Nikunen 1-3, Carter Schlegel 2-4, Kaedan Kahler 1-3, Hunter Fann 1-3, Oscar Kallis 0-1, Bryce Buckmaster 0-0, Brady Buckmaster 0-2, Andre Cephers 1-1, Kyler Croft 1-1, Teague Dixon 0-4.
RCA GREEN — Grady Edler 2-4, Tyson Grillo 0-2, Sonny Salazar 0-3, Kai Twaites 3-4, Justus Schmidt 2-4, Brody Taylor 1-2, Caylor Hayward 0-4, Holden Koziol 2-4, Trenton Ralston 0-2, Tyson Landoni 0-1.
2B — Brennan. Edler, Twaites. RBIs — Bryce Buckmaster 2, Cephers 2, Fann, Brennan, Kahler. Twaites 3, Taylor, Hayward, Koziol.
AA Lakers 2, Tri-City 1
After four scoreless innings, Kalispell finally broke the ice as Brennan took advantage of a passed ball to come in and make it 1-0.
The Titans left it to their last out to pull level as Asa Perkes pinch hit and drove in the tying run on a single in the seventh.
Schlegel then opened the bottom of the inning with a double to center field. After a pair of strikeouts, Brink stepped in and called game as the Lakers advanced.
Kalispell got 5 2-3 innings from Andre Cephers on the mound, allowing just two hits and one earned run. He fanned six. Schlegel retired the lone batter he faced.
Coppin Hunkapillar went the distance for Tri-City, giving up eight hits and striking out seven.
Tri-City 000 000 1 - 1 3 0
Kalispell 000 010 1 - 2 9 1
Coppin Hunkapillar and Brayden Sullivan. Cephers, Schlegel (6) and Brennan.
TRI-CITY TITANS — Colin Harrington 0-3, Brady Mattson 1-3, Coppin Hunkapillar 0-3, Vance Nelson 0-2, Easton Bush 0-2, Brayden Sullivan 0-1, Dallas Doherty 0-3, Talon Purser 0-2, Asa Perkes, Tugg McQuinn 0-3.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Brennan 2-3, Nikunen 0-4, Schlegel 2-3, Kallis 0-4, Fann 2-3, Cale Brink 2-4, Bryce Buckmaster 0-3, Croft 0-3, Dixon 1-2.
2B — Schlegel. RBIs — Perkes. Brink.