WHITEFISH – The runs came a little too little and a little too late Thursday evening at the Montana/Alberta State AA American Legion baseball tournament at Memorial Park.
The Mavs scored four runs over the final two innings of their second-round contest against the Billings Royals, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Royals from picking up a 10-8 victory.
The Royals (35-13) will meet the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs at 7 p.m. Friday in a battle of tournament unbeatens. The Monarchs (29-12) advanced with a 3-2 defeat of the Bozeman Bucks.
Missoula (45-25) faces a 3 p.m. Friday loser-out game against the Great Falls Chargers (31-26-1).
In loser-out action Thursday, Great Falls downed the Helena Senators 2-1 and the defending champion Billings Scarlets beat the Glacier Twins 9-8.
Royals 10, Missoula 8
Eli Gunderson was 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs and Luke Reinschmidt added a double, a homer and two driven in for the Royals.
Konner Weichman threw 4 2/3 innings in relief of Royals starting pitcher DJ Baxter to post the win. Weichman surrendered four runs on six hits and no walks. He struck out four.
The Royals scored in each of the first six innings and led 5-2 before the Mavs pulled within a run with a two-run fifth inning with the help of back-to-back bases loaded walks.
Missoula designated hitter Josh Meader was 1 for 3 with three RBIs, third baseman Nathan Jewett drove in three and Slade Heggen was 2 for 4 with a pair of RBIs.
Mavericks starting pitcher Matt McHugh threw 4 1/3 innings and took the loss, falling to 8-4.
Missoula 011 020 022 – 8 10 5
Royals 211 123 00x – 10 12 3
Matt McHugh, William Keffeler (4) and Slade Heggen. DJ Baxter, Konner Weichman (5) and Nick Scanson. W – Weichman. L – McHugh (8-4).
MISSOULA – Tanner Rheinschmidt 2-5, Alec Bouchee 1-3 Riley King 2-5, Nathan Jewett 0-3, Heggen 2-4, Shane Olson 1-5, Jesson Preston 1-4, Josh Meader 1-3, Tanner Maier 0-4.
ROYALS – Joseph Zimmer 1-5, Luke Reinschmidt 3-5, Hunter Kovash 2-4, Chance Ackerman 0-4, Scanson 1-3, Weichman 1-4, Matt Shelhamer 1-4, TJ Jacobs 1-4, Eli Gunderson 2-3.
2B – King, Preston, Reinschmidt, Jacobs. HR – Reinschmidt, Gunderson. RBIs – Jewett 3, Heggen 2, Meader 3, Reinschmidt 2, Kovash 2, Shelhamer, Gunderson 3.
Medicine Hat 3, Bozeman 2
The Moose Monarchs rallied to their second-round victory.
Medicine Hat (29-12) trailed 2-0 before getting on the board with a two-out RBI single by second baseman Braden Goldade in the seventh. The Monarchs added another run in the eighth on an error before designated hitter Jose Calderon plated Justin Becic with the winning run on a single in the bottom of the ninth.
Goldade singled twice to lead the Medicine Hat bats, while Brad Paradis threw a complete-game, six-hitter to post the victory on the mound.
Bozeman (41-20) starting pitcher Matt Hape went 2 for 4 with a double.
The Bucks will meet the Billings Scarlets in a loser-out game at noon Friday.
Second round
Bozeman 100 100 000 – 2 6 1
Med. Hat 000 000 111 – 3 6 1
Matt Hape, Cody Cooper (9) and Nate Lamberty. Brad Paradis and Austin Weisgerber. W – Paradis. L – Cooper.
BOZEMAN – Corey Hockett 0-4, Conner Linebarger 1-2, Ean Weaver 0-4, Cooper 0-0, Hape 2-4, Keith Ailes 1-3, Sam Olson 0-2, Jake Ekstrom 0-4, Lamberty 1-4, Isaac Thompson 1-3.
MEDICINE HAT – Braden Goldade 2-4, Cody Florkowski 1-4, Konner Lutz 0-3, Greg Adams 1-4, Andy Scott 0-3, Weisgerber 0-3, Nolan Rattai 0-2, Justin becic 1-4, Jose Calderon 1-3.
2B – Hape, Becic. RBIs – Hape, Olson, Goldade, Calderon.
Scarlets 9, Glacier 8
The Scarlets ousted tournament-host Glacier with a loser-out walkoff victory.
The Scarlets held a commanding 7-0 lead after a seven-run fourth inning with the help of Ian Byorth’s grand slam off Glacier starting pitcher Carl Talsma.
But the Twins clawed back with five runs in the fifth, then tallied three more in the eighth to send it to the final frame tied 8-8.
In the ninth, the Scarlets loaded the bases on a leadoff single by Christian Martinson, followed by back-to-back bunt singles by Colter Endy and Brayden Wickam. Scarlets first baseman Winston Cox then singled home Martinson with the winning run.
Martinson tossed the final 1 1/3 innings to earn the win on the mound for the Scarlets (33-21-1).
Garrett Houston went 3 for 5 for the Twins, who completed the season 6-47.
Loser out
Glacier 000 050 030 – 8 13 0
Scarlets 000 701 001 – 9 12 4
Carl Talsma, Isaac Venezio (5), Jeremy Nielson and Nielson, Garrett Houtson (7). Myles Berkram, Jalen Garcia (5), Christian Martinson (8) and Nick Funyak. W – Martinson. L – Nielson.
GLACIER – Nielson 1-4, Talsma 0-3, Corey Davis 1-3, Houston 3-5, Bryce Wehrli 2-5, Nathan Carr 1-5, Jake Slaybaugh 2-5, Conner Donahue 2-3, Shane Marciel 1-1, Venezio 0-1, Peter Seymour 0-2.
SCARLETS – Torrey Huppert 0-2, Kenny Clarin 1-4, Funyak 0-4, Ian Byorth 1-3, Gage Hinsz 2-2, Colton Welhaven 0-2, Garcia 2-2, Martinson 1-1, Colter Endy 2-5, Brayden Wickam 2-4, Winston Cox 1-4, Berkram 0-2.
2B – Wehrli, Hinsz, Garcia. HR – Byorth. RBIs – Nielson, Talsma 2, Davis 2, Houston, Wehrli, Clarin 2, Byorth 4, Garcia, Wickam, Cox.
Great Falls 2, Helena 1
Jayse McLean was the difference maker as the Chargers survived a tight loser-out contest.
McLean belted a first-inning solo home run, then won it in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out single that scored Anthony Bonilla. Bonilla reached on an error, then advanced to second on a balk.
Cayden Napierala went 3 for 4 to lead the Chargers’ eight-hit attack.
Starting pitcher Garrett Cornwell threw a solid eight innings, allowing six hits and two walks. He didn’t surrender an earned run and fanned six.
Bonilla threw a hitless ninth to earn the win as the Chargers improved to 31-26-1.
Tristan Shea was 2 for 3 and Lee Mueller had an RBI single in the top of the third for the Senators, who finished the season (32-35).
Loser out
Helena 001 000 000 – 1 6 3
Great Falls 100 000 001 – 2 8 2
Cody Carroll and Daniel Hansen. Garrett Cornwell, Anthony Bonilla and Justin Pfennigs. W – Bonilla. L – Carroll.
HELENA – Lee Mueller 1-4, Troy Arnston 1-3, Ray Schnur 0-2, Ryan Estep 0-2, Hansen 0-3, Jarin Gassett 0-4, Cole Andriolo 1-3, Wyatt Eckert 1-4, Matt Burgess 0-3, Tristan Shea 2-3.
GREAT FALLS – Bonilla 1-5, Jayse McLean 2-5, Cayden Napierala 3-4, Scott Held 0-3, Destin Wassman 0-3, Dalton Cook 0-4, Tyler Pfennigs 1-4, Sam Wingerter 1-2, J. Pfennigs 0-3.
2B – Arnston. RBIs – Mueller, McLean 2.
