Rough road loss for Lakers

MISSOULA - The Kalispell Lakers let a 4-1 seventh-inning lead slip away as the Missoula Mavericks rallied for a 6-4 West AA American Legion baseball victory Sunday afternoon.

The Lakers went on top 4-1 by pushing three runs across the plate in the top half of the seventh inning. But Missoula came right back with four runs in the bottom half of the inning for a 5-4 lead. Tres Cunningham had the big hit, a bases clearing double.

Missoula (29-5 overall, 2-0 league) added another run in the eighth.

"We didn't do the little things (again) to win a tight game," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said. "Matt McLean went six innings and pitched very well. He gave up only two hits."

Cody Dopps put the Lakers on the scoreboard in the second inning with a solo home run to left field. It was Dopps' fourth round-tripper of the season and his only hit of the contest.

Joe Pistorese led the Lakers at the plate, going 2 for 4.

The game was originally scheduled for Griffin Field, but flooding forced the game to be played in Missoula. Because of that, the Lakers, who were suppose to play the Mavericks in Missoula on July 14, will now host that league game.

Kalispell (17-7 and 2-3) plays a league doubleheader at Lethbridge, Alberta, on Thursday, starting at 5 p.m.

Kalispell 010 000 300 - 4 6 3

Missoula 000 100 41x - 6 6 1

Matt McLean, Alex Stanley (7) and Cody Dopps. Brent Daugherty, Steven DeYoung (7), Michael Melugin (8) and Luke Bewley. W - DeYoung (1-0). L - Stanley.

KALISPELL - Dillon Matteson 0-4, Kendrick Lee 1-4, Michael O'Connell 0-3, Sean O'Connell 0-0, Joe Pistorese 2-4, Sidney Schenck 1-4, Dopps 1-4, Dominic Eickert 1-2, Dillon Eaves 0-3, Nate Bengston 0-2.

MISSOULA - DeYoung 0-3, Brody Miller 0-3, Riley King 0-3, Nathan Jewett 1-4, Andrew Sopko 2-4, Tanner Rheinschmidt 0-2, Conner Anderson 0-0, Melugin 0-1, Kyle Booi 1-4, Bewley 0-2, Tres Cunningham 2-3.

2B - Cunningham. 3B - Jewett. HR - Dopps. RBIs - Lee, Dopps, Eickert, Bengston, King, Sopko 2, Cunningham 3.

Legion Standings

West AA

League Overall

W L W L

Missoula Mavericks 2 0 29 5

Medicine Hat Monarchs 1 0 11 5

Great Falls Chargers 3 1 20 11

Kalispell Lakers 2 3 17 7

Glacier Twins 1 4 15 13

Lethbridge Spits Elks 0 1 NA NA

East AA

W L W L

Billings Scarlets 5 0 21 1

Billings Royals 2 1 14 8

Helena Senators 1 2 9 17

Bozeman Bucks 0 1 8 10

Butte Miners 0 5 7 16