The Daily Inter Lake

POLSON - Mission Valley drubbed Deer Lodge 10-0 and knocked off the Helena Reps 5-4 in eight innings Saturday in its Firecracker Tournament.

The Mariners (39-9) will face the Bitterroot Red Sox, also unbeaten in tournament play, in the championship game today at 4:30 p.m.

Also Saturday it was: Cranbrook 9, Kootenai Valley 7; Havre 5, Helena 4; and Bitterroot Red Sox 13, Kootenai Valley 3.

In tournament play this morning, it's: Havre North Stars vs. Deer Lodge Wranglers at 9 a.m., followed by the Cranbrook Bandits and Missoula Pioneers at 11:30.

The Mariners have already won tournament titles this season in Dillon and Deer Lodge.

Mission Valley 10,

Deer Lodge 0

John Rausch tossed a one-hitter and Tim Rausch homered to left field, a solo shot, in the fifth inning to power the Mariners to an easy victory.

John Rausch struck out six and walked two. He gave up a single to Blake Neiderklein in the fourth inning.

Kyle Brown had a perfect game at the plate - 3-for-3. The Mariners had 12 hits. Eric Locke, 2-for-3, doubled for the team's other extra- base hit.

Deer Lodge 000 00 - 0 1 2

Mission Valley 220 24 - 10 12 1

Blake Neiderklein and Joe Stefalo; John Rausch and Tim Rausch. W - J. Rausch. L - Neiderklein.

Deer Lodge - P. Vasquez 0-3, A. Stefalo 0-2, Neiderklein 1-2, J. Stefalo 0-2, W. Anderson 0-2, C. Jennings 0-2, J. Jennings 0-1, R. Stidham 0-1, R. Ward 0-1, E. Korang 0-1.

Mission Valley - J. Rausch 2-2, Eric Locke 2-3, T. Rausch 2-3, Tyler Linse 1-2, Beau Nordberg 0-1, Nick Fell 0-2, Craig Bagnell 1-3, Chris Alfiero 1-2, Kyle Brown 3-3.

2B-Locke; HR-T. Rausch; RBIs-J. Rausch, Locke (2), T. Rausch (2), Fell, Brown.

Mission Valley 5,

Helena 4

Tyler Linse's sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Kyle Brown to win it.

Locke (7-0) checked the Reps on six hits. He struck out seven, walked one and hit one batter.

The Mariners had 13 hits in the game - two each by John Rausch, Locke, Tim Rausch, Brandon Roy and Craig Bagnell.

Helena Reps 103 000 00 - 4 6 3

Mission Valley 001 021 01 - 5 13 4

G. Stinchfield and M. Cline; Locke and J. Rausch. W - Locke (7-0). L - Stinchfield.

Helena - B. Rook 2-3, Z. Hanson 2-4, Sternhagen 0-3, C. Severs 0-4, J. Harris 1-4, P. Morgan 1-4, H. Day 0-4, Cline 0-3, M. McLean 0-2.

Mission Valley (39-9) - J. Rausch 2-4, Locke 2-4, T. Rausch 2-3, Linse 0-4, Brandon Roy 2-4, Fell 1-3, Bagnell 2-3, Austin Moran 1-4, Brown 1-4.

2B-J. Rausch, T. Rausch (2); RBIs-Severs (2), Morgan; T. Rausch (2), Linse, Fell.