Lakers sweep Scarlets

Tuesday was terrific for the Kalispell Lakers, who pinned a 5-0 shutout on the Billings Scarlets to sew up a doubleheader sweep and a AA Legion baseball series win at Griffin Field.

It wouldn’t have been possible without an extra-inning, 6-5 win over the Scarlets (13-16, 5-8 in league) in Tuesday’s opener – with Gage Brink’s opposite-field single to left field bringing home the winning run.

Then lefthander Danny Kernan took over in the late game, throwing a two-hit shutout in his best outing this season.

“It’s been kind of a struggle this year,” said Kernan, who fanned four and walked two in seven innings. “I’ve been just trying to get my confidence back up and I felt really good out there.”

The Lakers (19-9, 9-6 in league) watched Kernan pitch out of trouble in the first (Logan Meyer hit a two-out triple) and second (a walk and single with one out) innings. In the latter, he struck out Nate McDonald and Eric Laughlin to end the threat.

“Two-seam fastballs,” Kernan noted. “Just on the outer half – pretty good pitches I thought. It was mostly two-seam today and it was working really well. The curveball was also working well. The changeup was a little iffy.”

Whatever the case, the Scarlets didn’t get a hit the rest of the way. The Lakers, meanwhile, got a big game from Kael Willis, who drove in two runs in a rare start.

His bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single pushed the gap to 5-0 in the fifth inning.

“Kael has been struggling with a hip flexor pretty much all year,” Lakers’ coach Ryan Malmin said. “Every time we try to bring him back he kind of tweaks it a little bit. He gets spot playing time until that thing heals.

“He had a great approach at the dish that game — hunted the fastball and came up with two big hits for us.”

Willis’ double-play grounder scored Kalispell’s first run in the second inning, and he singled and scored on a double steal with Ben Corriveau in the fourth. That made it 3-0.

That was all Kernan needed.

“Really excited about Danny,” Malmin said. “He too has been hurt this year. Shoot, he’s had a bicep, a knee and a back issue.

“I told Reid (Barrows) to expect to come in because I didn’t think Danny would be able to throw a complete game. So he throws what, 82 pitches for a complete game. I’m just proud of his effort and his poise that he has on the mound.”

The first game was more of a struggle in which the Lakers didn’t get their first hit – an RBI single by Kernan – until the fourth inning. That put the Lakers ahead 4-3, but the Scarlets came back in the fifth with a run – and could have had more, but Kernan threw home on a grounder to first to cut down a runner.

It was one of several solid defensive play by the Lakers on the day – including a diving catch by Caden Willis in the nightcap, on the right field line.

It was also Caden Willis that scored the winning run in the first game, making a winner of Connor Drish, who’d come after AJ Wood threw seven solid innings.

“I think it was really important for us to get game No. 3,” said Malmin, whose club lost 7-1 Monday night. “To go extra innings and be able to shut them down – at the top of their lineup – and then come up with that clutch hit in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“Great to see Connor Drish come in and throw strikes and give us a chance.”

Lakers 6, Scarlets 5, 8 innings

Scarlets 021 010 10 - 5 7 3

Lakers AA 021 101 01 - 6 5 3

Rocco Gioloso, Jaden Sanchez (6) and Jarron Wilcox. AJ Wood, Connor Drish (8) and Gage Brink. WP – Drish. LP – Sanchez.

SCARLETS – Nate Dewar 1-5, Jace Buchanan 0-5, Logan Meyer 2-2, Jarron Wilcox 1-2, Caden Dowler 1-4, Jackson Schuebel 0-3, Nate McDonald 0-4, Michael Horrell 1-3, Johnny Day 1-3.

LAKERS – Ben Corriveau 0-4, Gage Brinbk 1-4, Ethan Diede 1-3, Jack Corriveau 0-2, Hayden Vaughn 0-3,. Conner Drish 1-3, Caden Willis 1-1, Danny Kernan 1-3, Kobe Berlund 1-3.

2B – Berlund. RBIs – Dewar 2, Schuebel, Dowler, Berlund 2, Brink, Diede, Drish, Kernan.

Lakers 5, Scarlets 0

Scarlets 000 000 0 - 0 2 0

Lakers AA 011 120 x - 5 7 1

Bradley Wagner, Dylan Silvis (5). Spencer Berger (7) and Wilcox. Kernan and Vaughn. WP – Kernan. LP – Wagner.

SCARLETS – Dewar 0-3, Buchanan 0-2, Meyer 1-3, Wilcox 0-3, Dowler 0-2. Michael Feralio 0-2, Horrell 1-2, McDonald 0-2, Eric Laughlin 0-2.

LAKERS – B. Corriveau 1-4, Brink 1-2, Diede 1-4, J Corriveau 1-3, Vaughn 0-1, Drish 1-2, Cad. Willis 901, Cael Willis 2-3, Berlund 0-2.

3B – Meyer. RBIs – Cael Willis 2, Vaughn.

Late Monday

Billings Scarlets 7, Kalispell AA Lakers 1

A first-inning rally fizzled and the Scarlets broke through against pitcher Kostya Hoffman late to win the nightcap of Monday’s doubleheader.

Jack Corriveau, who had two hits including a double, drove in Kalispell’s only run with a first-inning groundout. The Lakers had two walks, a hit and a hit batter in the inning.

The Scarlets tied the game in the fourth and in the fifth began to break through against Hoffman, who ended up giving up nine hits and six runs, three of them earned. He fanned one and struck out two.

Hoffman started the sixth and gave up three runs – Nate Dewar and Jarron Wilcox had RBI doubles for the Scarlets – before giving away to Barrows. Ethan Diede finished up for the Lakers.

Kobe Berland and Hayden Vaughn also hit doubles for Kalispell.

Scarlets 000 123 1 – 7 11 0

Lakers AA 100 000 0 – 1 6 5

Michael Horrell, Nate Dewar (5) and n/a. Kostya Hoffman, Reid Barrows (6), Ethan Diede (7) and n/a.

SCARLETS – Nate Dewar 2-5, Jace Buchanan 2-4, Logan Meyer 1-5, Jarron Wilcox 3-4, Jackson Schaubel 0-3, Caden Dowler 1-4, Rocco Gioloso 0-3, Johnny Day 0-1, Nate McDonald 2-3, Jaden Sanchez 0-3.

LAKERS – Ben Corriveau 1-2, Gage Brink 1-3, Ethan Diede 0-2, Conner Drish 0-4,, Jack Corriveau 2-4, Hayden Vaughn 1-3, Caden Willis 0-3, Danny Kernan 0-3, Kobe Berland 1-3.

2B – Dewar, Wilcox, Berland, J. Corriveau, Vaughn. RBIs – Dewar, McDonald, Wilcox, Buchanan, J. Corriveau.