Lakers muscle past Scarlets at State AA Legion

BILLINGS — They had it, then they lost it, then they won it.

The Kalispell Lakers downed the Billings Scarlets 9-6 in a back-and-forth State AA Legion first-round game Wednesday at Dehler Park.

Gage Brink’s sacrifice fly capped a three-run sixth inning that put the Lakers (31-23) in front for good; Oscar Kallis hit a two-run double for some breathing room in the seventh.

Kalispell will play the Helena Senators in Thursday’s late game, set for 7 p.m. The defending champion Senators beat Lethbridge 17-7 in their first round game.

Kalispell took advantage of an error and a walk to load the bases ahead of Ostyn Brennan’s RBI single in the sixth; Hoffman then drew a bases-loaded walk to push across Grady Drish with the tying run. Jackson Nelson moved to third and tagged and scored on Brink’s fly to center for a 7-6 lead.

Haiden Bunyea and Nic Gustafson drew walks ahead of Kallis’ two-out double that made it 9-6.

The Scarlets battled, getting a double, a single and a hit batter off Gustafson to load the bases in the seventh. Max Holden got the final out: a fly to Hoffman in center.

Hoffman earned the win, throwing five innings and scattering six hits and two walks. He struck out two.

Three straight two-out singles put the Lakers up 4-0 in the third, but the Scarlets struck for two runs in their half of the inning and four runs in the fifth.

Billings used a hit by pitch, a walk and an error to lead the bases; and it wasn’t long before the hosts were back in front 5-4 on Jaden Sanchez’ two-run two-run single. Another hit put the Scarlets up 6-4, and it stayed that way until the sixth.

Lakers 004 003 2 - 9 8 2

Scarlets 002 040 0 - 6 9 1

Kostya Hoffman, Nic Gustafson (6), Max Holden (7) and Grady Drish. Bradley Wagner, Jayden Averiil (4), Jaden Sanchez (6) and Keaton Mickelson.

KALISPELL LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 2-5, Hoffman 0-2, Gage Brink 1-3, Holden 0-4, Haiden Bunyea 1-3, James Moody 2-3, Drish 1-4, Elijah Owens 0-2, Kallis 1-1, Gustafson 0-0, Jackson Nelson 0-2.

BILLINGS SCARLETS — Nate McDonald 1-3, Kyler Northrop 2-3, Sanchez 2-4, Rocco Gioioso 1-4, Spencer Berger 2-4, Michael Feralio 1-4, Luke Tallman 0-3, Mickelson 0-3, Kolten Wynia 0-3.

2B — Brink, Kallis, Northrop, Berger. 3B — McDonald. RBIs — Drish 2, Kallis 2, Brennan, Brink, Bunyea, Hoffman, Moody, Sanchez 3, Northrop, Berger.