With a pair of outstanding pitching performances and some timely hitting, the Mavs won the event for the first time since 2001 by completing pool play with a 2-1 victory over the Bozeman Bucks before beating the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Lumbermen by the same score in the championship.
The tidy victories over two of the better Legion programs in the region put the Mavs' record at 16-6, and Missoula manager Brent Hathaway in a chipper mood.
In other games earlier in the day, the Lumbermen beat the Helena Senators 9-1 and the Class A Mavericks fell to the A Lumbermen 8-0, who won the A championship with a 9-3 defeat of the Bozeman Spikes.
Missoula Mavericks 2,
Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 1
Right-hander Brendan Brown threw a one-hitter against a powerful Coeur d'Alene team that features several members of Lake City High's state championship squad and at least two athletes who played ball in college this spring.
Brown went the distance, allowing three walks and striking out one. It was a performance that earned the 17-year old tournament Defensive MVP honors. Brown (4-2) also became the first Missoula pitcher to post four wins this season.
According to Hathaway, the key to Brown's success was similar to that of a realtor - location, location location.
“Brendan had more than one pitch down in the strike zone all afternoon,” Hathaway said in referring to the difference between Monday's game and the one the Mavs conceded Sunday after Lumbermen sent 10 to the plate and scored six in a rain-drenched bottom of the first. “The pitch that was working for him today was his straight change. We've made a couple of minor adjustments to it and he feels more comfortable with the pitch.”
Missoula's bats also awoke to slap eight hits in six frames. Tha Mavs' offense was led by center fielder Dan Belet, who recently returned from his freshman season at Whitworth College. Belet went 3-for-3 with two singles and a double.
Conor Dwyer added a double for Missoula and Mac Cuffe and Taylor Nordby each contributed a triple.
The Mavericks got on the board in the bottom of the second when Cuffe led off with his three-bagger to the gap in right-center before catcher Chris Bartenhagen singled him home. Bartenhagen later came around on Nordby's two-out triple. It was all the offense Brown would need.
The Lumbermen's only dent in the scoreboard came on a pair of dropped fly balls in the Mavs outfield during the top of the sixth.
Despite totalling four miscues in the title game, Hathaway was pleased the Mavs got past them and Brown pitched out of several Coeur d'Alene scoring chances.
“This season we're not letting that (an error) affect how we play later on,” he said. “A lot of these kids have been in the program quite a long time. They've figured out how to play through things like that and still be successful.”
Championship
CDA 000 001 0 - 1 1 0
Missoula 020 000 x - 2 8 4
Zach Clanton, Beck Roan (4) and Vinny Lupinacci. Brendan Brown and Chris Bartenhagen. W - Brown (4-2). L - Clanton.
COEUR D'ALENE - Kyle Johnson 0-2, Cody Spencer 0-2, Trent Bridges 0-2, Alex Capaul 0-3, Clanton 0-3, Lupinacci 0-3, Tucker Anderson 0-1, Sam Springli 0-0, Roan 1-3, Mick Combo 0-2.
MISSOULA - Taylor King 0-3, Dan Belet 3-3, Conor Dwyer 1-3, Mac Cuffe 1-3, Bartenhagen 1-3, Cody Burgmeier 1-2, Travis Johnsen 0-2, Taylor Nordby 1-3, Max Smith 0-1.
2B - Belet, C. Dwyer. 3B - Cuffe, Nordby. RBIs - Bartenhagen, Nordby.
Missoula Mavericks 2, Bozeman Bucks 1
Only a top-notch performance by Brown in the championship kept Dwyer from earning the Defensive MVP honor after he tossed a two-hitter at a Bucks team that entered 3-1 against Missoula this season. He boosted his record to 3-2 by striking out three and walking two.
“Conor did the same thing as Brendan,” Hathaway said. “He went out and competed very well. He's at his best when he doesn't over throw and he locates. That's exactly what he did today.”
Belet had a pair of singles, including one that drove home Taylor King with the eventual winning run in the top of the fifth. Mac Cuffe got the Mavs on the board in the first when he singled home Dwyer, who began the rally with a two-out triple. King's double was Missoula's only other extra-base hit.
Gabe Widenaar's triple was followed by Trevor Peck's RBI ground out to short that plated the Bozeman run.
Missoula 100 010 0 - 2 6 1
Bozeman 000 001 0 - 1 2 0
C. Dwyer and Sean Dwyer. Gabe Widenaar and Anthony Rinard. W - Dwyer (3-2). L - Widenaar.
MISSOULA - King 1-3, Belet 2-4, C. Dwyer 1-3, Bartenhagen 0-3, Nordby 0-0, S. Dwyer 0-2, Johnsen 1-2, Burgmeier 0-3, Smith 0-2.
BOZEMAN - Widenaar 1-3, Trevor Peck 0-3, Caleb Schlender 1-3, Sean Potkay 0-2, Matt Comer 1-2, Chris Schmidt 0-3, Rinard 0-3, Jeff Squire 0-2, Andy Pike 0-1, Brendan Phillips0-2
2B - King. 3B - C. Dwyer, Widenaar. RBIs - Cuffe, Belet, Peck.
Coeur d'Alene Loggers 8, Missoula Mavericks 0
Danny Griffin pitched a two-hit complete game to lead the Class A Coeur d'Alene Loggers to a Class A win over the Missoula Mavericks.
Griffin finished with five strikeouts and two walks.
Ryan Dunton doubled and drove in two runs and Mike Korczyk went 3-for-3 to lead the Loggers at the plate.
Matt McMann and Jake Schilling both singled to record the Mavs' lone hits. The Mavericks fell to 11-13 with the loss.
Loggers 204 20 - 8 8 0
Mavericks 000 00 - 0 2 1
Danny Griffin and Mason Romano. Steven Koski, Shawn Griffith (5) and Robby King. W - Griffin. L - Koski (2-1).
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