Saturday at Lindborg-Cregg Field, the Mavs passed their last two final exams before opening conference play, taking both sides of a doubleheader with the Butte Miners with a 4-2 victory in the opener and a 14-4 triumph in the nightcap in five innings due to the 10-run margin rule.
Missoula, which boosted its mark to 18-10 heading into its first conference game Sunday at Kalispell, floundered through the first five innings of the first game. But the coffee finally kicked in as the Mavs rallied for three runs in bottom of the sixth, making a winner of Drew Lytle, who tossed a complete-game, two-hitter.
The Miners came ready to play, taking advantage of two Missoula errors and a balk in the top of the first to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Though not overpowering, Lytle changed velocity enough to keep Butte on its toes and allowed just one runner past first the rest of the way.
The Mavs cut it to 2-1 on an RBI double by left fielder Mike Ponton in the fourth before taking control two frames later.
Dan Belet ledoff the inning with a four-pitch walk that chased Miners starter Tyler Gilder. After reliever Shane Clary induced a fielder's choice and a line out, Ponton and center fielder Taylor Nordby sent back-to-back triples to the right field corner that gave the Mavericks their final margin of victory. Lytle sent the Miners down in order in the seventh to seal the win and make the usual non-starter Ponton the hero with three RBIs and two extra-base hits.
“I was real pleased with the way Drew hung in there today,” Hathaway said. “And Mike Ponton... that's what Mike has got to do. He's not going to be coming in as a defensive replacement, so he's got to hit the ball when he gets his opportunity. He did what he needed to do to get our attention today.”
Missoula's late-inning momentum from Game 1 carried into the second contest as the Mavs scored three times in the opening inning and nine more between the second and third.
Several members of the home team contributed to a 14-hit attack. Ponton remained hot with another two-bagger and a pair of RBIs. Center fielder Dan Belet smacked two doubles and drove in two for the Mavericks. Conor Dwyer had a double and three RBIs, while Cody Burgmeier added two hits and two driven in, including the game-winning double in the bottom of the fifth.
On the hill, neither starter Max Smith nor reliever Ponton had their best stuff, but Smith battled through three innings of two-hit ball to get the win. Butte's only big threat came in the third, when reserve catcher CJ Kissel's bases-loaded double scored three runs.
“Max struggled a bit today with his consistency,” Hathaway said. “There were times when he'd get two quick strikes and then all of a sudden he couldn't find the strike zone.”
The Mavs put a big dent in the scoreboard in their five-fun third inning, highlighted by two-run singles from Dwyer and Burgmeier.
The afternoon left the Missoula skipper reflective on the pre-conference season and ready to take on the part of the schedule that matters most.
“I'd give us a B-minus so far,” he said. “With C being average, I think we're a little better than average. I think we have a lot of room for improvement. But I think this team has the players and the depth to have the capability of becoming a very good baseball team. Right now, we're a good team with a very high ceiling.”
First game
Missoula Mavericks 4, Butte Miners 2
Butte 200 000 0 - 2 2 0
Missoula 000 103 x - 4 4 2
Tyler Gilder, Shane Clary (6) and Matt Doble. Drew Lytle and Mac Cuffe. W - Lytle. L - Clary.
BUTTE - Ben Bersanti 0-3, John Anderson 0-2, Jordan Tracy 0-3, Jason Matilla 2-3, Kody Kennedy 0-3, Mike Waldorf 0-3, Sam Riordon 0-3, Doble 0-1, Logan Harris 0-2.
MISSOULA - Taylor King 0-2, Dan Belet 1-2, Conor Dwyer 0-3, Cuffe 0-2, Sean Dwyer 0-2, Mike Ponton 2-3, Taylor Nordby 1-2, Brendan Brown 0-3, Max Smith 0-0, Travis Johnsen 0-1.
2B - Ponton. 3B - Ponton, Nordby. RBIs - Matilla, Ponton 3, Nordby.
Second game
Missoula Mavericks 14, Butte Miners 4
Butte 003 10 - 4 3 3
Missoula 345 11 - 14 12 1
Matilla, Riordon (2) and Doble, CJ Kissel (3). Smith, Ponton (4) and Chris Bartenhagen. W - Smith. L - Matilla.
BUTTE - Bersanti 0-3, Kennedy 0-2, Tracy 1-3, Matilla 0-1, Riordon 0-1, Doble 0-0, Kissel 1-2, Heath McCloskey 0-2, Clary 0-1, Pat Mortenson 1-2, Brian Andreas 0-2.
MISSOULA - King 0-1, Brown 0-1, Belet 2-2, C. Dwyer 2-3, Bartenhagen 1-1, Cody Burgmeier 2-4, Ponton 2-3, Mike Spritzer 0-3, Johnsen 1-3, Lytle 1-2, Cuffe 1-1.
2B - Kissel, Mortenson, Belet 2, C. Dwyer, Ponton. RBIs - Kissel 3, Andreas, Belet 2, C. Dwyer 3, Bartenhagen, Burgmeier 3, Ponton 2.
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