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This year's Class AA Missoula Mavericks are seasoned veterans, currently playing at the top of their game, while the Belgrade Bandits are a young first-year AA program learning the ropes. When the squads met Friday night for a nonconference American Legion baseball doubleheader at Lindborg-Cregg Field, the Mavs looked downright unstoppable in a pair of wins halted after 4fi innings due to the 10-run margin rule.

Brothers and battery-mates Conor and Sean Dwyer did the majority of the damage as the Mavericks took the opener 16-0 before Missoula posted a 19-1 victory in the nightcap, led by the bat of right fielder Mike Ponton.

The victories ran the Mavs' winning streak to eight games and boosted their record to 22-10. Missoula has won its previous five by a combined score of 79-6, inspiring the confidence of Mavs manager Brent Hathaway.

“That's the bottom line tonight, that we had a lot of guys swing the bat well in good game situations all the way up and down the lineup,” Hathaway said. “That always helps for further down the road.”

In the first game, Conor Dwyer pitched around a pair of Mavs errors in the top of the first, then retired Belgrade in order through the last four frames to earn an abbreviated no-hitter on the eve of his high school graduation from Missoula Big Sky. Without issuing a walk, Dwyer fanned five to improve to 5-2.

His younger brother and catcher Sean Dwyer had his best day at the plate as a AA Maverick, going 4-for-4 with a double and five RBIs to pace Missoula's 14-hit attack. Right fielder Mike Spritzer scorched a pair of doubles for the Mavs. Second baseman Taylor King was 3-for-3 and drove in two and Dan Belet added a double and four RBIs.

Already leading 8-0, the Mavs pounded Bandits reliever Kevin Peters to the tune of eight runs and eight hits in the bottom of the fourth. Sean Dwyer batted twice in the frame and produced a two-run double and a single that plated two more. Belet contributed a bases-loaded double that drove home another three.

“Belgrade is young and fresh to AA ball and they're going to take their lumps this year,” Hathaway said. “No disrespect to them, but we should beat Belgrade in that fashion. But more importantly, I was pleased with our approach.”

The Mavs picked up exactly where they left off by scoring nine times in the first inning of game No. 2, easing the confidence of starting pitcher Drew Lytle. He got the win by allowing a run on two hits in four innings. Lytle fanned three and walked three.

“Drew struggled a little bit,” Hathaway said. “He was up with his location, but still got a good result. I liked the effort and the way he battled.”

Ponton knocked in five runs in a two-double evening. Conor Dwyer added a triple in his 3-for-3 nightcap and four RBIs. King went 2-for-3 with a double and a run driven in and catcher Chris Bartenhagen had a single and two RBIs.

Belgrade, which dropped to 8-19, got its first hit of the day when shortstop Kole Mickolio led off the fourth with a triple. Lylte retired the following two hitters before Justin Halvorson drove home the Bandits' lone tally with a single.

Spritzer pitched a perfect fifth to cement the sweep.

“I thought we did a number of things very well today,” Hathaway said. “We're gaining confidence every day and that's very important at this point of the season.”

The Mavs return to conference action, where they will test their 2-0 Western Division record at home Tuesday evening in a nine-inning contest against the Kalispell Lakers.

First game

Missoula 16, Belgrade 0

Belgrade 000 00 - 0 0 2

Missoula 143 8x - 16 14 2

Kole Mickolio, Kevin Peters (3) and Connor Schultz, CJ Berberet (3). Conor Dwyer and Sean Dwyer. W - C. Dwyer (5-2). L - Mickolio.

BELGRADE - Peters 0-2, Matt Thibault 0-2, Mickolio 0-2, Berberet 0-2, Joel Barnett 0-1, Justin Halvorson 0-1, Jeff Hoffman 0-1, LD Severson 0-1, Schultz 0-1, Lane Berberet 0-1, Dan Kristensen 0-1, Bryn Harris 0-1.

MISSOULA - Taylor King 3-3, Dan Belet 2-3, Drew Lytle 0-3, Mac Cuffe 0-3, Cody Burgmeier 2-4, Mike Spritzer 2-3, S. Dwyer 4-4, Travis Johnsen 0-2, Trevor Bourquin 1-3.

2B - Belet, Spritzer 2, S. Dwyer. RBIs - King 2, Belet 4, Lytle, S. Dwyer 5, Johnsen.

Second game

Missoula 19, Belgrade 1

Belgrade 000 10 - 1 2 6

Missoula 903 7x - 19 14 0

Barnett,Halvorson (2), Keldon Graff, (3), Pat Freund (4), Thibault (4) and CJ Berberet, CJ Lyman (2). Lytle, Spritzer (5) and Chris Bartenhagen. W - Lytle. L - Barnett.

BELGRADE - Peters 0-0, Lyman 0-2, Thibault 0-3, Mickolio 1-2, CJ Berberet 0-1, Severson 0-1, Barnett 0-1, Jordan Prester 0-1, Halvorson 1-1, Hoffman 0-0, Graff 0-0, Harris 0-2, Kristensen 0-0, Freund 0-1, Schultz 0-1.

MISSOULA - King 2-3, Belet 2-4, C. Dwyer 3-3, Cuffe 2-4, Bartenhagen 1-2, Mike Ponton 2-4, Taylor Nordby 1-2, Brendan Brown 1-3, Max Smith 0-3.

3B - Mickolio, King, C. Dwyer, Ponton. RBIs - Halvorson, King, Belet, C. Dwyer 4, Cuffe, Bartenhagen 2, Ponton 5, Nordby, Brown.

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