Saturday night at Lindborg-Cregg Field, the Mavs received excellent starting pitching from Max Smith and pounded out 13 hits en route to a 13-0 league blanking of the Lethbridge, Alberta, Elks in an American Legion baseball game shortened to seven innings due to the 10-run margin rule.
The contest had all the makings of a minor letdown for the Mavs, who entered having already clinched the Western Division title and the No. 1 seed at state that comes with it. In addition, the Mavericks had beaten the Elks twice on their home field earlier in the week and entered on a 10-game winning streak.
“They're starting to feel it and it's a good time for that,” Hathaway said after watching the Mavs raise their mark to 19-4 in conference play, 49-19 overall. “Next week starts our second season where you either play well or go home.”
Smith, who went the first six innings, was dominant in earning the win. Over the course of his outing, he allowed four hits - all singles - and a walk. Smith struck out four.
The only time he got into trouble came in the second, when Lethbridge loaded the bases on two singles and an error. But Smith got Elks right fielder Beau Barthel out swinging on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.
By the time Smith took the hill for the second frame, the Missoula offense had staked him to a 4-0 lead, highlighted by a run-scoring double by Chris Bartenhagen and RBI singles from Cody Burgmeier and Taylor King.
Bartenhagen's two-run single in the second put the Mavs up 7-0 and ended the evening for Elks starter and losing pitcher Aaron Groves.
“We hit the ball sharply all night,” Hathaway said. “We hustled like hustling fools tonight, too. After he kind of got the jitters out, Max settled down and started throwing his three pitches for strikes.”
The Mavericks tacked on three more runs in both the third and fourth innings, allowing Smith to throw strikes and let his defense do the work behind him.
Bartenhagen's three RBIs led Missoula's offense. Dan Belet, Burgmeier and Brendan Brown each drove in a pair for the Mavericks. Bartenhagen and Burgmeier each were 2-for-2 before giving way to replacements, while Belet was 2-for-3 and Brendan Brown doubled and finished 2-for-4.
Even Sam Sopko, who made his first appearance with the AA team following the completion of the Class A Mavs' season, got into the act by blooping a sixth-inning single in his first at-bat with the big club.
Drew Lytle pitched a perfect seventh for Missoula and closed it out with a strikeout of Matt Weninger.
“We played a good, clean game tonight,” Hathaway said. “It was a fun game to watch and I liked the way we played from the get go.”
The Mavericks finish their conference schedule with a 1 p.m. contest Sunday at home against the Elks. They complete the regular season with a home date Wednesday evening against the Helena Senators.
Missoula Mavericks 13, Lethbridge Elks 0
Lethbridge 000 000 0 - 0 4 1
Missoula 433 300 x - 13 13 1
Aaron Groves, Jamin Heller (3), Nathan Schaufert (5), Braden Horon (6) and Matt Weninger. Max Smith, Drew Lytle (7) and Chris Bartenhagen, Sean Dwyer (5). W - Smith. L - Groves.
LETHBRIDGE - Chad Northcott 1-3, Spencer Farrell 0-3, Tyler Tamayose 0-3, Kyle Rokosh 1-2, Horon 0-3, Adrian Diakow 1-3, Weninger 0-3, Mark Clauson, Beau Barthel 0-2.
MISSOULA - Dan Belet 2-3, Mac Cuffe 0-1, Trevor Bourquin 0-1, Conor Dwyer 1-1, Bartenhagen 2-2, Cody Burgmeier 2-2, Brian Fowler 0-1, Travis Johnsen 1-3, Kendall Maier 0-1, Taylor King 1-3, Taylor Nordby 1-2, Sam Sopko 1-1, Brendan Brown 2-4.
2B - Bartenhagen, Brown. RBIs - Belet 2, Bartenhagen 3, Burgmeier 2, King, Brown 2.
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