For the second time in as many days, the Mavs downed Lethbridge, Alberta, this time posting a 12-2 victory in seven innings due to the 10-run margin rule in the teams' conference finale.
After a bit of a sluggish start, Missoula got rolling in the middle innings, using a five-run fifth to take the lead for good and scoring four more times in the seventh to seal their 12th straight win.
Missoula has a only a nonconference home game Wednesday evening against the Helena Senators before the team travels to Billings on Saturday seeking its first state title since 1998, when the Mavs won their third championship in four years.
“I think really what that says... it speaks of our depth,” Hathaway said. “Today was our sixth conference game in a row and Brian (Fowler) was the only pitcher who saw the mound twice. This week, Lethbridge saw four different starters. We're full of interchangeable parts.”
Fowler went the distance in a strong five-hit outing in which he allowed just a single earned run. In boosting his record to 5-3, the 6-foot-6 lefty was sharp, walking none and throwing first-pitch strikes to the first 12 hitters he faced.
Fowler, the Mavs' scheduled starter for the state-tournament opener, looked like the dominant pitcher of a year ago who went 12-5, rather than the hurler who struggled with command of his curveball earlier this season.
“I think Brian continues to make steps in a positive direction,” Hathaway said. “But his curve was better today and probably the most consistent we've seen from him all year.”
Mavs right fielder Taylor Nordby struck the big blow for the home team with a seventh-inning triple that scored two. Travis Johnsen added a two-run single as Missoula sent 11 to the plate in the fifth and sent Lethbridge starter Kyle Rokosh to the showers.
Though the Mavs managed just seven hits, they used whatever the Elks gave them, taking advantage of five Lethbridge errors and laying down three sacrifice bunts, two of which led to runs.
After the Elks took a 1-0 lead on a Matt Weninger groundout in the second, the Mavericks went ahead on a two-run error by Lethbridge shortstop Spencer Farrell in bottom of the frame.
A throwing error by Fowler in the fifth evened the score at 2-2 before the Mavs broke it open with 10 runs in the final three frames.
When it was over, Hathaway praised his team's approach and thinks his club is more than ready for state-tournament action.
“We're raring to go,” he said. “You can tell the guys are having fun. They're loose. We're looking forward to Wednesday night and it's exciting thinking about getting going Saturday night and opening the tournament in the late game against the Billings Royals.”
Lethbridge 010 010 0 - 2 5 5
Missoula 002 051 4 - 12 7 2
Kyle Rokosh, Corey Gerstenbuhler (5) and Matt Weninger. Brian Fowler and Sean Dwyer, Chris Bartenhagen (7). W - Fowler (5-3). L - Rokosh.
LETHBRIDGE - Chad Northcott 0-2, Adrian Diakow 0-3, Tyler Tamayose 0-3, Spencer Farrell 2-3, Rokosh 1-2, Gerstenbuhler 0-1, Braden Horon 0-2, Weninger 1-3, Mark Clauson 0-2, Beau Barthel 1-2
MISSOULA - Dan Belet 1-3, Mac Cuffe 1-3, Trevor Bourquin 0-1, Conor Dwyer 1-4, Drew Lytle 0-1, Bartenhagen 0-2, S. Dwyer 1-3, Travis Johnsen 1-2, Taylor King 0-3, Taylor Nordby 1-3, Brendan Brown 1-1.
2B - Weninger. 3B - Nordby. RBIs - Weninger, C. Dwyer, S. Dwyer, Johnsen 2, Nordby 2, Brown.
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