Paced by second baseman Taylor King's bat and solid outings from three hurlers, the Mavs put an exclamation point on the campaign Wednesday evening with an 18-2 drubbing of the Helena Senators in the teams' nonconference regular season finale at Lindborg-Cregg Field shortened to seven innings due to the 10-run margin rule.
Missoula, which takes the Western Division's top seed into state at Billings, closed the season on a 13-game winning streak and lifted their mark to 51-17. They begin their quest for their first state championship since 1998 with a first-round battle Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with the Billings Royals.
“We expected more of a challenge,” said Missoula's 15th-year manager Brent Hathaway. “We wanted to come out and give some guys at-bats and throw a few pitchers, but I hoped that Helena would show us a little more.”
The Mavs came out roaring, sending 10 to the plate in the bottom of the first and scoring six times on four hits with the help of two Helena errors. They scored four more in the second to take an early 10-1 lead.
King ripped a pair of two-run doubles in the first two frames and finished 2-for-5. Starting pitcher Cody Burgmeier and first baseman/ center fielder/relief pitcher Conor Dwyer each drove in a pair for the Mavericks, who belted out 13 hits against four Senators pitchers.
Burgmeier tossed four innings of three-hit ball, fanning three and walking one. Helena's first-inning tally off Burgmeier was unearned.
Drew Lytle pitched the fifth and sixth, surrendering another unearned run and two singles. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter.
Dwyer, the Mavs' No. 1 starter at 11-2, finished off on the hill. He gave up just a one-out walk before getting Derek Estep to flyout to center and enticing Anthony Hogan to strikeout on three pitches to end it.
A run-scoring single by catcher Chris Bartenhagen got the home team on the board in the bottom of the first. That was followed by a two-run single by Burgmeier and King's first two-RBI double that chased Senators starter Jake Sharbono after facing just eight hitters.
The Mavs went right back to work with four more in the second off reliever Chris Nichols, highlighted by a run-scoring single by shortstop Travis Johnsen and King's second two-run double.
Missoula struck for two in both the third and fourth before finishing with a four-run sixth.
Despite not facing Helena's best, the good vibes and smiles in the Mavericks' dugout continued as the team revs up for the state tournament.
“We did some good things out there tonight,” Hathaway said. “We're just real excited to get to state playing the way we have been and we hope to continue it.”
Missoula Mavericks 18, Helena Senators 2
Helena 100 000 1 - 2 5 7
Missoula 642 204 x - 18 13 2
Jake Sharbono, Chris Nichols (1), Adam Eckhart (4), Wade Heverly (6) and Derek Estep. Cody Burgmeier, Drew Lytle (5), Conor Dwyer (70 and Chris Bartenhagen, Sean Dwyer (5). W - Lylte. L - Sharbono.
HELENA - Derek Carley 1-4, Nick Retz 2-2, Estep 0-3, Anthony Hogan 1-4, Buddy Burnett 0-3, Matt Williams 0-1, Nick Trapp 1-3, Joe Andriolo 0-3, Austin Rue 0-3.
MISSOULA - Dan Belet 1-2, Trevor Bourquin 0-0, Mac Cuffe 1-3, Brian Fowler 1-1, C. Dwyer 1-2, Bartenhagen 1-2, S. Dwyer 0-2, Burgmeier 1-2, Lytle 1-2, Taylor Nordby 0-3, Sam Sopko 1-2, Travis Johnsen 1-3, Kendall Maier 1-2, Taylor King 2-5, Brendan Brown 0-2, Max Smith 1-2.
2B - King 2. 3B - Cuffe. RBIs - Fowler, C. Dwyer 2, Bartenhagen, Burgmeier 2, Sopko, Johnsen, Maier, King 4.
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