The Mavs began their day of dancing between raindrops by managing only a pair of singles and falling 4-0 to the Billings Royals at Lindborg-Cregg Field. Missoula followed that by using an eight-run seventh inning, highlighted by Kendal Maier's game-tying grand slam, to steal an 8-7 win over the defending state champion Bozeman Bucks at Ogren-Allegiance Park.
“The kids didn't give up,” said Missoula manager Brent Hathaway after his team moved to 17-6. “When they got an opportunity, they took advantage of it. It was nice to see.”
The rain-shortened tournament concludes Monday with four games slated for each venue beginning at 10 a.m. The AA Mavericks play their final tourney contest at 6 p.m. against the Helena Senators at Ogren-Allegiance, while the A Mavs face the A Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen at the same time at Lindborg-Cregg.
Billings Royals 4,
Missoula Mavericks 0
Matt Eames hurled a gem for the Royals and Billings touched Missoula starter Brendan Brown for three runs in the bottom of the first.
In his two-hit shutout, Eames struck out nine and walked two. His only hint of trouble came in the fifth, when Cody Burgmeier led off with a single that broke up Eames' no-hit bid. Maier then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. After another single by Taylor Nordby, Sam Sopko popped out to first to end the frame.
“The first ballgame we obviously didn't hit the ball well,” Hathaway said. “We spotted them three runs early and Brendan struggled in that first inning. Then he settled down and really did throw a good game the rest of the way.”
After Brown gave up a leadoff walk in the first, Kelly Vannoy singled and Dillon Ness followed with an RBI single. Mo Burrough added an RBI sacrifice bunt and Ness came around to score on Devin Hedin's groundout to make it 3-0 Royals.
Tony LaGaly's two-out single in the sixth plated Billings' fourth and final run.
Brown (3-2) went the distance, scattering eight hits while walking one and striking out seven.
LaGaly and Ness each finished 2-for-3. A sixth-inning double by Hedin was the game's only extra-base hit.
Missoula 000 000 0 - 0 2 1
Billings 300 001 x - 4 8 0
Matt Eames and Tony LaGaly. Brendan Brown and Sean Dwyer, Andy Freeman (5). W - Eames. L - Brown (3-2).
MISSOULA - Taylor King 0-3, Ben Roberts 0-3, Dwyer 0-3, Brown 0-3, Cody Burgmeier 1-2, Freeman 0-0, Kendal Maier 0-2, Taylor Nordby 1-2, Sam Sopko 0-2, Cubby Pierre 0-2.
BILLINGS - Devin Scott 0-2, Kelly Vannoy 1-3, Dillon Ness 2-3, Mo Burrough 0-2, Devon Hedin 1-3, Matt Edwards 0-3, Jeremy Bailey 1-3, LaGaly 2-3, Adam Ketterling 1-3..
2B - Hedin. RBIs - Ness, Burrough, Hedin, LaGaly.
Missoula Mavericks 8,
Bozeman Bucks 7
Things appeared desperate for the Mavs after going 13 tournament innings without scoring a run.
Staff ace Burgmeier had allowed a single run in the third and two more in the fourth before a single, an error and a hit batter loaded the bases for Bozeman clean-up hitter Sean Potkay in the fifth. He stroked a Burgmeier offering an estimated 415 feet over the right-center field fence for a grand slam and a 7-0 Bucks lead.
Bozeman starter Chris Schmidt was dominant through six frames, yielding just three hits, striking out seven and walking two. But he tired in the seventh and was replaced after plunking Andy Freeman to start the inning and walking Cubby Pierre.
Brad Gross relieved Schmidt and after a run-scoring error, two walks and a hit batter, Maier came to the plate with the sacks jammed and the Mavs behind 7-3.
“I wasn't really thinking about being the tying run at that point,” Maier said. “Really I was just hoping to drive the ball into the outfield and at least get one run in.”
With a 2-1 count, Maier belted his own grand slam over the left-field fence that tied the game and sent a frenzied Missoula bench out to home plate to greet him.
Nordby then reached after getting hit and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sopko. Freeman followed with a single that scored Nordby with the eventual game-winning run. Burgmeier retired the Bucks in order in the bottom of the inning to end it.
“We basically put eight runs on the board on two or three hits,” Hathaway said. “It's a nice win and a big hit for Kendal. But we kind of swiped this one away.”
Burgmeier bumped his record to 4-1, allowing five hits and no walks to go with three strikeouts.
Missoula 000 000 8 - 8 5 1
Bozeman 001 240 0 - 7 8 1
Burgmeier and Freeman. Chris Schmidt, Brad Gross (7), Colter Joyce (7) and Ryan Minkoff. W - Burgmeier (4-1). L - Gross.
MISSOULA - King 1-4, Roberts 0-2, Dwyer 0-3, Brown 0-1, Maier 1-2, Nordby 0-3, Sopko 1-3, Freeman 1-3, Pierre 1-2.
BOZEMAN - Minkoff 1-4, Trevor Peck 0-4, Caleb Schlender 1-3, Sean Potkay 2-4, Matt Comer 1-3, Anthony Rinard 0-3, Will Spears 1-3, Brendan Phillips 1-3, Jeff Squire 1-3.
HR - Potkay, Maier. RBIs - Minkoff, Potkay 4, Spears 2, Brown, Maier 4, Freeman.
Bozeman Spikes 12,
Class A Mavs 3
Doug Crossman pitched Bozeman to the victory in six innings due to time constraints.
He gave up seven hits and two walks while fanning four to earn the complete-game victory.
Mario Stanislao had a two-run double in the fourth for the Spikes and Crossman went 3-for-3. Ethan Wilkes added a leadoff double in the first off Missoula starter CJ Wulf, who took the loss and fell to 0-1.
Brody Miller singled twice for the Mavs, who dipped to 11-8.
Bozeman 110 262 - 12 11 0
Missoula 101 010 - 3 7 7
Doug Crossman and Josh Mackay. CJ Wulf, Jordan Schafer (5) and Josh Seeberger, David Resner (5). W - Crossman. L - Wulf (0-1).
Red Sox sweep Bucs
At Florence, Wes Sherman hit his first career home run to lead the Red Sox to a 17-4 win in the first half of a doubleheader with the Bitterroot Bucs. He then returned to the diamond and belted another, to lead the Sox to an 8-0 win in the late game for the sweep.
Sherman finished 6-of-7 with nine runs batted in. He received nearly half of his RBIs with a grand slam in the opener.
Paul Donaldson took the early win for the Sox. After allowing three runs in the bottom of the first, Donaldson allowed just one more the rest of the way for the complete game.
Ryan Weigle also went the distance in the nightcap, this time for the shutout. Weigle had six strikeouts and just two walks to lead the Red Sox, who improved to 14-4 with the pair of nonconference wins.
Sherman was a triple shy of the cycle in the finale and finished with three RBIs.
Josh Ziegler led the Bucs with a solo home run in the early game, while Dominic Goble had two of the team's four hits in the late game.
Red Sox 772 01 - 17 9 1
Bucs 300 10 - 4 3 3
Paul Donaldson, Austin Allen (5) and Brady Anderson. Koby Salmela, Travis Setchko (4) and Xavier Morigeau. W - Donaldson (3-1). L - Salmela.
Red Sox 600 000 2 - 8 9 1
Bucs 000 000 0 - 0 4 0
Ryan Weigle and Brady Anderson. Luke Topp, Morigeau (7) and Josh Ziegler. W - Weigle (5-1). L - Topp.
Memorial Day tournament
Saturday
Class A - Billings Cardinals 7, Billings Blue Jays 4; Bozeman Spikes 16, Class A Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 13; Billings Blue Jays 6, Missoula Mavericks 2.
Class AA - Helena Senators 8, Billings Royals 1; Billings Scarlets 9, Helena Senators 1; Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 4, Billings Scarlets 3.
Sunday
at Lindborg-Cregg Field
Billings Royals 4, Class AA Missoula Mavericks 0; Bozeman Spikes 12, Class A Missoula Mavericks 3; Helena Senators 8, Class AA Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 7; Class AA Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 10, Billings Royals 8.
at Ogren-Allegiance Park
Billings Scarlets 5, Bozeman Bucks 2; Class AA Missoula Mavericks 8, Bozeman Bucks 7; Class A Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 16, Billings Cardinals 4; Class A Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen 10, Billings Blue Jays 2.
Monday
at Lindborg-Cregg Field
10 a.m. - BIllings Royals vs. Bozeman Bucks.
12:30 p.m. - Class AA Missoula Mavericks vs. Billings Scarlets.
3:30 p.m. - Bozeman Spikes vs. Billings Cardinals.
6 p.m. - Class A Missoula Mavericks vs. Class AA Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen.
at Ogren-Allegiance Park
10 a.m. - Bozeman Spikes vs. Billings Blue Jays.
12:30 p.m. - Class A Missoula Mavericks vs. Billings Cardinals.
3:30 p.m. - Bozeman Bucks vs. Class AA Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen.
6 p.m. - Missoula Mavericks vs. Helena Senators.
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