The Mavs looked sharp in taking a pair of nonconference American Legion baseball contests at Lindborg-Cregg Field, downing the Butte Miners 12-4 in the first game and 11-2 in the second.
Missoula's effort left the team at 24-7 and impressed manager Brent Hathaway, who feared the week off and the effects of graduation weekend would leave his squad struggling to find its groove.
Hathaway took the opportunity of playing nonconference games to get some work out of some less experienced pitchers. Anthony Maes got the nod in the opener and battled through some control issues to leave in the fourth frame with the Mavs ahead 4-3.
Jake Schilling came on in relief and after allowing a game-tying single to Skyler Criscuola, settled down to squelch the Miners' rally. He pitched a scoreless fifth to post the win.
“It wasn't an easy day for (Maes), but he hung in there and competed,” Hathaway said. “Jake was Jake. He came in and threw strikes from the left side and got us out of a jam.”
Missoula scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good, highlighted by RBI doubles by Taylor King and Sean Dwyer, as well as a two-run double by Sam Sopko.
Wes Martens took the hill for the Mavs and escaped a bases-loaded jam before retiring Butte in order in the seventh to finish it.
Dwyer was the star at the plate for Missoula, finishing 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs. Taylor Nordby added a second-inning solo home run for the Mavs in his 2-for-4 outing. Designated hitter Cody Burgmeier singled twice and drove in two, while Brendan Brown tripled and was 2-for-3.
Jason Mattila led the Miners, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Lincoln Mansch threw five solid innings for the Mavs to post the win in the second game. He allowed an unearned run on four hits and two walks. He struck out one.
“I thought Lincoln threw pretty well for not having thrown for a while,” Hathaway said. “We got five good innings out of him and we were pleased.”
Mavericks' first baseman Drew Lytle touched Butte starter Mike Dixon for a two-run double in the second that broke a 1-1 tie. The Mavs got two more in the third and another in the fourth before a five-run sixth put it out of reach. Brown's two-RBI double was one of just two Missoula hits in the inning that saw the Mavs bring 10 to the plate.
Brown finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Jordan Tracy doubled and was 2-for-4 for Butte, while Sam Riordan tripled for the Miners.
“I thought we hit the ball pretty well today,” Hathaway said. “I didn't know how long it would take for us to get going because the last time we played was last Sunday. But I thought the guys swung the bat pretty well today.”
The Mavericks next head to Pullman, Wash., for the Palouse Summer Series tournament Friday through Sunday.
First game
Missoula 12, Butte 4
Butte 021 100 0 - 4 7 0
Missoula 211 620 x - 12 14 0
Jordan Tracy, Sam Riordan (4) and Frank Shields. Anthony Maes, Jake Schilling (4), Wes Martens (6) and Sean Dwyer. W - Schilling. L - Tracy.
BUTTE - C.J. Kissell 0-2, Justin Harcharik 1-4, Tracy 0-3, Riley Semmens 1-3, Jason Mattila 2-3, Riordan 1-3, Josh LeProwse 0-3, Shields 1-3, Skyler Criscuola 1-3.
MISSOULA - Taylor King 2-5, Ben Roberts 0-2, Brendan Brown 2-3, Dwyer 3-3, Cody Burgmeier 2-4, Kendal Maier 1-3, Taylor Nordby 2-4, Sam Sopko 1-4, Cubby Pierre 1-4.
2B - Semmens, Mattila, King, Dwyer 2, Sopko, Pierre. 3B - Brown, Maier. HR - Nordby. RBIs - Mattila, Fields, Criscuola 2, King, Dwyer 4, Burgmeier 2, Maier, Nordby 2, Sopko 2.
Second game
Missoula 11, Butte 2
Butte 100 001 0 - 2 7 3
Missoula 122 105 x - 11 7 2
Mike Dixon, Criscuola (6), Semmens (6) and Kissell. Lincoln Mansch, Shawn Griffith (6) and Andy Freeman. W - Mansch. L - Dixon.
BUTTE - Kissell 1-4, Criscuola 1-2, Tracy 2-4, Semmens 0-4, Mattila 1-4, Riordan 2-4, Jake Hogart 0-1, Austin Bosch 0-1, LeProwse 0-3.
MISSOULA - King 0-3, Roberts 1-2, Brown 2-4, Dwyer 1-4, Burgmeier 0-4, Maier 0-0, Nordby 1-1, Drew Lytle 1-4, Freeman 1-4.
2B - Tracy, Roberts, Brown, Dwyer, Lytle. 3B - Riordan. RBIs - Semmens, Brown 3, Dwyer, Burgmeier, Nordby, Lytle 2.
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