AA Lakers split with Scarlets
Jul. 15—BILLINGS — A tough-luck loss and a clutch win gave the Kalispell Lakers a sweep of their AA Legion with the Billings Scarlets Friday.
After dropping a 1-0 decision in the opener — a single and an error led to Drew McDowell scoring the walk-off run with nobody out in the eighth inning — the Lakers won the nightcap 3-2.
Scarlets 1, Lakers 0
Carter Schlegel threw seven shutout innings for the Lakers, allowing five hits and no walks. He struck out five.
Hunter Doyle allowed one hit and one walk in five innings for the Scarlets, and Nolan Berkram pitched the last three innings. He allowed four hits and a walk, but the Lakers couldn't capitalize.
Lakers 3, Scarlets 2
The Lakers (34-17 overall, 10-10 in the Montana/Alberta standings) again got stellar pitching. Oscar Kallis worked three high-traffic innings before giving way to Adam Nikunen, who threw four scoreless frames.
Nikunen allowed one hit and three walks, striking out four, and worked around a walk and a hit in the seventh. Kallis fanned seven, allowing two hits and four walks.
Nikunen hit an RBI double and came in on a single by Oscar Kallis for a 2-0 lead in the first inning; the Scarlets (36-13, 14-7) tied it in the second, but Max Holden's sacrifice fly scored Kyne Vojta with what turned out to be the winning run in the third.
The teams battle again Saturday.
First game
Lakers AA 000 000 00 — 0 5 2
Scarlets 000 000 01 — 1 5 1
Carter Schlegel and Nate Skonard. Hunter Doyle, Nolan Berrkam (6) and Rocco Gioioso.
KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 0-5, Adam Nikunen 1-3, Max Holden 0-3, Oscar Kallis 1-4, Schlegel 1-4, Andre Cephers 0-2, Kaden Drish 0-2, Skonar 1-3, Timmy Glanville 1-2.
BILLINGS SCARLETS — Nathan McDonald 1-3, Berkram 1-3, Kyler Northrop 0-2, Doyle 1-3, Gioioso 1-3, Jaden Sanchez 0-3, Drew McDowell 1-3, Kade Vatnsdal 0-2, Jaxson Brandt 0-1.
2B — Doyle.
Second game
Lakers AA 201 000 0 — 3 4 2
Scarlets 020 000 0 — 2 3 2
Kallis, Nikunen (4) and Ostyn Brennan, Skonard. C Wilson and Gioioso.
AA LAKERS — Brennan 0-3, Nikunen 1-2 Holden 0-3, Kallis 1-3, Schlegel 1-3, Cephers 0-3, Skonard 0-1, Drish 0-2, Joey Thatcher 0-3, Kyne Vojta 0-1, Glanville 1-1.
SCARLETS — McDonald 0-1, Berkram 0-4, Northrop 1-4, Doyle 1-4, Gioioso 0-2, Sanchez -2, McDowell 0-2, Vatnsdal 0-3, Brandt 0-3.
2B — Nikunen, Doyle. RBIs — Nikune, Holden, Kallis, McDonald.
