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Sean Dwyer and Taylor Nordby homered as Missoula scored six runs in the second inning and went on to post an 11-7 victory over the Great Falls Stallions Tuesday night in a Western AA Legion baseball game.
Tanner Bleskin had a triple and two home runs, driving in six, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Stallions from dropping their first conference game in their last 12 outings.
Dan Olinger also had three hits for the Stallions, who fell to 17-5 in conference play, 37-23 overall.
The Mavericks kept their conference title hopes alive thanks to an 18-hit onslaught that included a 4-for-4 effort by Dwyer.
The Mavs (15-6, 45-21) had six extra-base hits in the game and never trailed after erasing an early deficit with the big second inning.
The teams meet again Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 in another important conference game.
Zach Griffith pitched six-plus strong innings in relief and the Great Falls Stallions rallied from five runs down to post a 10-8 victory over the error-plagued Missoula Mavericks Saturday afternoon in a Western AA American Legion baseball game at Centene Stadium.
Dan Olinger, Tanner Bleskin and Bryce Thompson knocked in three runs apiece, and the usually solid Missoula defense broke down as the Stallions won their eighth straight Western AA game. The Stallions are 14-4 in league play and 34-33 overall.
Missoula, which led 7-3 in the third inning after Taylor Nordby's two-run home run over the scoreboard in left, had a seven-game winning streak snapped. The Mavericks, who committed four errors that led to six unearned runs, are 11-2 and 41-17.
Thompson homered for the second straight game, while Bleskin cracked a run-scoring double. Bleskin's two-run single in the seventh put the Stallions ahead to stay in the nine-inning game.
Olinger's clutch three-run double in the fifth came with two out and tied the score. It came after two Missoula infield errors prolonged the inning.
Nordby had an RBI double in the first as Missoula took a quick 3-0 lead off Great Falls starting pitcher Jake Mansch. The Stallions tied it in the bottom of the frame, thanks to Bleskin's RBI double and a long homer to left by Thompson.
Taylor King had a sacrifice fly for Missoula in the second. The Mavs went ahead 7-3 in the third on Sam Sopko's RBI single and Nordby's two-run blast, his sixth of the season.
The lead would have been larger were it not for some fine play by Great Falls catcher Cole McPherson. The 17-year-old receiver threw out two runners on the bases in the first two innings. He also gunned down a would-be base-stealer in the sixth.
Following Nordby's homer, Griffith relieved. The 19-year-old righthander allowed only five hits the rest of the way and retired 10 of the last 11 Missoula hitters he faced.
Trailing 8-3 in the fourth, the Stallions had two out and nobody on when Griffith walked and Olinger was hit by a pitch. An infield error on Bleskin's bouncer scored one run, and Thompson made the miscue really hurt with a subsequent RBI single.
The Mavs led 8-5 in the fifth when suddenly the defensive wheels came off. Taylor Ferradas started the rally with a single, and consecutive errors loaded the bases with nobody out. Missoula lefthanded reliever Matt McMann induced a popup and a strikeout, but the hard-hitting Olinger drilled one down the line in right to clear the bases.
Olinger is now hitting .461 on the season. He has 52 RBIs in 47 games.
In the seventh, Griffith led off with an infield hit and moved to third when Olinger's sacrifice bunt was thrown away. With the infield up, Bleskin followed with a two-run single and the Stallions had their first lead of the game.
It was plenty of cushion for Griffith, who earned all-league honors this spring at Dawson Community College. The curve-baller improved to 6-1 on the summer.
Thompson now has 73 RBIs on the year, while the talented Bleskin improved his totals to 33 extra-base hits and 54 RBIs.
Ferradas is expected to send Bleskin (5-4, 3.89 ERA) to the mound Sunday afternoon at 1:00 as the teams meet at Centene in another important Western AA game. Hathaway will counter with righthander Wes Martens.
Cole McPherson belted a three-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Great Falls Stallions rallied for a 17-8 victory over the rival Electrics Thursday night in a dramatic American Legion baseball game at Centene Stadium.
Dan Olinger, Tanner Bleskin and Bryce Thompson had consecutive run-scoring doubles in the eighth as the Stallions pulled away for their seventh straight Western AA victory. McPherson chipped in with an RBI single as the Stallions sealed the deal with a six-run inning.
The Stallions led by four runs early, then trailed by three late before rallying before an energized crowd of about 700 at Centene. The winners batted around in both the seventh and eighth innings and scored six times in each en route to victory.
In stark contrast to the previous two crosstown games this year, won by the Stallions 3-2 and 3-1, this one was a slugfest that did not end until after 11 on Thursday night.
Bryce Thompson smashed a three-run home run in the first inning, a line drive that drilled the scoreboard in left field, as the Stallions of manager Mike Ferradas took a quick 5-1 lead.
But the Electrics rallied, thanks to the fine relief pitching of Tyler Brinka and a five-run rally in the sixth that included five of the team's 11 hits.
Tucker Cook and Hunter Carlyon had three hits, and Ethan Hortick added a pair for the Electrics, who fell to the Stallions (13-4 in league play, 33-22 overall) for the third time in as many tries this season. The Electrics fell to 4-7 and 15-33.
Righthander Dustin Schultz picked up the pitching victory in relief for the Stallions. The 17-year-old improved to 7-3 on the season.
Olinger, Bleskin, Thompson, McPherson and Alex Waltari had three hits each for the Stallions. Zach Griffith had two safeties as the Stallions picked up 20 hits in the nine-inning game. Thompson knocked in five runs in the game and now has 70 RBIs on the season.
The visiting Electrics scored first when Ethan Hortick tripled and Casey Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly. Thompson's blast in the bottom half of the frame provided a 4-1 lead.
The Stallions rallied from an 8-5 deficit with a huge seventh inning. With two down and one on, Zach Griffith singled. One run scored on a subsequent wild pitch, and Don Olinger singled home another run as the drew within 8-7. Tanner Bleskin then singled and the Stallions loaded the bases as Greg Schroeder relieved Brinka.
McPherson then cleared the bases with his clutch hit. The Stallions added another run as Taylor Ferradas lined a single to left-center.
In the eighth, the Stallions poured it on as Olinger, who is hitting better than .455 on the season, had a two-run double off the right-field wall. Bleskin and Thompson followed with two-baggers to end the suspense.
The Stallions will play important Western AA games against the first-place Missoula Mavericks Saturday and Sunday at Centene.
LETHBRIDGE, Alberta — Cole McPherson homered in both games and Dan Olinger went 5-for-6 on the day, as the Great Falls Stallions swept the Western AA legion baseball doubleheader from the Lethbridge Elks here Monday.
Zach Griffith tossed a three hit shutout as the Stallions won the opener 7-0.
Olinger went 3-3 in the nightcap, as Great Falls posted a 10-4 triumph.
The Stallions of manager Mike Ferradas improved to 10-4 in western AA play, 28-18 overall. Lethbridge fell to 8-2, 17-12.
In the first game, the Stallions scored four runs the fourth inning, a rally ignited by McPherson's solo home run. Olinger, Tanner Bleskin, McPherson and Jake Mansch each had two hits, and Griffith allowed only three singles and improved to 5-1 on the year.
In the nightcap, McPherson's two run homer in the third tied the score. The Stallions took the lead in the fourth with four runs, as Olinger had a two run single.
The Stallions will be in Miles City Tuesday to start play in the Bill Newhouse Tournament. The Stallions meet El Segundo, Cal., at 8 pm in the first round of the event.
MEDICINE HAT — Dustin Schultz and Brady Kangas earned complete-game pitching victories and the Great Falls Stallions sweep a doubleheader from the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs Sunday to keep the Monarchs winless in Western AA American Legion action.
In the opener, Schultz, a righthander, scattered 10 hits and benefitted from three double plays from his defense as the Stallions prevailed 13-4.
After opening the contest with four runs in the first inning, the Stallions put the game away with a five-run burst in the fifth inning and added one more in the sixth and two in the seventh to finish the rout.
Southpaw Kangas struck out four and allowed four hits in the nightcap, a 10-1 victory.
Great Falls closed out the sweep with three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings and ended with two in the seventh.
Dan Olinger and Bryce Thompson each went 6-for-9 on the day at the plate, with Thompson reaching base in 10 straight plate appearances and scoring six times.
In all, the Stallions (8-4 league, 26-18 overall) collected 32 hits in the two games.
Jake Bleskin drove in four runs in the first game, two coming on a first-inning single that sparked the Stallions to a quick 4-0 lead. Thompson was 4-for-4 with 2 RBI.
Olinger was 3-for-4 in the second game, scoring three times.
Medicine Hat fell to 0-8 in the Western Conference.
The Stallions continue their road trip Monday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lethbridge.
KALISPELL — The Kalispell Lakers took advantage of four errors and scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to post a 12-7 victory over the Great Falls Stallions and earn a sweep of a Western AA doubleheader on Thursday.
The Lakers won 8-7 in the opener.
The Lakers took a 3-1 lead after one frame in the opener before the Stallions tied it at 6 in the top of the fifth. The Lakers added single runs in the fifth and sixth to close out the game. Greg Neils came on in the top of the seventh to preserve the win.
Toby Leichti had a pair of hits, including a solo homer, for the Lakers. Derek Keller, Adam Olson and Ben Sansaver also had two-hit games for Kalispell to back Tyler Reichhoff, who won in relief.
Tanner Bleskin (5-4) went the distance for the Stallions, who got a 3-for-3 performance from Dan Olinger and two hits from Alex Waltari.
Great Falls took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth, when the Lakers scored seven times. Neils would again figure in the decision, taking the win in relief.
Bleskin had three hits for the Ponies (6-4 Western AA), while Bryce Thompson had a pair of doubles. Starting pitcher Nick Taylor drew the loss.
The Stallions play a doubleheader in Medicine Hat on Sunday, then play two more at Lethbridge on Monday.
WHITEFISH — Zach Griffith and Jake Mansch hit home runs to lead the Great Falls Stallions to a 5-2 victory over the Glacier Twins and a sweep of their Western AA Legion Baseball doubleheader Wednesday night.
In the opener, Tanner Bleskin homered twice and drove in five runs as the Stallions cruised, 10-3.
In the nightcap, Bryce Thompson pitched a four-hitter and went 2-for-3 at the plate as the Stallions improved to 6-2 in league play, 24-16 overall.
Glacier is now 0-11 in Western AA play.
Griffith hit a solo homer in the third inning of the second game. Mansch cracked a two-run shot to highlight a four-run fourth inning.
Thompson, Griffith, Mansch and Jake Bleskin had two hits apiece.
Griffith pitched six strong innings and went 2-for-3 at the plate, including a double and a triple in the opener.
Bleskin, who has seven homers this season, lined a three-run shot over the right field fence in the first inning. The 17-year-old southpaw went the other way to smash a solo shot to left-center in the third.
In the sixth, Bleskin added a run-scoring double, one of three straight extra-base hits by the Stallions.
The Stallions play two more Western AA games Thursday in Kalispell. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
The Stallions are now selling "Stallion Cards," which are season passes as well as passes good for many discounts on merchandise and food.
The cards, available for $10, are similar to the popular "gold cards" that high school sports programs in Great Falls have sold in the past. The discounts are good throughout 2008.
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