Mission Valley A Team 6, Cranbrook Bandits 0

Josh Rustad had the Cranbrook Bandits off-balance the entire game, throwing a two-hitter as the Mission Valley Mariners finished scheduled play in the Firecracker Tournament 4-0 with a 6-0 victory.

Rustad went seven innings, and struck out four on seventy five pitches.

Mission Valley scored in the first inning, as Chris Clary drove home Jack Humphreys, then again in the second as Kevin Hagedorn plated Jake Young.

Rustad continued to destroy the Bandits' hearts and minds with his dazzling array of pitches, and the Mariners built on their 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third.

Humphreys was hit by a pitch, Austin Von Tom singled and Chris Clary reached on an infield single to load the bases. With Young at the plate, the Polson state wrestler singled on an 0-1 pitch to center field, which would automatically plate Humphreys. The outfielder couldn't handle the hit ball, giving time for Von Tom and Clary to score.

Young advanced to third base and scored on a passed ball to make it 6-0.

That's how it would stay for the next four innings as Rustad threw just seven pitches in the top of the sixth inning, and eight pitches in the top of the seventh. Austin Von Tom made a great catch in right field to end the game.

Efficiency paid off and the Mariners with play in the championship game of the Firecracker Tournament tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES - Clary and Young both finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. It was Mission Valley's second shutout of the tournament.

CRANBROOK - 000 - 000 - 0 - 0
MISSION VALLEY - 114 - 000 - x - 6

Cranbrook - 2 hits, 2 errors. Mission Valley - 7 hits, 4 errors.

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 1-3, Austin Von Tom 2-3, Justin Evertz 0-3, Chris Clary 2-3, Robbie Gauthier 0-3, Jake Young 2-3, Cole McArthur 0-3,  Kevin Hagedorn 0-3, Dalton Mohlzon 0-2.

RBIs - Clary, Young, Hagedorn.

M Pitching - Rustad (7 IP, 4K)

Mission Valley A Team 11, Kalispell Lakers 3

Mission Valley got back-to-back home runs from Chris Clary and Robbie Gauthier in the bottom of the third, and the Mariners rolled to a 11-3 victory over the Kalispell Lakers on Saturday in the Firecracker Tournament.

"Big-hit Bob" Robbie Gauthier went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and three RBIs, while Clary went 2-for-3 with a home run, double and three RBIs also.

Mission Valley worked up a 6-0 lead three three innnings before Kalispell scored their first run in the top of the fourth. The M's answered back thanks to a sac fly RBI by Austin Von Tom and a double by Clary that scored Justin Evertz. That made it 8-1.

Von Tom pitched six innings, struck out two and spread out six hits.

A home two-run homer by the Lakers in the top of the fifth pulled them to within 8-3 but "Big-hit Bob" found a way to come through again. In the bottom of the sixth, Jack Humphreys scored on an error and then a few batters later with the bases loaded, Gauthier hit a double that scored both Von Tom and Evertz to enact the eight-run rule.

The Mariners went 4-0 in schedule play and will be in the first-place game at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.

GAME NOTES - The first five batters in the lineup provided all 10 hits for the Mariners. In the first three games of the Firecracker Tournament, Mission Valley has committed just one error. They've also had three starting pitchers finish complete games. Clary and Gauthier combined for six RBIs and four extra-base hits in the game.

KALISPELL - 000 - 120 - 3
MISSION VALLEY - 213 - 203 - 11

Kalispell - 6 hits, 3 errors. Mission Valley - 10 hits, 0 errors.

Mariners Batting - Jack Humphreys 3-4, Austin Von Tom 1-3, Justin Evertz 1-2, Chris Clary 2-3, Robbie Gauthier 3-4, Jacob Young 0-2, Cole McArthur 0-2, Kevin Hagedorn 0-1, Dalton Mohlzon 0-2.

Doubles - Clary, Gauthier. Home Runs - Clary, Gauthier. RBIs - Clary 3, Gauthier 3, Humphreys, Von Tom.

M Pitching - Von Tom (6 IP, 2K, 88 pitches)

Here is the photo galley, click on the "read more" to see the full gallery.

Glacier Twins 11, Mission Valley B Team 3

The Glacier Twins started early, and never let up as the Mission Valley Mariners B team fell 11-3 on Saturday in their third game of the home Firecracker Tournament in Polson.

In the first inning, the Twins jumped on the board with a five run rally off of three hits and three errors. They would continue to add to the lead before the M's scored a run thanks to a throwing error that allowed Zeke Webster-Yaqui come home from third base.

Webster-Yaqui finished the game three-for-three, which accounted for all the B team's hits.

Glacier extended their lead to 11-1 in the bottom of the fourth but Mission Valley wasn't ready to go early.

In the top of fifth with the eight-run rule looming, the Mariners offense got moving. After a ground out, Webster-Yaqui got on base with a single to right field, then Bradley Pichler was hit by a pitch. With Thomas Wallace up, a pass ball allowed the runners to advance, then Wallace made contact with the ball to bring home Webster-Yaqui.

Then a passed ball allowed Pichler to score and the Mariners pulled to within a run of extending the game. However the rally would be cut short with a fly out.

Alex Killian pitched for four and two-third innings, striking out three.

The B team will play the Deer Lodge Wranglers at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.

GLACIER - 511 - 13 - 11
MISSION VALLEY - 001 - 02 - 3

Glacier - 12 hits, 4 errors. Mission Valley - 3 hits, 3 errors.

Mariners Bating - Mike Bournstein 0-2, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 3-3, Bradley Pichler 0-1, Thomas Wallace 0-2, Davin Sorrell 0-3, Chris Drebes 0-1, Brad Cannon 0-2, Alex Killian 0-2.

RBIs - Wallace.

M Pitching - David Cleveland (1/3 IP), Alex Killian (4 2/3 IP, 3K)

Here is the galley from the game, click on "Read More" to see the full gallery...

Mission Valley A Team 9, Glacier Twins 0

Mission Valley used an eight-run bottom of the fourth to down the Glacier Twins 9-0 in their second game of the Firecracker Tournament.

Dalton Mohlzon blanked the Twins and struck out two in the top of the fifth to shut the door and end the game. It ended early because of the tournament's 8-run rule.

The M's struck first, as Cole McArthur scored from third on a wild pitch in the second inning. Then two innings later, the fireworks started earlier for the Fourth. First, Jack Humphreys made contact with the ball with two base-runners on and a throwing error allowed them to score. Two batters later, Justin Evertz tripled to drive hom two more runs and force Glacier to switch pitchers.

Another passed ball allowed Evertz to score, then after a Robbie Gauthier double, Jake Young hit a sac fly to drive in another run. Another wild pitch would allow Gauthier to score and then later in the inning, Humphreys had another RBI with a single to bring home McArthur.

In all, it was an eight-run rally off four hits and one error.

Glacier couldn't answer back and the eight-run rule ended things early.

Evertz and Humphreys both finished the game 2-3 with two RBIs.

GAME NOTES - Mohlzon three 66 pitches through five innings of action. Seven different Mariners collected hits against Glacier. In the two innings that the Twins committed an error, they allowed runs. In both outings at the Firecracker Tournament, the Mariners' starting pitcher have finished the game.

GLACIER - 000 - 00 - 0
MISSION VALLEY - 010 - 8x - 9

Glacier - Three hits, two errors. Mission Valley - 10 hits, 1 error.

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 2-3, Austin Von Tom 0-2, Justin Evertz 2-3, Chris Clary, 1-2, Robbie Gauthier 2-3, Jake Young 0-2, Cole McArthur 1-2, Kevin Hagedorn 1-2, Josh Rustad 1-2.

Doubles - Clary, Gauthier. Triple - Evertz. RBIs - Humphreys 2, Evertz 2, Young.

M Pitching - Dalton Mohlzon (5 IP, 2K)

Here are photos from the game, click on "read more" to see the full gallery.

Mission Valley B Team 5, Missoula Pioneers 4

It was one of those games with plenty of tense, emotion-filled moments that had both sides of the diamonds cheering and groaning at every pitch. The Mission Valley fans did just a little more cheering.

Chris Drebes drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Mariners B team a walk-off 5-4 win against the defending Senior Babe Ruth state champion Missoula Pioneers.

Drebes was the one that brought home Davin "The Pride of St. Ignatius" Sorrell, but it was Nick Crawford who kept the Pioneers at bay for most of the game. He flustered their loaded lineup and went the complete game with a gutty, gritty performance worthy of a big league pitcher.

Crawford went eight innings and struck out seven. He had a no-hitter going through four innings and a shutout through five.

Mission Valley, meanwhile, took the 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Bradley Pichler reached on an error and was able to drive home Zeke Webster Yaqui.

The Missoula Pioneers would strike in the top of the sixth with three runs off a single and a passed ball. However, the Mariners answered right back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Alex Killian drove in a run with a single, Kellen Hoyt plated one off an error and Drebes had an RBI thanks to a fielder's choice.

That put the Mariners up 4-3, but a baulk in the top of the seventh tied things up and a quick three-up, three-down by Mission Valley took it into extra innings.

The M's rally in the bottom of the eighth ended it and gave them a win in their second game of the Firecracker tournament. They outhit the Pioneers 9-4 in the game while both teams committed two errors.

MISSOULA - 000 - 003 - 10 - 4
MISSION VALLEY - 100 - 003 - 01 - 5

Missoula - 4 hits and two errors. Mission Valley - 9 hits and two errors.

Mariners batting - Mike Bournstein 0-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 2-4, Bradley Pichler 1-3, Thomas Wallace 2-2, Davin Sorrell 1-3, Alex Killian 2-4, Kellen Hoyt 0-2, Chris Drebes 1-3, David Cleveland 0-3, Jarod Young 0-1. RBIs - Pichler, Killian, Drebes.

M pitching - Nick Crawford (8 IP, 7K)

Here are photos from the game, click "read more" to see the full gallery....

Mission Valley 6, Deer Lodge 1

Justin Evertz pitched a gem as the Mission Valley Mariners A team (24-15) won their first game of the Firecracker Tournament in Polson. Evertz went seven innings for a complete game, two-hitter with 11 strikeouts in a 6-1 victory over Deer Lodge.

Throwing 85 pitches, 59 of them for strikes, Evertz blanked the Wranglers for the first five innings of the game. For a time, he was actually outscoring Deer Lodge himself, after he singled on a 1-0 pitch to drive home Austin Von Tom in the bottom of the third.

For the game, Evertz finished 3-for-4.

The Mariners added to that lead in the bottom of the fourth. Robbie Gauthier tripled with a full count, then Jake Young bunted on the first pitch he saw to bring home the Ronan quarterback. After Josh Rustad advanced Young over to third base on a sac bunt, Kevin Hagedorn singled to drive him home and push Mission Valley's lead to 3-0.

Gauthier, or rather "Big Hit Bob" went two-for-three with a triple and a double.

Evertz came back in the top of the fifth with a nine-pitch frame, striking out one batter looking and getting two quick fly outs.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Mariners continued to add to their lead thanks to a double by Gauthier that drove home Von Tom and Evertz. After Young moved Gauthier over to third with a sacrifice bunt, a passed ball allowed him to score. That gave the Mariners a 6-1 advantage going into the top of the sixth.

Deer Lodge was able to get a lead-off walk and then a steal by Evertz answered back with a strike out. The next batter singled to advance the base-runner to third and then a ground out drove home the Wrangler's lone run.

Evertz struck out a Deer Lodge batter to end the inning. It proved to be his longest inning, as he threw 21 pitches.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Mariners went a quick three-up, three-down but they again turned to their starting pitcher who recorded two strikeouts and a groundout in the top of the seventh to shut the door and end the game.

GAME NOTES - In his last outing, Evertz went seven innings with nine strikeouts against Strathmore Reds in the Libby Big Bucks tournament. Mission Valley won their home tournament last season. Mission Valley was flawless in the field, not committing a single error while Deer Lodge committed two. The Mariners also had 10 team hits in the game. Six players had hits, four drove in runs for the M's. On Friday at 4:00 p.m., the MV Mariners B team plays the Missoula Pioneers and then at 6:30 p.m., the MV Mariners A team takes on the Glacier Twins.

DEER LODGE - 000 - 001 - 0 - 1
MISSION VALLEY - 001 - 230 - x - 6

Deer Lodge - 2 hits, 2 errors. Mission Valley - 10 hits, 0 errors.

Mariners Batting - Jack Humphreys 0-3, Austin Von Tom 1-2, Justin Evertz 3-4, Chris Clary 0-3, Robbie Gauthier 2-3, Jacob Young 1-3, Josh Rustad 1-3, Kevin Hagedorn 2-2, Dalton Mohlzon 0-1.

Doubles - Von Tom, Gauthier. Triple - Gauthier. RBIs - Evertz, Gauthier 2, Young, Hagedorn.

M Pitching - Evertz (7 IP, 11 K, 85 Pitches)

Here are photos from the game, click on "read more" to see the full gallery...

Mission Mountain Rodeo Photos (Day 2)

Here are some photos from the Mission Mountain Rodeo last night in Polson. Click "read more" to see the full gallery.

Mission Valley Speedway Photos

Here are photos from the Mission Valley Speedway last night in Pablo. Click on the "Read More" to see the full gallery.