Mariners complete doubleheader sweep of Mavs, three days later

It took four days, but the Mission Valley Mariners swept the Missoula Mavericks in their conference doubleheader matchup. After winning the first game on Wednesday 6-0, rain forced the M's to reschedule the game to today.

Justin Evertz threw a complete game two-hitter with 98 pitches against the visiting Class A Missoula Mavericks, and the Mariners improved to 10-6 in league play.

Evertz was also a beast at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a two-run double in the first inning. Mission Valley added to their lead in the bottom of the second when Kevin Hagedorn scored from first base on a throwing error by Missoula.

Clary went 2-for-2 in the game and drove in a run when he doubled in the bottom of the third to give the M's a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, catcher Jack Humphreys scored because of another error, and then Evertz hit a single to drive in another run. Later in the inning, Jacob Young would make the score 7-0 with a double that brought home Evertz.

The Mariners would finish the game with four doubles as a team.

Jacob Jewitt drove in Missoula's only run of the game with a sac fly in the top of the sixth. However, Young made sure any chance of a rally was neutralized with a web gem play to retire the last batter of that inning.  

The Mariners as a team collected ten hits and took advantage of four errors made by the Mavericks.

Clary drove in another run to make the score 8-1 in the bottom of the sixth and then Evert shut the door in the top of the seventh by striking out the side.

GAME NOTES - Mission Valley can wrap up the No. 1 seed going into divisionals as they play a double header against the Bitterroot Bucs tomorrow in Florence. It's their final two games of the season. Evertz also had two hits against Missoula in the first game of the doubleheader. Missoula had 14 batters strike out in the the doubleheader including Wednesday's game, they also had just five hits.


Missoula - 000 - 001 - 0 - 1
Mission Valley - 211 - 031 - x - 8

Missoula - 2 hits, 4 errors. Mission Valley - 10 hits, 0 errors.

Mavs hitting - Tanner Maier 0-3, Nick Evans 0-2, Shane Olson 0-3, Tony Contonio 0-1, William Keffeler 0-1, Matt McHugh 1-1, Josh Ratts 0-2, Curtis Trott 0-1, Preston Jesson 0-1, Anthony Hilliard 0-1, Josh Meader 1-2, Slade Heagen 0-1, Keil Stephens 0-1, Jacob Jewitt 0-0.

RBIs- Jewitt.

Mavs Pitching - Nick Evans (3 IP), Ryan Anderson (2 IP), Jacob Jewitt (1 IP)

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

Doubles - Humphreys, Evertz, Clary, Young. RBIs - Evertz 3, Clary 2, Young.

Mariners Pitching - Justin Evertz (7 IP, 9Ks, 98 pitches)

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Mariners fall to Red Sox

The Hamilton Red Sox, who defeated the Mariners in the championship game of the John Harp Tournament last weekend, swept the Mariners yesterday in doubleheader action.

Mission Valley was held to three hits in the first game and fell 10-3. Hamilton won the second game 11-1.

The M's will play the Missoula Mavs today at 1 p.m.

(Scroll down on the link, its the second game story)

American Legion baseball: Red Sox Sweep

Mariners down Mavs in shortened doubleheader

Is it really a doubleheader if they play just one game?

While rain caused the second matchup of the day to be canceled, the Mission Valley Mariners did plenty of damage before the storm clouds rolled in, defeating the Missoula Mavs 6-0 yesterday in Polson to improve to 9-4 in conference play.

Josh Rustad, ever the model of efficiency, threw 63 pitches in six innings and held the Mavs to just three hits.

The M's built their lead in the first half of the game, as Justin Evertz took the first pitch and deposited it off the Mission Valley Mariners' scoreboard for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. Rustad would clear the Mavs the very next inning with two strikeouts and Jack Humphrey's threw out a baserunner at second.

Humphrey's bunted in Kevin Hagedorn in the bottom of the frame for the 3-0 lead.

While the Mavs would get their first hit of the game in the top of the third, the Mariners quickly shutdown the inning thanks to a Evertz-to-Chris Clary double play and a Rustad strikeout.

In the bottom of the third, Jake Young singled to load the bases and then Hagedorn walked to bring home a run. Dalton Molzhon followed that up with a double which plated two more runs and put the Mariners up 6-0. It took the Mavs pitcher 32 pitches to get through the inning.

Young and Molzhon were both 2-for-4 in the game.

The closest Missoula came to scoring in the game came in the top of the sixth as the leadoff batter hit a double, and then the second batter up launched a ball to center field. However, Hagedorn made a web gem-worthy catch to neutralize the threat. Rustad got the next two batters to strike out and fly out. He finished the game with five strikeouts.

Rustard iced the game in the seventh, getting the Mavs to hit into a double play and then getting the last batter to ground out to the first base.

GAME NOTES - The Mariners avenged a doubleheader sweep by the Mavs last week. In Rustad's last outing, he led Mission Valley to a 3-0 victory over Mead from Washington State. The middle of the lineup between the No. 3 and No. 6 spot got six of the Mariners eight hits against the Mavs. The second game was canceled because of rain and will be played on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Missoula - 000 - 000 - 0 - 0
Mission Valley - 213 - 000 - x - 6


Missoula - 3 hits and 1 error. Mission Valley - 8 hits and 1 error.

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

M pitching - Josh Rustad (6 IP, 5K, 63 pitches)

For the full galley, click on "read more"...

Mission Valley sweeps doubleheader on Monday

(From the Daily Interlake)

POLSON - Josh Rustad hit a walkoff solo home run to lift the Mission Valley Mariners in the first game of a doubleheader Monday.

In the second game, all the Mariners got into the slugging action - and Mission Valley swept Bitterroot, 5-4 and 15-13.

The Bucs hit the ball pretty well, too. They recorded 10 hits in the first game and 15 in the second.

The Mariners (35-18, 8-4) led the second game 12-7 after three innings, but Bitterroot rallied with five runs over the next three innings. But Mission Valley had a two-run answer in the bottom of the sixth.

Rustad was 2-for-3 in the first game and Justin Evertz was 1-for-2 with two RBI.

In the second game, it was Chris Clary bashing two home runs and batting in seven. Rustad had a home run and Austin VonTom a triple.

"All the way around, it was a good effort by the boys," said Mission Valley coach Jami Hanson.

The Mariners play host at 3 p.m. Wednesday to Missoula.

Bucs - 101 - 000 - 2 - 4
Mission Valley - 011 - 020 - 1 - 5

Bitterroot - 10 hits and 2 errors. Mariners - 3 hits and 0 errors.

Billy, Hannah, Austin Nagle (7) and Patrick Papp, Hannah (7). Austin VonTom and Jack Humphries. W - VonTom (7-1). L - Nagle.

Bitterroot - Cole Golden 1-4, Austin Erler 2-2, Hannah 1-3. Zach Blackston 1-3, Dan Lockman 0-3, Riley Phillips 1-3, Tyler Thompson 2-2, Papp 0-2, Nagle 1-1, Corbin Newbury 1-3.

HR - Erler. 2B - Hannah, Blackston, Thompson. RBI - Golden 1, Erler 2.

Mission Valley - Jack Humphries 0-2, VonTom 0-0, Justin Evertz 1-2, Chris Clary 0-3, Rob Gauthier 0-2, Jacob Young 0-1, Josh Rustad 2-3, Kevin Hagedorn 0-0, Dalton Molzhon 0-0.

HR - Rustad. RBI - Evertz 2, Rustad 1.

Bucs - 412 - 131 - 1 - 13
Mission Valley - 345 - 102 - x - 15

Bitterroot - 15 hits and 6 errors. Mariners - 12 hits and 3 errors.

Erler, Papp (4) and Hannah. Gauthier, Molzhon (1) and Humphries. W - Molzhon (5-2). L - Papp.

Bitterroot - Golden 2-4, Erler 3-4, Hannah 3-3, Blackston 2-3,Lockman 1-3, Papp 0-1, Phillips 2-4, Austin Nagle 2-4 Justin Beierle 0-2, Corbin Newbury 0-3.

2B - Golden, Hannah 2, Blackston. RBI - Golden 2, Erler 2, Hannah 2, Blackston 2, Lockman 1, Phillips 1, Nagle 1, Newbury 1.

Mission Valley - Jack Humphries 1-4, VonTom 1-1, Evertz 3-4, Chris Clary 2-3, Robbie Gauthier 1-3, Jacob Young 0-3, Josh Rustad 1-4, Kevin Hagadorn 1-4, Dalton Molzhon 2-4.

HR - Clary 2, Rustad 1. 3B - VonTom 1. 2B - Molzhon. RBI - Humphries 1, VonTom 3, Evertz 3, Clary 7, Rustad 1.

For the full gallery of photos, click on "read more."

Mission Valley Rockies vs. Missoula Pioneers (Senior Babe Ruth State Championship Game)

Here are photos from the Mission Valley Rockies against the Missoula Pioneers in the Senior Babe Ruth state championship game last Sunday. (Click on the "read more" to see the full gallery)

Mission Valley Rockies at the state tournament

Here are images from the Mission Valley Rockies' games on Saturday of the Senior Babe Ruth state tournament. Be sure to read the Leader tomorrow for the full rundown on what happened. (Click on the "read more" to see the full gallery)