LEGION BASEBALL: Highs, lows for Northern Lakes at tourney

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Northern Lakes class A American Legion baseball club experienced a potential season-changing comeback victory on Friday at the Missoula Mavericks Memorial Tournament.

Then the Mountaineers experienced something that unfortunately has become all too common in recent months.

Hours after rallying to beat the Glacier Twins of Whitefish, Mont., 9-8 in 10 innings at Lindborg-Cregg Field, Northern Lakes was told that the remainder of the six-team, round-robin tournament was being canceled by the Missoula County Health Department because of violations of health department standards during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Mountaineers (4-1) were 1-1 in the tourney, with two games scheduled today, one more on Sunday, and possibly a championship game later Sunday.

“We were excited to get after it tomorrow,” Mountaineers coach Bryce Johnson said. “It’s just a bummer.”

Northern Lakes trailed heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Down to his last strike in the seventh, Trevor Vandever singled through the left side to score Tristan Clift and force extra innings. In the 10th, Vandever scored from second on Jack McDonald’s single through the left side.

“It was great resiliency; the kids just kept battling,” Johnson said.

In the top of the eighth, catcher Colton Aragon tagged out the runner from third on a failed suicide squeeze. In the ninth, Louis Powell, moved from second to shortstop when Jaret Taylor suffered a sprained ankle in the top of the fourth, turned an unassisted double play. In the 10th, Jacob Shaffner, who came in to the game at second base, dove to knock down a ground ball, then flipped to Powell at second for the forceout.

Scott Pote earned the win with seven innings of relief, throwing just 79 pitches.

“He filled up the zone with strikes, and made them put it in play, and we played great defense behind him,” Johnson said.

Aragon went 3 for 5 with two runs scored, Clift 3 for 4 with three runs scored for Northern Lakes. Pote hit a two-run double in the fifth to pull the Mountaineers within 8-7. Vandever finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs.

Northern Lakes is now scheduled to return to action Wednesday vs. Sandpoint in a North Idaho League class A doubleheader at Lakeland High.

Glacier 042 200 000 0 — 8 13 0

N. Lakes 100 330 100 1 — 9 13 3

1 out when winning run scored.

Trenton Tyree, Mason Peters (4), Cade Morgan (5) and Austyn Andrachick; Tristan Clift, Scott Pote (4) and Colton Aragon. W — Pote. L — Morgan.

HITS: Gla — S. Andrachick, Peters 2, Morgan 2, Davisson, Veneman 2, Tyree 2, Polumbus 3. NL — McDonald, Aragon 3, Clift 3, Shaffner, Pote, Vandever 3. 2B — Davisson, Polumbus, Aragon, Pote, Vandever.