Teamwork makes Mariners champions

Escaping the intense heat under umbrellas and distant shade trees, fans were treated to a slugfest Saturday as they watched their Mission Valley Mariners secure a conference-clinching 13-10 win over Libby at O'Maley Field.

Although the umbrellas shielded the relentless sun, it was still raining hits and home runs as the Mariners scored 13 runs off 17 hits, and the Loggers brought home 10 runs off of 12 hits.

Behind 0-5 in the bottom of the second inning, Mariner Eamonn Torgison brought in two base runners with an inspiring out-of-the-park home run before teammates added two more runs to tie the game.

Libby took the lead in the top of the third, but Brandon Larson led off with a solo homer in the bottom to tie it up again. Two more runs were batted in and the Mariners ended the inning up 8-6.

However, Libby's catcher, Brady Turk, hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning, recapturing the lead for the Loggers.

Torgison battled back, leading off the bottom of the fifth with another homer to tie the game 9-9.

Tyler Trudeau relieved Torgison on the mound in the top of the sixth but the Loggers scored on an outfield error to jump ahead by one run.

That's when the Mariners took control.

Steve Larson led off with a headfirst slide into second base. Mac Gordon and Brandon Larson singled to load the bases, and with no outs, 6' 5" Brandon Thompson - nicknamed "Moose" by his teammates - knocked the ball out of the park for a grand slam, and the Mariners were up 13-10.

Trudeau struck out the first two batters in the top of the seventh, but with only one out away from the win, the Loggers bats just wouldn't die. With Libby runners on first and third and the tying run at the plate, the Loggers nailed a low fly ball to left center field but Thompson sprinted to scoop it up and secure the victory for the Mariners.

Trudeau earned the save and improved his record to 5-0.

"Game number one against Libby was very crucial," Coach Jami Hanson said. After sweeping Kootanai and Kalispell earlier in the week, the Mariners only needed to split the double-header to take the conference title.

With the pressure off for game two, coach Jami Hanson was able to give less-experienced pitchers time on the mound.

"I'm not afraid to stick any of the 17 players in, and they have that confidence also," Hanson said. "It doesn't matter who's at the plate. They all get the job done. This year, we totally out-hit our opponents."

Throughout the year, the Mariners batted .347 as a team and hit 43 home runs. The team had 624 hits but the pitchers only gave up 381 hits.

"That's pretty close to 2-1," Hanson said.

Hanson said he also got "really good things" out of his rookies.

"The kids came out and played good ball," Hanson said. "They've proven time and time again that they are a better team."

The never-say-die team spirit was there again as Joe Locke hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning in the Tuesday, July 13 game against Kootenai Valley Rangers, leading the Mariners to a 12-11 victory.

On Sunday, the Mariners ended regular season play with a non-conference, 6-5 win over AA Glacier.

With a 44-22 record, the Mariners travel to the divisional tournament in Eureka today (Thursday, July 22) to meet Salmon, Idaho at noon. All games will be nine innings, and the top two teams left standing on Sunday advance to state finals in Helena.

"We can't look past anybody. There will be some upsets up there, there always is. But the kids are ready to go, and ready to go back to state," Hanson said. "We'll take it every inning by inning, and each game by game."

Summary

Tuesday, Sept. 13

Mariners 12, Kootenai Valley Rangers 11

Rangers 500 303 0 - 11 8 5

Mariners 230 400 3 - 12 11 3

A. Shay, P. Marek (4), Z. Nieusma (7) and J. D. Belstad. Brandon Larson, Tim Gauthier (5), Tyler Trudeau (7) and Steve Larson. W- Trudeau (3-0). L- Shay.

RANGERS - C. Comstock 1-3, P. Marek 1-5, Z. Nieusma 1-3, J. Kraus 1-3, J.D. Belstad 0-1, J. Lundberg 3-3, K. Chupp 0-1, M. Smith 0-3, A. Shay 1-4.

MARINERS - Brandon Larson 2-4, Eamonn Torgison 1-4, Jake Bosley 2-4, Joe Locke 3-4, Mac Gordon 1-4, Shane Perry 2-3, Steve Larson 1-3, Terry Lundeen 0-3, Tim Gauthier 1-1, Brandon Thompson 1-1.

2B- Marek, Lundberg, Locke, Perry. HR - Lundberg, Locke. RBIs- Larson 2, Torgison 2, Bosley, Locke 3, Gordon, Larson, Gauthier.

Mariners 6, Rangers 4

Rangers 002 200 0 - 4 3 4

Mariners 002 013 x - 6 10 4

J. Kraus, Shay (6) and J.D. Belstad. Steve Larson and Jake Whetzel. W- Larson (7-2). L- Kraus.

RANGERS - C. Comstock 1-2, P. Marek 1-3, Z. Nieusma 0-2, J. Kraus 0-4, J.D. Belstad 0-3, J. Lundberg 1-2, K. Chupp 0-2, M. Smith 0-2, A. Shay 0-3.

MARINERS - B. Larson 1-4, Torgison1-3, Bosley 0-2, Whetzel 0-3, J. Locke 1-4, Gordon 2-3, S. Larson 2-3, Lundeen 2-3, Gauthier 1-3.

2B- Torgison, Gordon, S. Larson Lundeen. RBIs- Locke, Gordon, S. Larson 2, Lundeen.

Wednesday, July 14

Mariners 12, Kalispell Lakers 1

Mariners 004 35 - 12 13 1

Lakers 001 00 - 1 2 3

Joe Locke and Steve Larson. N. Dezort, J. Fitzsimmons (5), R. Grubb (5). W- Locke (9-0). L- Dezort.

MARINERS - B. Larson 2-3, Torgison 1-3, Bosley 0-3, J. Locke 2-4, Gordon 3-3, Max Willet 1-3, S. Larson 1-1, Lundeen 1-3, Thompson 2-2.

LAKERS - A. Hunt 0-1, S. Freudenberg 0-2, M. Venturini 1-3, C. Christiansen 0-2, N. Dezort 1-2, R. Turgeon 0-2, J. Chambers 0-2, T. Hawkinson 0-1, C. Hooley 0-2.

2B- J. Locke, Gordon, Willet, S. Larson. 3B- Gordon. RBIs- Larson 2, Torgison 2, Bosley, Locke, Gordon, Larson, Lundeen 2, Thompson, Venturini.

Mariners 11, Lakers 9

Mariners 103 410 2 - 11 10 4

Lakers 413 000 1 - 9 10 5

Lundeen, Thompson (4), Trudeau (7) and S. Larson. Venturini and Dezort. W- Trudeau (4-0). L- Venturini.

MARINERS - B. Larson 3-4, Chris Kukus 0-2, Torgison 0-4, Bosley 0-4, J. Locke 1-4, Gordon 1-3, S. Larson 1-4, Lundeen 1-3, Gauthier 2-3, Thompson 1-2.

LAKERS -Hunt 2-4, S. Freudenberg 1-4, Venturini 4-4, Fitzsimmons 1-4, Christiansen 0-1, Dezort 0-4, Grubb 0-3, Laughlin 2-4, Treager 0-2, Chambers 0-1, Turgeon 0-2.

2B- B. Larson, Gordon, S. Larson, Lundeen. RBIs- B. Larson, J. Locke, Gordon, Lundeen, Thompson.

Saturday, July 17

Mariners 13, Libby Loggers 10

Libby 321 301 0 - 10 12 1

Mariners 053 014 x - 13 17 6

Torgison, Trudeau (6) and Steve Larson. Brandon Laffoon, Zach Schad (6) and Brady Turk. W- Trudeau (5-0). L- Schad.

LIBBY - Tim Spencer 1-4, J. Schwartzendruber 0-5, M. Mohr 2-4, N. Herbig 3-4, Brandon Laffoon 1-4, Brady Turk 3-4, Cole Spencer 0-4, Zach Schad 1-4, Justin Barnes 1-4.

MARINERS - B. Larson 3-3, Torgison 3-3, Bosley 0-3, J. Locke 1-4, Gordon 2-4, Willet 1-2, S. Larson 3-4, Lundeen 3-4, Trudeau 1-1, Thompson 1-3.

2B- Laffoon, Barnes, Gordon, S. Larson, Lundeen, Trudeau. 3B- Turk, Lundeen. HR- Turk, B. Larson, Torgison 2, Thompson. RBIs- Schwartzendruber, Herbig 2, Laffoon, Turk, Schad, B. Larson, Torgison 5, Locke, S. Larson, Lundeen, Thompson 4.

Libby 18, Mariners 4

Libby 330 57 - 18 13 2

Mariners 110 02 - 4 5 4

B. Larson, Kukus (3), E. Locke (5) and Whetzel. Barnes, Herbig (2) and Turk. W- Barnes. L- B. Larson (3-4).

LIBBY - Barnes 2-2, J. Herbig 1-2, J. Schwartzendruber 2-3, M. Mohr 3-4, N. Herbig 1-3, Brandon Laffoon 1-2, Brady Turk 1-2, Beau Thompson 0-3, Phil England 1-4, Cody Smith 1-2.

MARINERS - B. Larson 1-1, Kukus 0-2, E. Locke 0-2, Whetzel 1-2, Wallace 2-3, Perry 0-3, Gauthier 0-1, Gordon 1-3.

2B- Mohr, B. Larson. HR- Schwartzendruber 2, Turk. RBIs- Barnes, Schwartzendruber 3, Mohr 4, Laffoon, Turk 5, England 3, Whetzel, Wallace 2.

Sunday, July 18

Mariners 6, Glacier Twins AA 5

Twins 000 200 021 - 5 5 2

Mariners 101 100 012 - 6 14 3

Coffe, Lawerence (5), Barnes (8) and Casey Speer. Bosley, Willet (3), J. Locke (5), Lundeen (7), S. Larson (9) and S. Larson, Whetzel (8).

W- S. Larson (8-2). L- Coffe.

TWINS - J. Krueger 0-5, Ty Mikkelson 0-3, Lepoopon 0-1, Casey Speer 1-4, Nik Caron 1-4, Ben Lemieux 2-3, Dave Ramsey 0-3, Dave Cloyed 1-3, Josh Peterson 0-3, Justin Cooper 0-4.

MARINERS - B. Larson 2-3, Torgison 1-4, Bosley 0-3, Whetzel 0-1, J. Locke 0-3, Gordon 3-4, Willet 1-4, Shane Perry 1-1, S. Larson 3-5, Lundeen 2-4, Gauthier 1-2, Thompson 0-1.

2B- B. Larson, Gordon, Perry, S. Larson. 3B- S. Larson. HR- Lemieux 2. RBIs- Krueger, Lemieux 3, Bosley, J. Locke, Gordon, S. Larson 2, Thompson.