Mariners win Dillon tourney, have 10-game winning streak

Zach Urness

Leader Staff

The Mission Valley hasn't seen a fight this unfair since an emboldened minnow named "sparky" decided to take his chances against the Flathead Lake Monster.

The Mariners, who in this case play the part of the monster, won games by an average clip of 10 runs per game last week during a week that saw them win nine games and their 10th straight, including a dominating performance at the Maybelle Arthur Legion Tournament in Dillon where they went 6-0 and took first prize.

"At this point we've got to be considered one of the most powerful teams," said head coach Jami Hanson. "And it hasn't mattered who we've had in the line-up because everyone is hitting, everyone is picking each other up. That's the way baseball should be played."

The M's also beat Kootanai Valley twice, 16-6 and 13-0, and beat Deer Lodge 13-2 to improve their overall record to 26-5 on the year.

In another important development for the M's, Will Gordon, who got his first pitching experience this week, is now known as "the hurricane," according to Hanson.

Mariners 13, Deer Lodge 2

The M's pushed their winning streak to 10 games with an easy win at Deer Lodge on Monday. Tim Rausch and Kyle Bagnell worked together in a six-hit effort from the mound.

Catcher John Rausch led the team on offense, going 3-for-3 and Mike Fisher went 2-for-2 and had a home run. Tim Rausch was also perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2.

The Mariners scored 10 runs between the fourth and sixth inning to win the game by 11 runs.

Maybelle Arthur Tournament

DILLON — Eric Locke was named tournament MVP for the second week in a row, going 9-for-16 with 12 RBIs, as the Mariners made a talented group of teams look like cupcakes.

"Eric has worked very hard to get where he's at," noted Hanson.

After a close call in the first game, the M's never lost control, winning three of their six games via the 10-run rule while outscoring teams by a total of 79-21.

Mariners 5, Bitterroot Bucs 4

The Mariners were a little slow getting off the bus for their first game on Thursday.

"Their pitcher had a lot of movement on his ball and really pitched well," explained Hanson.

Tim Rausch got things going for the M's in the fourth inning with a big RBI double that opened things up a little. The M's scored all of their runs over the fourth and fifth innings to preserve the win.

Cubby Pierre pitched the whole game for Mission Valley and picked up the win.

Mariners 16, Livingston 0

The Mariners clubbed out 10 runs in the first two innings against Livingston en route to a five inning victory in their first game on Friday. Eric Locke was masterful on the mound and at bat, pitching five scoreless innings and allowing only two hits for the win, as well as going 3-for-4 and driving in five runs.

The M's added insult to injury in the bottom of the fifth, putting another six runs on the board. Tim Rausch and Brandon Thompson both went 3-for-4 in the game, each with a home run and two RBIs.

Tylar Linse had two RBIs in the contest and Cubby Pierre and Joe McCarthy drove in one run each.

Mariners 18, Salmon 4

Whether Salmon was actually awake during this game we'll never fully know, but the team from North Idaho committed 10 errors to help give Mission Valley their second win on Friday.

Joe McCarthy and Cubby Pierre combined for a perfect 6-for-6 day at the plate which included five RBIs to lead the team on offense. Mike Fisher went the distance on the mound, giving up four runs on three hits in five innings.

Chris Alfiero had a nice day at the plate, going 2-for-3, and Brandon Roy, Joe Andrews, Derrick Rathe and Rocky Reynolds all had one RBI each.

Mariners 14, Dillon 5

Big Brandon Thompson gave up just three hits against tournament host Dillon, as the Mariners, who lost to Dillon 13-7 two weeks prior, achieved a measure of revenge.

"We get pretty fired up to play against them," said Hanson, noting that Dillon's current head coach used to coach for the Mariners. "You want to play well against your old coach."

In the M's only game on Saturday they were sharp at the plate, scoring six runs in the second inning and adding four in the sixth to walk away with an easy win over a very good Dillon team, that is 33-4 overall this season.

Joe McCarthy smashed a three run homer in the game and Eric Locke, who had three hits in the game, led a Mariner offense that had seven extra-base hits in the game.

"We were missing a few starters," said Hanson, "but the younger guys stepped in and really hit the ball well."

Kyle Brown also had three hits and Cubby Pierre pounded out two doubles to help the M's move into Sunday's game unbeaten and in position to take the championship.

Mariners 16, Billings 3 (pool play)

On Sunday the Mariners played their first of two games against Billings, one for pool play and one for the championship (Billings was the only team besides MV to have gone undefeated in pool play up to that point).

And with so much on the line, the Mariners were sure to establish their dominance early, tallying back-to-back seven-run innings to get them off to a 14-0 lead.

Cubby Pierre and Eric Locke led the aerial assault, both knocking home runs and combining for six RBIs. Will Gordon also hit the ball well, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Spencer Trawick pitched all five innings for his second win of the season, giving up six hits and four walks to go along with four strike outs.

Mariners 10, Billings 5 (championship)

The championship game was a much closer affair for the M's. After the fourth, the Mariners actually found themselves down, 5-2.

"We didn't have an explosive inning the way we normally do," said Hanson. "

But reaching into their bag for a sprinkle of that "Mariner Magic," the M's came up with three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Mission Valley then took the lead with one run in the sixth and before Charlo's Nick Fell came to the plate and blasted a three-run shot over the left-field wall.

The home run was Fell's first as a Mariner, and completed a 2-for-4, three RBI day that put a little green icing on the cake for the game and tournament.

"His swing is starting to come around," said Hanson of Fell, "He was the spark plug for us."

The Mariners traveled to Whitefish on Wednesday, and will continue play today (Thursday, June 21) at 1 p.m. and will complete pool play on Friday at 5:15 p.m.

The road-weary team will return home to the friendly confines of O'Maley field on June 25 against Salmon, where they will have three back-to-back home games next week.