Mariners perfect in busy eight-game week
Mariners perfect in busy eight-game week
By Trent Makela / Leader Staff
It might be a good idea to keep the Mission Valley Mariners away from all of the fireworks stands in town.
The Mariners (8-0, 35-9) stayed hot last week, blazing through eight games with a perfect record last week. The team easily dispatched the Missoula Mavericks in a home doubleheader last Tuesday before sweeping Kootenai Valley in a road doubleheader at Eureka. Mission Valley then put up 37 runs over two games to sweep two home games against Salmon River on Saturday and escaped with two more road wins against the Bitterroot Red Sox in Hamilton on Sunday.
"The kids are really coming around and playing well right now. They're hitting the ball and the pitchers are throwing more strikes instead of balls," head coach Jami Hanson said. "They had three errors in Sunday's late game that cost us a couple of runs, but overall we only had five or six [errors] total in the last 12 games."
The Mariners will resume their schedule this week when they host the 15th annual Firecracker Tournament at O'Malley Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
"The field's gonna see 16 games in three days and it'll get a little wear and tear, but the team should be fine," Hanson said. "Districts are in three weeks and we're getting where we need to be."
Mission Valley 9, Bitterroot 6
Tim Rausch was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI to lead the Mariners past the Red Sox in Sunday's second game. Brandon Roy was also 1-for-1 with a triple and three RBIs to lead Mission Valley's offense.
John Rausch picked up the win on the mound for the hosting Mariners.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 1-4, Alfiero 0-3, T. Rausch 2-3, J. Rausch 0-1,
Reed 0-3, Locke 1-3, Roy 1-1, Brown 1-4, Linse 2-4, Fell 0-2.
2B — T. Rausch. 3B — Roy. RBI — Roy 3, Linse 2, Alfiero, T. Rausch.
Mission Valley 19, Bitterroot 9
John Rausch showed why he's on his way to play at the college level next year, finishing 4-for-4 with a pair of homers, a double and a whopping five RBIs to lead the Mariners' offensive explosion.
Locke chipped in a 3-for-4 effort with a homer of his own, knocking in a pair of runs for Mission Valley.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 1-3, Alfiero 1-4, T. Rausch 3-4, J. Rausch 4-4,
Locke 3-4, Roy 2-3, Brown 2-3, LInse 1-5, Fell 4-4.
2B — Nordberg, T. Rausch, J. Rausch, Roy. HR — J. Rausch 2, Locke. RBI
— J. Rausch 5, T. Rausch 3, Locke 2, Brown 2, Fell 2, Alfiero, Roy.
Mission Valley 23, Salmon 0
Spencer Trawick had another solid showing from the mound, tossing all five innings and allowing just three hits against the visiting Savages.
Locke was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate to lead the Mariners offense. He knocked out three doubles, a homer and plated six RBIs.
Salmon 0 0 0 00 — 0 3 4
Miss. Valley 3(12)5 3x — 23 19 1
Spencer Trawick and John Rausch. W - Trawick.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 2-4, Alfiero 2-2, T. Rausch 2-4, J. Rausch 1-4,
Reed 0-1, Locke 4-4, Reynolds 0-1, Roy 1-4, Brown 3-3, Linse 3-4, Fell
1-2, Rathe 0-1.
2B — Locke 3, Nordberg, T. Rausch, Linse. 3B — Alfiero. HR — Locke. RBI
— Locke 6, Linse 4, J. Rausch 2, Roy 2, Brown 2, Nordberg, Alfiero, T.
Rausch, Fell.
Mission Valley 14, Salmon 2
Linse took his turn as a source of power for the Mariners offense, finishing 2-for-2 with a homer and five RBIs. Tim Rausch was 3-for-3 on the night with a double and a pair of runs batted in.
Salmon 001 10 — 2 4 3
Miss. Valley 452 03 — 14 10 2
Derrick Rathe and J. Rausch. W - Rathe.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 0-1, Alfiero 0-2, T. Rausch 3-3, J. Rausch 2-4,
Reed 0-1, Locke 0-0, Reynolds 0-1, Roy 0-3, Brown 0-1, Linse 2-2, Fell
1-1, Rathe 2-3.
2B — T. Rausch. HR — Linse. RBI — Linse 5, T. Rausch 2, Fell 2, Reed,
Roy, Brown.
Mission Valley 10, Kootenai Valley 4
John Rausch and Trawick combined to allow just two hits over seven innings as the Mariners won big in Eureka.
Linse and Fell finished with a hit and two RBIs apiece to lead the Mission Valley offense. John Rausch and Moran each chipped in a double.
Miss. Valley 410 013 1 — 10 9 2
Kootenai 000 004 0 — 4 2 6
John Rausch, Spencer Trawick (6) and Tim Rausch. W - J. Rausch.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 1-3, Alfiero 1-4, T. Rausch 2-4, J. Rausch 2-3,
Moran 1-1, Locke 0-1, Brown 0-4, Linse 1-3, Fell 1-4.
2B — J. Rausch, Moran. RBI — Linse 2, Fell 2, Alfiero, T. Rausch,
Moran, Locke.
Mission Valley 14, Kootenai Valley 4
Kyle Bagnell relieved starter Josh Reed in the second inning and received help from Derrick Rathe in the sixth to help no-hit Kootenai Valley.
The Mariners did manage to give up four runs, but an 11-hit effort from their offense helped take the win.
Time Rausch finished 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and five RBIs to lead the offense.
Miss. Valley 200 066 — 14 11 2
Kootenai 201 010 — 4 0 4
Josh Reed, Kyle Bagnell (2), Derrick Rathe (6) and Rathe, T. Rausch
(6)W - Bagnell.
Miss. Valley — T. Rausch 3-4, Reed 0-1, Moran 1-3, K. Bagnell 2-2,
Locke 2-4, Roy 0-3, Brown 1-3, Linse 1-3, Fell 0-2, Rathe 1-4.
2B — K. Bagnell. HR — T. Rausch 2. RBI — T. Rausch 5, Locke 3, Brown,
Linse.
Mission Valley 6, Missoula 2
Locke picked up the complete seven-inning win on the mound as the Mariners defense helped to keep the Mavericks off the board despite giving up six hits.
Locke also finished with a single and a pair of RBIs to lead the offense. Tim Rausch chipped in a pair of sacrifice RBIs of his own.
Missoula 000 002 0 — 2 6 1
Miss. Valley 120 201 x — 6 8 3
Eric Locke and John Rausch. W - Locke.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 1-3, T. Rausch 0-2, J. Rausch 2-3, Bagnell 0-1,
Locke 1-1, C. Bagnell 0-3, Brown 2-3, Linse 1-3, Fell 1-3.
2B — Nordberg. RBI — T. Rausch 2, Locke 2, J. Rausch.
Mission Valley 10, Missoula 2
Roy tossed a seven-inning four-hitter and the Mariners used a four-run third inning to take the lead for good.
Chris Alfiero was a perfect 2-for-2 from the plate with a double and an RBI to help lead the Mission Valley offense.
Missoula 101 000 0 — 2 4 1
Miss. Valley 004 033 x — 10 10 1
Brandon Roy and J. Rausch. W - Roy. L - Schafer.
Miss. Valley — Nordberg 0-3, Alfiero 2-2, T. Rausch 0-1, J. Rausch 1-3,
Locke 1-3, C. Bagnell 1-4, Roy 2-3, Brown 1-2, Linse 1-3, Fell 1-4.
2B — Alfiero. HR — J. Rausch. RBI — C. Bagnell 2, Linse 2, Alfiero, T.
Rausch, Locke, Brown, Fell.