Mariners win John Harp
Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake Mission Valley center fielder Justin Evans, 4, makes a mid-air catch and tries to tag Anacortes Mark Medalia, 6, out as he slides into second during their game on Saturday in Kalispell. Medalia was called safe at second.
Mission Valley's Xavier Morigeau sends dust and his helmet flying as he slides into third base during the game against Anacortes on Saturday in Kalispell.
Dalton Molzhon and the rest of the Mariners B Team finished the season on a high note with a double-header split against the Libby Loggers.
Tyler Linse is lifted off the ground by Matt Detwiler as they celebrate their win over Anacortes on Saturday in Kalispell.
Shortstop Robbie Gauthier receiving on a throw from second baseman Austin Von Tom, Libby's Byron Benefield out at second.
KALISPELL - A baseball team always wants to be playing its best baseball heading into the post-season. The Mission Valley Mariners are doing just that. They won their second consecutive tournament by knocking off the Vauxhall Spurs 10-5 in the championship game of the John Harp Memorial Tournament this weekend in Kalispell.
"Anytime you can get into these close championship games that only helps you," Mariners assistant coach Joe Locke said.
Down 5-3, the Mariners rallied with five runs in the fifth inning for the win. Tim Rausch was 3-for-3 with a double, and Derrick Rathe was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
As catcher, Rausch also threw out three runners in the championship game.
These late-game heroics are nothing new for the team, as they rallied back from being down 5-1 to the Libby Loggers in the Firecracker Tournament during the Fourth of July weekend.
"That's something we're starting to see out of this baseball team," Locke said. "We do believe we can come back when we're down."
The Mariners advanced through the tournament on Saturday by knocking around two teams from the state of Washington.
In the morning, the Mariners won 7-5 over Mt. Spokane in six innings after it was called due to the two-hour time limit.
"We played teams we haven't played all year," Locke said.
Mission Valley got their bats going early as they jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the second inning and held on for the win. Xavier Morigeau picked up the win in that game after striking out seven, improving to 4-2 on the season.
They pulled off another signature comeback win by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Anacortes, 4-3.
Justin Evans scored the winning run with two outs thanks to a fielding error by an outfielder.
Justin Evertz allowed just two hits and struck out four from the mound for the Mariners. Kaileb Gillingham went 2-for-4 in that game with an RBI.
With a record of 35-14, the Mariners will play the Bitterroot Bucs at 4 p.m. this Thursday at home, as the teams changed the game's location from Florence to Polson.
Mariners B team
LIBBY - The Mission Valley Mariners B team finished their season on a positive note, splitting a double header with the Libby Loggers Thursday night in Libby. Kellen Hoyt pitched six innings and gave up one hit and one run, but the Mariners lost to the Loggers 1-0 in the first game.
The bats came alive for Mission Valley in the second game as they slugged their way to a 12-8 victory to end the season.
"I can't say how much the coaches, Eric [Locke] and I, are proud of them," second-year head coach Chris Brown said.
The first game of the double header was a carryover from the Mission Valley Firecracker Tournament last weekend, Brown said, as the Mariners had trouble getting their bats going.
They almost didn't need it as Hoyt had his off-speed pitches and fastball working for him, which kept the Loggers off-balance at the plate, Brown said.
"He was absolutely dominant," he said. "He kept their offense at bay."
The only score in the game came in the third inning when the Loggers executed a safety-squeeze bunt and was able to bring a run home.
The next game had more fireworks, as the Mariners won in a 12-8 shootout, largely due to production from the entire lineup.
Robbie Gauthier threw an entire game performance for Mission Valley, giving up eight runs.
"That goes to show you how dominant Hoyt was in the first game," Brown said. "Robbie is a good pitcher, Libby is a good team offensively."
The Mariners scored in every inning except the fourth. Gauthier got sweet revenge with a home run in the game, but it was Thomas Wallace's line drive that skipped past the centerfielder in the third inning and sparked the offense, Brown said.
"Our dugout exploded as soon as he hit the ball," he said.
Wallace's hit snapped the Mariners out of their slump and the team was able to find that offensive magic.
The Mariners finished the season with an 11-17 record, four players will move up to the A team as they look to finish their season with a postseason run and the rest of the team will get ready for next year with off season workouts.
"This game is a good reference of what the future will be like for the kids," Brown said.