Makin' a killin' in Dillon

DILLON – Though they were tripped up early on in last weekend’s Maybelle Arthur Tournament in Dillon, Jeremiah Crawford and the Mission Valley Mariners decided that one loss was enough, and proceeded to surge to a tournament championship.

Crawford absorbed a narrow defeat on the mound in the Mariners’ 6-5 loss to the Bitterroot Bruins in the club’s second game of the tournament. Crawford had been out of the lineup for that game, but once he was reinserted into the batting order he methodically exacted his revenge on opposing pitchers, going on a 7-for-11 tear that included four extra-base hits and powering the Mariners to three-straight victories.

The Mariners opened the tournament with a 13-5 win over host Dillon on Thursday. After Friday’s setback to Bitterroot, the Mariners’ rebound began with a 10-0 thrashing of the Butte Miners on Saturday. Kellen Hoyt threw five innings of shutout ball in the mercy-abbreviated contest, striking out five and surrendering only one hit. It was Hoyt’s second one-hitter in the last two weeks. Meanwhile, the Mariners were finding plenty of ways to put runs on the board, with Crawford going 3-for-3 and ripping two doubles in the process.

The team’s winning combination of strong hitting and pitching carried over into Sunday, when the Mariners opened the day with an 11-1 victory against the Missoula Pioneers. This time, it was Zeke Webster-Yaqui supplying the lights-out pitching, permitting only one unearned run over five innings of work. Webster-Yaqui struck out five while allowing only three runners to reach base.

At the plate, Crawford once again did damage, connecting for another double and driving in three runs. Leadoff hitter Ryan Pablo was another huge contributor to the win, scoring all three times that he reached base, thanks in part to the three stolen bases that he stockpiled on the day.

Still out to avenge their earlier loss, it was only fitting that the Mariners found themselves pitted against the Bitterroot Bruins in a rematch that would decide the championship. The Mariners would not be denied by the Bruins a second time around, riding Crawford’s red-hot bat to a 9-6 win. For a grand finale, the slugger reeled off another 3-for-3 offensive performance in the clincher, including a home run, triple and two RBIs.

“The kids played really well,” said head coach Jami Hanson, reflecting on another weekend of winning baseball. “We had the one loss where we were maybe a little too cocky going in. That happens so it’s good to be able to rebound from that and carry [the wins] into this week of conference play.”

“It took a lot of heart and pride to bounce back,” Hanson added.

Crawford’s heroics made him a logical choice for Offensive MVP at the tournament – a distinction that his coach said was well-deserved.

“It was nice to get him back in the lineup. Last Sunday he hyperextended his elbow on a play at first and was out for a few games,” Hanson said of Crawford’s triumphant return. “Hopefully we can keep that going with him.”

Crawford wasn’t the only Mariner to reel in an individual award, as third baseman Ryan Pablo was named the Defensive MVP of the Tournament.

Besides the pair of MVP performances, Hanson said that contributions from a long list of other players helped secure the most important award – the team’s championship trophy. According to Hanson, a handful of leaders are emerging and others still are stepping up to fill crucial roles as the team rounds into form.

“They’re all doin’ it. And that’s what it’s going to take to make things happen.”

Championship Game - June 16

Mariners 9, Bitterroot Bruins 6

BB-  1 0 0 2 0 2 1 - 6 12 1

MV- 1 0 0 6 2 0 -  - 9 10 3

W: Chris Drebes L: Dylan Gavlak SV: -

Mariners batting:

Ryan Pablo 0-4, Brennan Andrews 1-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 1-4, Jeremiah Crawford 3-3, Alex Killian 1-3, Bradley Pichler 2-2, TJ Olson 2-3, Nick Crawford 0-1, Jared Young 0-2

3B- J. Crawford, Killian

HR- J. Crawford

RBI- J. Crawford 2, Killian 2, Pichler, Olson, N. Crawford

Semifinal Game - June 16

Mariners 11, Missoula Pioneers 1 (5 innings)

MV- 6 2 1 0 2- 11 6 2

MP- 0 0 0 0 1- 1 2 8

W: Zeke Webster-Yaqui L: Ryan Krystalich SV: -

Mariners batting:

Ryan Pablo 1-2, Brennan Andrews 1-1, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 2-4, Jeremiah Crawford 1-3, Alex Killian 1-3, Bradley Pichler 0-2, TJ Olson 0-3, JT Probst 0-2, Jared Young 0-2

2B- Andrews, J. Crawford

RBI- Andrews, Webster-Yaqui, J. Crawford 3, Killian, Young