Mariners wrap up season at State

The Mission Valley Mariners, second seed out of the West, showed why they were among the state’s elite teams during the Legion Baseball State A tournament last weekend at Havre.

In their opening round matchup against Great Falls, Mission Valley loaded the bases and cashed in twice. During the top half of the third, after loading the bases, Dawson DuMont smacked a base-clearing triple. Then, with two outs in the top of the fourth and the bases full again, Espn Fisher stroked a two-run single to extend the lead to 7-0.

Daniel Kelsch hit a two-run double for some insurance runs as Mission Valley advanced to the next round with an 11-2 victory.

In their second game, the Mariners got off to a strong start in the bottom half of the first when the top half of their order scored three runs off as many hits that included back-to-back doubles by Alex Muzquiz and Dawson DuMont to stake themselves to a 3-0 lead.

The Outlaws threatened in the top half of the second when they brought the tying run to the plate with two aboard and nobody out. But Mariner hurler Eric Dolence sandwiched a strikeout between a pair of flyouts to end the threat.

In the bottom of the second with one out, Xavier Fisher hit a deep outfield flyout in what was intended to be a sacrifice fly. But the Mariner base runner in scoring position was called out for leaving third too early, resulting in a scoreless inning.

Gallatin Valley closed the gap with a two-run fourth to pull within one. But Mission Valley countered with a run in the bottom half of the fifth with a Espn Fisher double that plated DuMont and put them up 4-2.

The Outlaws scored six runs in the six to go up 8-4.

Rerouted into the consolation rounds, Mission Valley and the Bandits of Belgrade faced off, with the Mariners going up 1-0 in the second by capitalizing on a Bandits error. But Belgrade countered in the top of the third to knot the contest at one apiece on a run scoring double from their leadoff batter.

The Mariners loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fourth with one out but couldn't capitalize.

Belgrade moved ahead by scoring on an error during top half of the fifth, but Mission Valley responded in the bottom half of the inning as Xavier Fisher scored on a Dawson DuMont groundout to knot the score once again at two apiece.

Through a half dozen innings, Mariner hurler Bryson Fisher had held the Bandits in check on just three hits. But Belgrade opened the final frame with a double by catcher Connor Reid, advancing the go-ahead run over to third on a sacrifice bunt. A strategic single by Cooper Vanluchene gave Belgrade a 3-2 lead.

The Mariners (36-19) had a chance to extend the game into extras, but their season came to a close on a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.

2021 Legion A State Tournament

July 29-Aug. 2, Havre

Belgrade Bandits 3, MVA Mariners 2

Belgrade 001 010 1 – 3 5 1

MssnVlly 010 010 0 – 2 7 2

Coby Richards and Connor Reid. Bryson Fisher (7K,1W) and Espn Fisher. W – Richards. L – B.Fisher ( ).

BANDITS – Lane Neil 1-3, Dyson Kinnaman 0-3, Cash Fike 0-3, Richards 1-3, Reid 1-3, Brody Jacksha 0-2, Cooper Vanluchene 1-3, Keaton Carter 0-2, Aidan Kulbeck 1-3.

MARINERS – Xavier Fisher 2-4, Alex Muzquiz 1-3, Dawson DuMont 0-3, E.Fisher 0-2, Eric Dolence 1-3, Dylan Davis 2-3, Kelsch 1-3, B.Fisher 0-2, Ethan McCauley 0-1, Darian Williams 0-2.

2B – Neil, Reid; . RBIs – Neil, Vanluchene; DuMont. SH – Jacksha. BB – Carter; E.Fisher, D.Williams. SB – Carter, Kulbeck 2.

GV Outlaws 8, MVA Mariners 4

GaltnVlly 000 206 0 – 8 10 0

MssnVlly 300 010 0 – 4 8 4

Bo Hays, (7) Mayson Shively and Cyrus Richardson. Eric Dolence (5.1IP:2K,7H,3W), (6) Daniel Kelsch (1.2IP:1K,3H,1W) and Espn Fisher. W – Hays. L – Dolence ( ). Sv – Shively.

OUTLAWS – Brady Jones 1-5, Isaac Richardson 2-4, C.Richardson 1-4, Brody Ayers 1-4, Hays 2-3, Josh Wisecarver 1-4, Patrick Dietz 0-3, Josh Majors 0-0, Reid Woodward 1-3, Trevor Doud 1-3.

MARINERS – Xavier Fisher 1-3, Alex Muzquiz 1-4, Dawson DuMont 2-4, E.Fisher 3-4, Dolence 0-2, Dylan Davis 0-3, Ethan McCauley 0-2 , Bryson Fisher 0-1, Kelsch 1-2, James Bennett 0-2.

2B – Hays, I.Richardson; X.Fisher, Muzquiz, DuMont, E.Fisher. RBIs – Jones, I.Richardson 2, C.Richardson 2, Wisecarver, Dietz, Woodward; DuMont 2, Dolence. SF – Dolence.

MVA Mariners 11, GF Chargers 2

MssnVlly 104 201 3 – 11 8 2

GreatFalls 000 020 0 – 2 3 1

Bryson Fisher (3IP:6K,0H,0W), (4) Darian Williams (1IP:1K,1H,2W), (5) Dylan Davis (3IP:1K,2H,1W) and Espn Fisher. Scotty Klinker , (6) Seamus Sullivan and Ian Anderson. W– B.Fisher.

MARINERS – Xavier Fisher 1-3, Alex Muzquiz 0-1, Dawson DuMont 1-2, E.Fisher 1-3, Eric Dolence 1-3, Dylan Davis 1-4, Ethan McCauley 0-2 , James Bennett 1-2, B.Fisher 0-2, D.Williams 0-2, Daniel Kelsch 2-4.

CHARGERS – Sullivan 0-3, Austin Armstrong 1-3, Mason Davis 0-3, Joshua Stimac 0-2, Logan Seim 0-2, Klinker 1-3, AJ Sloan 0-3, Logan Sloan 0-2, Anderson 1-2.

3B – DuMont. 2B – X.Fisher, Kelsch; Armstrong. RBIs – Muzquiz, DuMont 4, E.Fisher 2, Dolence, Bennett, Kelsch 2; Anderson. SF – DuMont, Muzquiz. BB – X.Fisher, Muzquiz, DuMont, E.Fisher, Dolence; Stimac, Seim, A.Sloan.