Mariners open with win at Kalispell

Mission Valley got three hits and two runs batted in from Dylan Davis and weathered a ninth-inning rally by Kalispell to hold off the AA Lakers 7-6 Monday in the American Legion baseball opener for both teams.

The class A Mariners outhit the Lakers 9-6 at Griffin Field, with Espn Fisher driving in two and Dawson DuMont getting two hits, including a double, and scoring twice.

The Lakers’ Gage Brink, Max Holden and Kostya Hoffman all banged out two hits, and Brink hit two doubles.

Down 7-4 in the ninth, the Lakers loaded the bases with two hit batters and a single by Hoffman. Ostyn Brennan drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the gap to 7-5; Nic Gustafson’s sac fly brought home Hoffman to cut the gap to one before reliever Cymian Kauley got the final out for the Mariners.

The Mariners were set to open the season at home against Kootenai Valley on Saturday, but the game was canceled due to weather.

MV A Mariners 7, AA Lakers 6

Mission Valley A 210 310 000 – 7 9 2

Kalispell AA 120 010 002 – 6 6 4

Alex Muzquiz, (3) Xavier Fisher, (7) Dawson DuMont, (9) Cymian Kauley and [Espn Fisher]. Fletcher Postlewait, (3) Asher Baines (1.2IP:1K), (5) Nic Gustafson, (7) Kostya Hoffman (2.1IP:1K) and [Grady Drish]. W – X.Fisher (1-0). L – [Baines (0-1).

MISSION VALLEY A MARINERS – X.Fisher 0-4, Muzquiz 0-5, DuMont 2-5, E.Fisher 1-5, Dylan Davis 3-5, Wyatt Wadsworth 0-4, Cymian Kauley 0-5, Noah Shriver 0-1, Keyen Nash 1-2, Aiden Gfroerer 1-4.

KALISPELL AA LAKERS – Jackson Nelson 0-4, Gage Brink 2-5, Max Holden 2-3, Hoffman 2-4, Elijah Owens 0-2, Ostyn Brennan 0-4, Drish 0-3, Kane Morisaki 0-1, Postlewait 0-1, Gustafson 0-1, Haiden Bunyea 0-2, James Moody 0-2.

2B – DuMont; Brink 2. RBIs – E.Fisher 2, Davis 2, [DuMont 2]; Hoffman, Brennan, Gustafson. BB – [Wadsworth]; Owens 2, Drish 2.