Mission Valley Mariners season ends

Lethbridge ended the Mission Valley Mariner's 2023 season at the Class A Montana State A Tournament in Laurel on Thursday, July 27. After an 8-2 loss to the Miners, the Mariners finished the year 24-17, including a third-place finish in the West A league and a second-place finish at divisionals held the previous weekend in Polson.

Mission Valley found itself down 4-0 after the first inning, and the Miners notched two more runs in the top of the second. The Mariners scored on a Cymian Kauley home run in the bottom of the second. Lethbridge scored a run in the top of the fifth and sixth and finished the game with 10 hits as a team.

Landon Shoemake scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, but that would be the season's final run. Cole Wadsworth, Espn Fisher, and Kauley all had hits in the game, while Fisher had a stolen base.

Shoemake started the game on the mound, while Dawson DuMont pitched the final five and two-thirds innings, allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out five.

LETHBRIDGE 8, MISSION VALLEY 2

Lethbridge - 420 - 011 - 0 - 8 - 10 - 2

Mariners - 010 - 000 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 2

Mission Valley Hitting: Hits - C Wadsworth, E Fisher, C Kauley; RBI - C Kauley; HR - C Kauley, HBP - D DuMont - SB - E Fisher

Mission Valley Pitching: L Shoemake - 1 and ⅓ innings pitched, 7 hits, 6 runs , 6 earned runs, 1 walk, D DuMont - 5 and ⅔ innings pitched, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts

Eventual state champ hands Mission Valley first loss

Belgrade came in as the south's No. 1 seed in the state bracket and showed why they were highly touted in a 7-3 victory over Mission Valley on Wednesday, July 26, in Laurel. The Bandits collected 10 hits and had a 7-0 lead after four innings before the Mariners started coming back.

After finishing the regular season 24-8 and winning the Class A South Divisional, momentum was riding high for the Bandits. The Mariners did score three runs in the top of the sixth and put together seven runs as a team.

Cole Wadsworth, Aidan Gfroerer, and Landon Shoemake each had multi-hit games in the matchup, but Mission Valley did not have an extra-base hit.

Cymian Kauley pitched six innings for the Mariners on the mound, striking out two and giving up just one walk.

Belgrade went on to defeat host Laurel 3-2 on Thursday, then thumped the Billings Blue Jays 10-4. On Saturday, the Bandits fell to the Glacier Twins 10-2 for their first loss and then defeated Laurel 4-2 on Sunday for the state title (the state tournament is double-elimination).

BELGRADE 7, MISSION VALLEY 3

Mariners - 000 - 003 - 0 - 3 - 7 - 1

Belgrade - 102 - 400 - 0 - 7 - 10 - 1

Mission Valley Hitting: Hits - C Wadsworth 2, A Gfroerer 2, L Shoemake 2, E Fisher; RBI - E Fisher, D DuMont; HBP - C Haggard

Mission Valley Pitching: C Kauley - 6 innings pitched, 10 hits, 7 runs, 7 earned runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts