Mariners go 3-3 in busy week
The Mission Valley Mariners battled through a packed week of American Legion baseball, finishing 3-3 over six games from June 24 to June 29. The Polson-based club showed flashes of dominance, particularly on the mound, while also navigating tough losses in low-scoring contests to even their record at 14-14
Mission Valley opened the week at home on Tuesday, June 24, with a 3-1 loss to the Fairfield Expos. Despite the defeat, Landon Shoemake and Holden Emerson provided the offensive spark. Shoemake crushed a solo home run—Mission Valley’s only run of the game—while Emerson collected three hits, including a double. Noah Agliano added a triple.
Shoemake also delivered a strong performance on the mound, throwing six innings and allowing no earned runs on four hits, while striking out two. Cole Wadsworth came on in relief and tossed three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
On Friday, June 27, the Mariners dropped another close contest, this time 3-1 against the visiting Broncs. Cody Haggard turned in a quality start, pitching a complete game with seven strikeouts while giving up three earned runs.
Cole Wadsworth led the offense with a pair of hits and a double, while Paxson DuMont drove in the team’s lone run with an RBI single in the sixth.
Mission Valley bounced back with authority on Saturday, sweeping the Kuna Tribe and Dillon.
In the opener, the Mariners cruised to a 5-1 win over Kuna behind a lights-out start from Cash Atkinson, who threw five scoreless innings and struck out five. Clay Wadsworth closed out the game with two solid innings.
At the plate, Wadsworth went 3-for-4 and Hunter Luedtke added two hits and two RBIs. Emerson and Haggard each drove in runs to help build an early cushion.
The momentum continued in Game 2 as the Mariners rallied late to beat Dillon 5-3. The game was tied 1-1 through five innings before Mission Valley broke through with two runs in the sixth and the seventh.
Luedtke doubled and drove in two runs, while Brayson DuMont added a triple.
On the mound, Cole Wadsworth pitched the first three innings, allowing just one unearned run. Brayson DuMont worked 2 2/3 innings despite control struggles, and Luedtke earned the save with a clean final frame.
The Mariners opened Sunday’s doubleheader with a wild 12-10 win over Powell in a game that featured 14 combined runs through the first four innings. Mission Valley’s bats came alive early with a six-run first, and they never trailed.
Cody Haggard went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Paxson DuMont and Noah Agliano each added two hits, and Brayson DuMont delivered a 2-RBI performance that included a double. Aiden Gfroerer, who started the game on the mound, also chipped in an RBI at the plate.
Gfroerer, Emerson, and Agliano split the pitching duties, holding off Powell’s late push in the final two innings.
However, Mission Valley couldn’t close out the weekend with a sweep, falling 3-1 to Post 56 in the second game. The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the fourth but Post 56 plated three in the bottom of the sixth to steal the win.
Brayson DuMont drove in the team’s only run, while Emerson and Paxson DuMont both doubled. Jake Hessler pitched six strong innings, allowing just two earned runs on nine hits.
Tuesday, June 24
FAIRFIELD EXPOS 3, MISSION VALLEY 1
Fairfield - 210000000 - 3 - 4 - 0
MissVal - 000100000 - 1 - 5 - 1
MISSION VALLEY HITTING - Landon Shoemake 1-4, Holden Emerson 3-4, Noah Agliano 1-4; RBI: Shoemake; 2B: Holden Emerson; 3B: Noah Agliano; HR: Landon Shoemake
MISSION VALLEY PITCHING - Landon Shoemake (6IP, 4H, 3R, 0ER, 3BB, 2SO); Cole Wadsworth (3IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3SO)
Friday, June 27
BRONCS 3, MISSION VALLEY 1
Broncs - 0001002 - 3 - 6 - 1
MissVa - 0000010 - 1 - 6 - 2
MISSION VALLEY HITTING - Cole Wadsworth 2-4, Holden Emerson 1-4, Paxson DuMont 1-3, Noah Agliano 1-3, Brayson DuMont 1-3; RBI: Paxson DuMont; 2B: Cole Wadsworth
MISSION VALLEY PITCHING - Cody Haggard (7IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 7SO)
Saturday, June 28
MISSION VALLEY 5, KUNA TRIBE 1
KunaTribe - 0000001 - 1 - 4 - 1
MissVall - 102200x - 5 - 7 - 1
MISSION VALLEY HITTING - Cole Wadsworth 3-4, Hunter Luedtke 2-4, Holden Emerson 1-3, Cody Haggard 1-3; RBI: Luedtke 2, Emerson, Haggard 2
MISSION VALLEY PITCHING - Cash Atkinson (5IP, 3H, 0R, 5SO); Clay Wadsworth (2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 1SO)
MISSION VALLEY 5, DILLON 3
MissVall - 0010022 - 5 - 9 - 3
Dillon - 0010020 - 3 - 3 - 3
MISSION VALLEY HITTING - Cole Wadsworth 1-3, Hunter Luedtke 2-4, Holden Emerson 2-4, Cody Haggard 1-3, Aiden Gfroerer 1-4, Noah Agliano 1-3, Brayson DuMont 1-3; RBI: Luedtke 2, Agliano; 2B: Hunter Luedtke, 3B: Brayson DuMont
MISSION VALLEY PITCHING - Cole Wadsworth (3IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 3SO); Brayson DuMont (2 and 2/3IP, 0H, 2R, 0ER, 7BB); Hunter Luedtke (1 and 1/3IP, 1H, 0R, 1SO)
Sunday June 29
MISSION VALLEY 12, POWELL 10
Powell - 1013320 - 10 - 7 - 7
MissVall - 630012x - 12 - 10 - 1
MISSION VALLEY HITTING - Cole Wadsworth 2-4, Cody Haggard 2-3, Paxson DuMont 2-4, Aiden Gfroerer 1-3, Noah Agliano 2-4, Brayson DuMont 1-3; RBI: Haggard, Paxson DuMont, Aiden Gfroerer, Noah Agliano, Brayson DuMont 2; 2B: Brayson DuMont
MISSION VALLEY PITCHING - Aiden Gfroerer (3IP, 3H, 4R, 3ER, 7BB, 1SO); Holden Emerson (2IP, 2H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 1SO); Noah Agliano (2IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER)
POST 56 3, MISSION VALLEY 1
MissVall - 0001000 - 1 - 5 - 1
Post56 - 000003x - 3 - 9 - 0
MISSION VALLEY HITTING - Holden Emerson 1-2, Paxson DuMont 1-3, Aiden Gfroerer 1-3, Brayson DuMont 1-3, Jake Hessler 1-3; RBI: Brayson DuMont; 2B: Paxson DuMont, Holden Emerson
MISSION VALLEY PITCHING - Jake Hessler (6IP, 9H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 3SO)