KALISPELL — The Mariners took second place at the John H. Harp Memorial Tournament in Kalispell this past weekend, proving once again, they are a tournament team.

After winning three straight, the Mariners finally met their match in the championship when they were downed 12-2 by the Laurel Dodgers.

Laurel is just plain good, Mariner coach Jami Hanson said.

“They swing their sticks real well,” he said. “They got runs off hits, walks and you name it, a couple errors.”

The Mariners only two runs came in the second inning, when Justin Evertz singled to get on, then Tim Rausch put one over the fence.

Hanson said the experience, though his team wanted the win, was a good one for the boys from Mission Valley.

“It’s good for us to play teams like that because the district tourney is like no other tournament, when anybody can beat anybody,” he said. “You’ve got to play your best ball by that time or you go home.”

The district tourney is just around the corner, a good time to become more than just a tournament team - time to be a championship team.

Derrick Rathe, Josh Rustad and Tim Rausch all pitched in the loss. It was Rausch’s first showing at the mound after a season of rehab for a torn shoulder. He was one of the team’s top pitchers the previous year.

Everts and Rathe both went 2-for-3, Tyler Linse and Rausch batted 1-for-3 and Cory Hardy went 1-for-1 in the final game.

In the game before, the Mariners took a lop-side 10-3 win over the Spokane Rattlers.

The second and fourth innings were good to the Mariners.

In a string of second inning singles, Justin Evans had a pair of RBIs, and Evertz and Linse each added one more.

In the fourth, Rausch tripled to score two runs and Xavier Morigeau added an RBI.

Chris Alfiero led the Mariner bats, going 3-for-3 with two singles and a double. Kyle Bagnell went 2-for-3, Evans went 2-for-2 and Morigeau and Kevin Hagadone were 1-for-1.

Spencer Trawick pitched the entire game, putting his season record at 9-1.

A 4-2 win over the Great Falls Black Sox, came by way of great pitching from Evans until Rausch replaced him for the final inning to get the save.

“And that’s what we’re going to use Tim for,” Hanson said. “The last inning, to see if we can’t use him to come in and shut the door.”

On offense, Linse doubled, then scored on a balk to start things off for the Mariners in the first.

Cory Hardy singled, stole a base then was hit in by Kaileb Gillingham in the second. Evertz hit in Gillingham for the second Mariner run of the inning.

Linse hit in Gillingham in the seventh to score the final Mariner run.

In the first game of the tournament, the Mariners rallied behind a fifth inning homer by Rausch to beat Lethridge 5-1.

The Mariners lost 16-5 to Libby earlier in the week.

The Mariners have two key conference double headers this week.

“They’re huge,” Hanson said. “You end up sweeping these games and it’s very important coming into districts because you know you can beat these teams and come into the tournament with a confidence boost and adrenaline. And there’s nothing wrong with adrenaline.”

The Mariners host the Bitterroot Bucs at 3 p.m. today and host the Hamilton Red Sox at 3 p.m. on Saturday for double headers.

There is an alumni game at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Polson.