Mission Valley downs state’s best teams, finish second with

impressive run

Take what is given to you and earn what isn't.

That was the motto that the Mission Valley Mariners lived by this season.

They had a guaranteed state berth by virtue of hosting the Class A Legion Baseball State Tournament, but they also had a roster packed full of talent that was focused on winning.

"They were 100 percent focused," Mariners manager Jami Hanson said about his team and their performance at the state tournament. "Their only two losses came against the state champs that were three-time champions."

That focus was very evident last weekend.

The M's won two games by virtue of the 10-run mercy rule, downed three different district champions and played for the state title last Monday on their home field.

"They made it very clear that they belonged," Hanson said. "They took that state bid and earned the right to be there."

Mission Valley showed right away that they deserved respect and gave the home crowd an exciting ride through the brackets. While Laurel eventually became the champs with a 8-1 victory, nothing could take away from just how well the team represented on their home field.

"There's not enough to say about being a Mission Valley Mariner," Hanson said. "I hope it prepares them for life."

They did it with the same tools they've been using all season. Their pitching staff was unshakable. Josh Rustad pitched in three games, striking out 13 in his second appearance on just two-days rest. Justin Evertz threw a no-hitter in the second game of the tournament, then two days later knocked off the hard-hitting Great Falls Electrics.

Austin Von Tom kept the eventual state champion Laurel Dodgers off-kilter for most of the unbeaten game on Saturday, and Kellen Hoyt continued to be a warrior on the mound for the M's.

"They expect to win and that's why this team is in every tournament," Hanson said. "They placed themselves in the most opportune spots to win. They did that. They could have just bowed out in two games at the state tournament but they didn't."

The Mariners' batting, which had gone quiet during the district tournament, roared back to life like Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk. They scored 16 runs in the tournament opener against Great Falls. They rocked Belgrade for 20 hits. They trounced on Libby, a team that had previously beat them 7-1 in the district tournament, with 11 runs and 13 hits. Mission Valley got more offensive production out of their lineup than any other team in the tournament.

(Except for perhaps one game where Great Falls downed Fort. MacLeod 29-2)

The M's second place trophy is the team's highest finish since 2007, when the team took the state title and competed at regionals in Alaska.

"We've had 43-plus wins in the last 10 years," Hanson

said. "That's tradition."

Mission Valley 16, Great Falls 6

The bracket had Mission Valley slated for a 6 p.m. start last Thursday, meaning the stands were packed with Lake County fans eager to see how their boys would stack up against the best in the state.

And from the get-go, the Mariners looked like they had the confidence to pull off the upset. Jack Humphreys drew a leadoff walk and then two batters later, Robbie Gauthier hit a sac fly to bring him home for the 1-0 lead.

Jake Young drove in a run in the second, and Chris Clary had a RBI single in the top of the third, but Great Falls kept the game close with runs in the bottom of the second and two in the bottom of the third to tie things up at 3-3.

In the top of the fourth, Jake Young doubled to score Kevin Hagedorn, but Great Falls took the 5-4 lead the very next frame.

Mission Valley answered back in the top of the fifth, with Justin Evertz scoring on a wild pitch and Derrick Rathe getting a RBI single.

The Electrics wouldn't go away though, and scored another run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-6.

That's when Mission Valley decided to take them to the cleaners.

The M's scored eight runs off of five hits in the top of the sixth, thanks to RBIs by Evertz, Gauthier, Von Tom, Rathe and Dalton Molzhon. That put them up 14-6 and Great Falls never recovered.

Gauthier and Rathe both doubled in the top of the seventh to score runs and give Mission Valley a 10-run cushion. Then starting pitcher Josh Rustad, who went the complete game while giving up just four hits and striking out seven, iced the mercy-rule shortened game with two strikeouts and a fly out.

Five different Mariners had multi-hit games while four different players drove in multiple runs in the game.

Mission Valley 15, Belgrade 0

Main Street is such a boring name for a street anyways, how about changing it to Evertz Ave.?

Considering what Justin Evertz did last Friday night, Polson should really think about it. The righty pitcher and shortstop pitched a no-hitter as the Mariners thumped Belgrade 15-0.

"Phenomenal," Mission Valley coach Jami Hanson said to the Daily Inter Lake.

"He threw a great game. He got ahead of his hitters and trusted his defense to make some plays. He went right after people."

Evertz struck out eight and walked five, while the Mariners' bats went to work like a table saws cutting through butter.

The M's struck first in the top of the second with Jake Young driving home Derrick Rathe. Then in the top of the third, Rathe picked up an RBI single and Dalton Molzhon hit a sac fly to bring home Robbie Gauthier.

The Mariners continued their scoring in the top of the fourth with Jack Humphreys scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. In the top of the fifth, Humphreys hit a single to bring home Young for the 5-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth, Young hit a basesloaded grand slam that put any question to the outcome of the game to rest.

Evertz continued to retire Belgrade batters like a Ford Motor Company assembly line and in the top of the eighth, the Mariners struck for six more runs off two hits.

Evertz drove in a run, while Robbie Gauthier had a two-run single during the rally. Belgrade also walked in two runs to make it 15-0.

Young was an absolute beast at the plate, going 4-for-6 with five RBIs. Jack Humphreys and Robbie Gauthier were next with three hits each. Evertz, Chris Clary, Cole McArthur, Derrick Rathe and Dalton Molzhon all had two hits apiece. Mission Valley ended the game with 20 hits.

Evertz's pitching performance was almost exactly a year after Kyle Bagnell struck out a state tournament record 19 batters in a relief appearance.

Laurel 6, Mission Valley 2

After losing to Laurel 23-0 in early June with a short-handed team, the Mission Valley Mariners showed that they had come a long way this season.

A pumped up Cole McArthur scored on a wild pitch to tie things up 1-1 in the top of the second, then Dalton Molzhon singled to bring home Derrick Rathe. That gave Mission Valley a 2-1 lead.

Laurel took the lead in the bottom of the third with two runs, and that's how the score stayed until the bottom of the eighth.

Why? Because Austin Von Tom was on the mound.

Nursing an injured ankle that he had rolled in the first game, Von Tom kept the Dodgers off balance with his assortment of pitches, including one that would bottom out right in front of the plate and scattered their 11 hits.

"He did what he had to do to get back in and play," Hanson said of the ankle injury.

In the bottom of the eighth, Laurel's David Swecker led things off with a home run and the Dodgers would go on to score two more runs for the 6-2 win.

Mission Valley did accomplish a few things in the game, however. The M's showed they could compete against the two-time defending state champs and that they could trot out yet another quality starter to the mound.

Mission Valley 11, Libby 3

After losing their first game of the tournament, the Mariners were pitted against their district foe, Libby.

Running on just two days rest, Josh Rustad went out on to the mound and pitched a gem.

Rustad went the complete game, striking out 13 and neutralizing the hard-hitting Loggers.

"Give credit to (the Mariners)," Libby coach Kelly Morford told the Daily Inter Lake. "Rustad threw a good game on two days rest and they hit about every fastball we threw at them."

Mission Valley took the early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Jake Young doubled to drive in two runs. The M's extended the lead in the bottom of the third thanks to RBI doubled by Robbie Gauthier and Derrick Rathe.

Libby got on the board in the top of the sixth with three runs, but the M's were able to answer back in the bottom of the frame.

Kevin Hagedorn hit a two-run homer to give Mission Valley the 6-3 lead, and then in the bottom of the seventh, he singled to bring home two more runs.

They extended their lead further in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an RBI by Robbie Gauthier and a double by Rathe that brought home two batters.

Libby was held to just six hits while Mission Valley collected seven doubles in the game.

Mission Valley 12, Great Falls 0

A scary moment happened in the top of the first when Derrick Rathe was hit with a pitch that broke his nose. However, Rathe was taken to the hospital and treated before returning to the dugout for the championship game, and the Mariners were able to take care of business against Great Falls, beating them 12-0.

"He ended up asking the doctors ‘are we done yet? I've got to get back to my family [The Mariners,]" Hanson said. "He not only has the heart and pride but he has the talent. He's a terrific leader and will be a great coach. I see a lot of good things from him in the future at college."

Rathe was back in the dugout for the championship game, despite having broken bones in his face.

When Rathe was hit by the pitch, the bases were loaded and that brought in the first run of a six-score rally. Austin Von Tom was walked after Rathe and then Kevin Hagedorn had an RBI single.

Hagedorn finished the game a perfect 4-for-4 with an RBI.

A wild pitch allowed Cole McArthur to score and then Jake Young singled to plate another run.

Jack Humphreys capped off the rally with an RBI single.

In the top of the third, Mission Valley added to that lead with a double by Young that scored two runs. Then in the bottom of the frame, Dalton Molzhon neutralized a Great Falls scoring threat with an impressive catch and was able to get it to the infield for a double play.

In the top of the fifth, Molzhon singled to drive in a run and followed it with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. Also in that inning, Jack Humphreys had a bunt single to bring home a run and Chris Clary plated another. Justin Evertz, pitched masterfully again and struck out five. He extended his pitching scoreless streak in the tournament to 15 innings and limited Great Falls, which had beaten Laurel 15-14 the day before, to just six hits.

Young finished the game 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for the Mariners.

Laurel 8, Mission Valley 1

Cole Dooper was able to scatter nine hits by the Mariners and Laurel clinched its third straight Class A Legion

Baseball state title with an 8-1 victory on Monday. Laurel built a 3-0 lead before opening things in the top of the sixth with a four-run rally. The Dodgers scored those four runs off of five hits.

Mission Valley answered back in the bottom of the sixth when Austin Von Tom made contact with a ball, Laurel committed an error and Robbie Gauthier was able to score from second base.

The Dodgers scored another in the seventh and come away with the 8-1 victory.

MV 16, GREAT FALLS 6

M - 111 - 128 - 2 - 16

G - 012 - 210 - 0 - 6

MV - 14 hits, 5 errors. Great Falls - 4 hits, 6 errors

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 1-3, Justin Evertz 1-3, Chris Clary 2-3, Robbie Gauthier 2-3, Austin Von Tom 1-3, Derrick Rathe 2-4, Kevin Hagedorn 1-2, Dalton Molzhon 2-5, Jake Young 2-4. Doubles - Gauthier, Rathe Young 2. RBIs - Gauthier 3, Rathe 3, Molzhon 2, Young 2, Evertz, Clary, Von Tom.

M Pitching - Josh Rustad (7 IP, 7K)

MV 15, BELGRADE 0

M - 012 - 114 - 06 - 15

B - 000 - 000 - 00 - 0

MV - 20 hits, 1 error. Belgrade - 0 hits and 3 errors

Mariners batting - Humphreys 3-4, Evertz 2-6, Chris Clary 2-5, Robbie Gauthier 3-6, Cole McArthur 2-4, Derrick Rauthe 2-5, Kevin Hagedorn 0-4, Dalton Molzhon 2-3, Jacob Young 4-6. Doubles -Humphreys, Rauthe, Young. Home Runs -Young. RBIs - Humphreys, Clary, Gauthier 2, Rauthe, Hagadorn, Molzhon 2, Young 5.

M Pitching - Justin Evertz (8 IP, 0 hits, 8Ks)

LAUREL 6, MV 2

M - 020 - 000 - 000 - 2

L - 102 - 000 - 03x - 6

MV - 4 hits, 3 errors. Laurel - 11 hits, 1 error

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 0-3, Justin Evertz 0-5, Chris Clary 0-3, Robbie Gauthier 0-4, Cole McArthur 1-4, Derrick Rathe 0-2, Kevin Hagedorn 1-3, Dalton Molzhon 1-3, Jake Young 1-3. Doubles - Hagedorn. RBIs - Malzhon.

M Pitching - Austin Von Tom (7 IP, 3K), Derrick Rathe (1 IP, 1K)

MV 11, LIBBY 3

L - 000 - 003 - 000 - 3

M - 022 - 002 - 23x - 11

Libby - 6 hits, 1 error. MV - 13 hits, 1 error.

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 1-3, Justin Evertz 0-4,Chris Clary 3-4, Robbie Gauthier 1-5, Derrick Rathe 2-4, Austin Von Tom 2-4, Kevin Hagedorn 2-3, Dalton Molzhon 1-4, Jake Young 1-4. Doubles - Clary 2, Gauthier, Rathe 2, Von Tom 2. Home Runs - Hagedorn. RBIs - Gauthier 2, Rathe, Von Tom 2, Hagdorn 4,Young 2.

M Pitching - Josh Rustad (9 IP, 13K)

MV 12, GREAT FALLS 0

M - 602 - 010 - 3 - 12

G - 000 - 000 - 0 - 0

MV - 14 hits, 1 error. Great Falls - 6 hits, 1 error

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 3-4, Justin Evertz 1-4, Chris Clary 0-4, Robbie Gauthier 0-5, Derrick Rathe 0-0, Austin Von Tom 1-3, Kevin Hagedorn 4-4, Dalton Molzhon 2-3, Jake Young 3-4, Cole McArthur 0-4. Doubles - Young. RBIs - Humphreys 2, Rathe, Von Tom, Hagedorn, Molzhon 2, Young 3, Clary

M Pitching - Justin Evertz (7 IP, 5K)

LAUREL 8, MV 1

L - 110 - 104 - 100 - 8

M - 000 - 001 - 000 - 1

Laurel - 12 hits, 2 errors. MV - 9 hits, 2 errors

Mariners batting - Jack Humphreys 1-5, Justin Evertz 1-5, Chris Clary 1-3, Robbie Gauthier 1-4, Josh Rustad 0-4, Austin Von Tom 1-3, Kevin Hagedorn 1-3, Dalton Molzhon 2-3, Jake Young 1-4.

M Pitching - Kellen Hoyt (5 1/3 IP, 1K), Bradley

Pichler (1 IP, 2K), Josh Rustad (1 2/3 IP, 3K)