The Lakers AA bats were roaring on Wednesday, as the home team picked up a pair of blowout wins over Lethbridge at Griffin Field. Kalispell had 26 hits in the doubleheader, completing a season sweep of the Elks. 

The Lakers hopped on Lethbridge quick in the opener, scoring four runs in the second inning to build a 5-0 lead. They would score at least one run in every frame, ending the game early on a 10-run rule, when a double from Hank McLeod scored Dillon Eaves in the sixth to give the Lakers a 10-0 win.

Eaves pitched a gem in the game, allowing only four hits and striking out nine batters without a walk. He was so efficient, he started the first three innings of the second game, throwing two more strikeouts while keeping the Elks to one run.

The second game had the same feel as the first, though the big scoring inning for the Lakers didn’t come until the sixth inning. Kalispell held a 5-1 lead entering the sixth, then picked up singles on the first four trips to the plate. The last single, a sacrifice and a throwing error plated four runs in the inning, leading to an easy 9-1 victory.

Lakers right fielder Chris Combs led the way from the plate. The speedy 19-year-old had six hits and five RBIs in the two games, setting the tone with three doubles in the first game and a pair of triples in the night cap. 

“I was hitting mistakes and I was seeing the ball really good, too,” Combs said. 

The back-to-back performances on the mound from Eaves and Robert Reaser in relief signal a turnaround for the staff as well. The Lakers have won four in a row and are now 7-6 in conference and 24-20 overall.

“We hope this is the consistency we’ve been waiting for,” Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said. “We saw good play from our kids in all four facets of the game. When those things happen, the outcome is positive.

“(The pitching) is kinda what we envisioned with those guys. Not only those two but Hank McLeod had a great outing in Lethbridge and Justin Wallace has been a bulldog for us all year. If they can continue to throw strikes and work down in the zone, good things will happen.”

The Lakers take on Missoula at home on Sunday in a doubleheader. 

“If we can come out and play baseball and focus on what we do here and not worry about who we’re playing, that’s the goal,” Malmin said. “We want to come out and compete and just play hard-nosed baseball.”

Lethbridge 000 000 — 0 4 2

Lakers AA 141 211 — 10 15 1

Landon Bourassa, Theison and Marcus Pearce. Dillon Eaves and Adam Frandsen. W - Eaves. L - Boulassa.

LETHBRIDGE — Dayton Johnston 0-2, Tanner Layton 1-3, Jack McDonald 0-2, Theison 1-1, Ren Visser 0-3, Trevor Sakatch 0-2, Justin Sturm 0-2, Tanner Shirakowa 1-2, Pearce 1-2, Austin Hucalak 0-2.

KALISPELL — Chris Combs 3-4, Charlie Obermiller 0-3, Eaves 1-3, Sean O’Connell 3-4, Dillon Matteson 1-3, Hank McLeod 1-1, Robert Reaser 2-3, Frandsen 2-3, Jake Barstow 1-2, Luke LaFontaine 1-3. 

2B — Layton. Combs 3, Matteson. 3B — Frandsen. RBI — Combs 3, Obermiller, Eaves, O’Connell, Matteson, McLeod, Frandsen, LaFontaine.

Lethbridge 001 000 0 — 1 6 3

Lakers AA 120 204 x — 9 11 1

Derek Strate, Ren Visser (5) and Visser and Marcus Pearce (5). Dillon Eaves, Robert Reaser (4) and Adam Frandsen. 

LETHBRIDGE — Dayton Johnston 0-2, Tanner Layton 1-3, Jack McDonald 0-4, Visser 3-4, Trevor Sakatch 0-4, Justin Sturm 1-3, Tanner Shirakowa 1-3, Nick Tetzlaff 0-1, Pearce 0-1, Ryan Kizula 0-2, Austin Hucalak 0-1.

KALISPELL — Chris Combs 3-4, Charlie Obermiller 1-2, Eaves 2-3, Sean O’Connell 1-2, Dillon Matteson 2-4, Reaser 0-1, Frandsen 0-4, Jake Barstow 2-2, Luke LaFontaine 0-3.  

2B — Visser. 3B — Combs 2.  RBI — Visser. Combs 2, Obermiller 2, Eaves, Matteson 2, Reaser.