The Glacier Twins hit four straight singles and scored four runs with two outs in the seventh inning to top the Bitterroot Red Sox 9-2 in second-round play at the Western A District American Legion baseball tournament on Thursday at Griffin Field. The victory put the Twins one game away from the championship and a spot in the state tournament next week in Lewistown.

The Twins broke the game open in the seventh with timely hitting. Leading off with a pair of walks, Glacier chose to bunt to move both runners into scoring position. After a soft grounder in the next at bat, the Twins were down to their last out in the inning when Vinny Smith stepped up and screamed a line drive past the first baseman to score two runs and increase the Glacier lead to 5-2.

The next three batters would hit singles, including RBI loopers from Tristin Steinwand and Jesse Walburn. Walburn was caught out at second on an attempt to stretch his single into scoring position, ending the inning, but not until after the Twins claimed an 8-2 lead and complete control of the contest with two and a half innings remaining.

The Glacier defense and pitching sealed the contest, with Steinwand flashing the leather at second base to rob the Red Sox of sure hits in the last three innings.

After starting pitcher AJ Wetsch gave up a single on his first pitch of the seventh inning, the second pitch was hit sharply up the middle of the diamond by Bitterroot’s Tylor Nixon. Diving to his right in full stretch, Steinwand caught the liner as it tailed back to the second base side of the field, turning to hold the runner at first and barely missing out on a double play.

Wetsch would strike out the final two batters of the inning, ending his night with five hits and five strikeouts and only one walk in seven innings of work.

“They’re starting to peak,” Twins coach Bob Rupp said. “We had great defense. Our pitching was great. Without good pitching you don’t have good defense. They work hand in hand together.

“Then we started to hit the ball. I’m very proud of these guys.”

The Twins scored a run in the second inning and fell behind in the third after giving up a pair of hits and two runs to the Red Sox. Glacier would reclaim the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth, one plated on a single from Colton Gove, before piling on in the seventh. The Twins would add an insurance run in the ninth inning after a infield hit from Steinwand was mishandled at second base with a runner on third.

Kyler Howke and Colten Parker each went 2 for 4 from the plate with a pair of singles. Tyler Murphy pitched the final two innings for the Twins, allowing just one hit.

Glacier advanced to play Mission Valley in the semifinals at 4 p.m. today. The Mariners won their second round game 9-1 over Missoula.

“Mission Valley hits the ball well,” Rupp said. “They are a very disciplined team. They’re always playing good this time of year.

“We’re going to have to play good defense, our pitchers are going to have to do the job and we have to swing the bat tomorrow.”

Glacier 010 020 501 — 9 10 0

Red Sox 002 000 000 — 2 6 5

AJ Wetsch, Tyler Murphy (8) and Dakota Bridwell. Kyle Norman, Tylor Nixon (7) and Austin Ray. W- Wetsch. L- Norman.

GLACIER — Colton Gove 1-3, Jayce Fagerland 1-5, Colten Parker 2-4, Vinny Smith 1-5, Kyler Howke 2-4, Tristin Steinwand 1-3, Jesse Walburn 1-4, Dakota Bridwell 1-3, Trevor Turgeon 0-2, Austin Robins 0-1.

BITTERROOT — Austin Ray 1-4, Nate Loranger 0-4, Justin Horvath 1-4, Kody Lane 1-4, Brennon Fisher 2-4, Tylor Nixon 1-4, Dodge Hurley 0-3, Joe Johnson 0-1, Kyle Crossman 0-2, Tanner Lehr 0-2.

RBIs—Gove, Smith 2, Steinwand, Walburn 2; Horvath 2.

Mission Valley 9,

Missoula 1

Bradley Pichler homered and drove in three runs to help carry the Mission Valley Mariners to a victory over Missoula.

Mission Valley tallied four runs in the first inning, added another run in the second and two more in both the fourth and eighth innings to stay unbeaten in tournament play.

TJ Olson doubled for the Mariners and Ryan Pablo belted a triple.

Zeke Webster-Yaqui went the distance on the mound. He checked Missoula on five hits, struck out 11 and walked just one batter.

Missoula 001 000 000 — 1 5 2

Mission Valley 410 200 02x — 9 7 1

WP — Zeke Webster-Yaqui; LP—Trevor Cunningham.

MISSOULA — Jonothan Mitchell 2-4, Ben Tabaracci 0-4, Josh Tabor 0-4, Nick Yovetich 0-4, Spencer Schock 0-2, Hunter Paulson 0-1, Ryan McHugh 0-2, Kellen Round 1-1, Walker Kay 1-3, Davis Walker 0-0, Aiden Collins 0-4, Mitch Roberts 1-4.

MISSION VALLEY — Ryan Pablo 1-4, Webster-Yaqui 0-2, Alex Killian 0-4; TJ Olson 2-3, Bradley Pichler 2-4, Derek Peel 0-3, Jacob Harrod 1-5, Bransen Krebs 0-3, Trevor Paro 1-3.

2B—Round, Kay; Olson; 3B—Pablo; HR—Pichler; RBIs—Mitchell; Webster-Yaqui, Olson, Pichler (3), Peel, Harrod.

Loser Out

Bucs 14, Loggers 6

Libby’s Loggers scored four runs in the fifth inning to rally within two runs of Bitterroot, but fell apart late, giving up seven runs in the top of the eighth and ending their season early.

Luke Haggerty was 2 for 4 from the plate and pitched seven innings for the Loggers.

The Bucs will play the rival Red Sox in loser out play at 1 p.m. today.

Bucs 002 421 07 — 14 11 1 Libby 001 140 00 — 6 6 10

Brad Schaff and Kadin Beller. Luke Haggerty, Dylon Lane (8), Cameron Burkes (8) and Oliver Grupenhoff. W- Schaff. L- Haggerty.

BITTERROOT — Dylon Reed 0-5, Logan Lueck 2-6, Bo Zeiler 0-5, Kadin Beller 3-6, Rees LeSoine 3-5, Noah Baney 1-4, Chance Sage 1-4, Jade Chimo 0-5, Shane Thorsen 1-4.

LIBBY — Cameron Burkes 0-4, Luke Haggerty 2-4, Will Reichel 0-3, Oliver Grupenhoff 1-3, Dylon Lane 1-4, Erik Lauer 1-4, Matt Willis 0-2, Quincy Grupenhoff 0-1, Austin Marshall 0-2, Collin Johnson 1-3.

RBIs—Beller, Soine; O. Grupenhoff, Willis.

Lakers 5, Rangers 3

The Lakers scored three runs in the first and held off a rally from Kootenai Valley with timely hitting down the stretch.

Brooks Krause singled in the winning run in the fourth inning and Jayson Combs took a walk on five pitches in the sixth to score a bit of insurance to keep the season alive.

Lukas DeCock, who pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts — including the last four of the game — was 1 for 5 from the plate, driving in a pair of runs in the first.

The Lakers play Missoula at 10 a.m. in loser-out play.

Kootenai Valley 010 100 010 — 3 10 3

Kalispell 300 101 000 — 5 9 1

Dalton Smith, Colten Henrie (6) and Garret McNeil. Lukas DeCock and Tiler Whiteaker. W- DeCock. L- Smith.

KOOTENAI VALLEY — Colten Henrie 1-4, Nick Rackley 2-5, Dalton Smith 0-3, RJ Glover 1-4, Sam Hannay 0-1, Austin Perez 3-4, Garret McNeil 0-2, Dawson Henrie 0-3, Galen Sullivan 2-4, James Dunn 1-3.

KALISPELL — Micah Benson 1-5, Brooks Krause 0-4, Leif Ericksen 2-4, Tiler Whiteaker 1-3, Pat O’Connell 1-2, Jayson Combs 1-2, Lukas DeCock 1-5, Robert McCarvel 2-5, Quin Barber 0-3.

2B—Glover, Sullivan; McCarvel. 3B—Henrie. RBIs—Rackley; Krause, Combs 2, DeCock 2.