Hitting the ball well all day, the Kalispell Lakers A were finally able to break through on the scoreboard late in a 12-4 victory over the (Spokane) Ferris Saxons to post their second win on first day at the John R. Harp American Legion baseball tournament on Friday at Griffin Field.

The Lakers got on the board early and often against Ferris, with leadoff batter Tyler Kitch scoring in the top of the first inning after reaching base on the third pitch. Kalispell couldn’t hold the Saxons, however, as their leadoff hitter also scored, a trend that would see the Spokane side find an answer for nearly every bit off offense from the Lakers all day.

Kalispell looked to find some breathing room in the fifth, when tied at 2-2, the team opened with two hits and reached four of its first five batters to score two runs, only for the Saxons to answer with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the inning.

A run in the sixth finally went unanswered and the Lakers were just looking to add on a few insurance runs in the seventh when the floodgates opened.

Kalispell reached its first three batters safely, and two batters later Drew Scherrer got a single to add that insurance run. However, after a strikeout in the next at-bat, The Lakers ripped off four straight singles and benefited from a pair of errors and a wild pitch, scoring six more runs in the inning to build a healthy 12-4 lead.

“We’ve been hitting the ball, about the last two weeks, really, really well,” Lakers A coach Jesse McFarland said.

“We finally started cashing in on a couple clutch situations. We’ve had plenty of baserunners on, we were finally able to bring them in there in the end. It was great to see.

“They’re taking a great approach at the plate. We’re moving some guys around, guys are getting to play some different positions before our final conference stretch. They’re all adjusting to it really well.”

Scherrer, who came on in relief to strikeout three of four batters in the sixth inning, closed out the seventh with a clean sheet, striking out a pair before a lineout to the shortstop to end the game.

Sam Elliott and Kyle Calles were each 3 for 4 from the plate and Keaden Morisaki had a pair of hits and three RBIs for the Lakers in the win.

Earlier in the day, the Lakers ran all over Vauxhall, piling up 23 hits in a 10-4 opening victory.

Kalispell batted around in the second inning, scoring six runs to build an insurmountable 7-0 lead as Brady Peiffer held Vauxhall to six hits and three runs in the first four innings.

Seven Lakers had multiple hits in the contest, including Ryan Symmes and Eric Seaman, who each had four hits.

“They’re banging the ball around pretty well,” McFarland said.

“It’s just the matter of leaving a few too many baserunners on. We did a little better job of that tonight. I’m really proud of how they adjusted and how they’re hitting the ball right now.”

The Lakers play the Cranbrook Bandits at noon today to open their second day of play before a nightcap against the Calgary Redbirds at 7:30 p.m.

Cranbrook beat the Edmonton Cardinals 5-4 in the tournament opener on Friday and lost to the Walla Walla Bruins 6-3 later in the day.

Calgary lost to Ferris 8-1 in its only game so far.

Kalispell is the only team at 2-0 after the first day. Walla Walla and Medicine Hat each won their only contest.

Lakers 12, Ferris 4

Kalispell 100 121 7 — 12 15 1

Ferris 101 020 0 — 4 6 4

Lookabill, Grant Starkley (7) and Fey. Clayton Jaques, Drew Scherrer (6) and Keaden Morisaki.

LAKERS A — Tyler Kitch 1-4, Adam Joy 2-5, Morisaki 2-5, Jaycob Serrano 1-4, Sam Elliott 3-4, Nathan Vanderbeek 0-3, Eric Seaman 0-1, Drew Flink 1-3, Kyle Calles 3-4, Scherrer 2-4.

FERRIS — Batt 0-3, McGoldrick 1-3, Lorenz 1-3, Corrent 1-3, Slagle 0-0, Fields 2-3, Fey 1-4, Robinson 0-2, Hopkins 0-1, Lorenz 0-1, Tucker 0-3.

2B—Joy. RBI—Joy 2, Morisaki 3, Serrano, Elliott, Scherrer 2. Current, Fields 3.

Lakers A 10, Vauxhall 4

Kalispell 161 000 2 — 10 23 4

Vauxhall 000 300 1 — 4 9 6

Blaise Unruh, Hunter Johnson (4) and John Lane. Brady Peiffer, Keaden Morisaki (5) and Clayton Jaques.

LAKERS A — Ryan Symmes 4-4, Tyler Kitch 2-2, Jaryon Venturini 2-2, Keaden Morisaki 1-3, Eric Seaman 4-5, Sam Elliott 1-5, Nathan Vanderbeek 1-4, Clayton Jaques 2-4, Kyle Calles 3-4, Randy Stultz 2-2, Brady Peiffer 0-0, Adam Joy 1-1.

VAUXHALL — Brant Mack 0-4, Nick Bolt 1-3, Ryan Marshall 1-3, Vance Fode 1-4, John Lane 2-4, Dax Wandler 1-3, Erik Anderson 1-4, Hunter Johnson 0-3, Jayden Bexte 2-2.

2B—Vanderbeek, Seaman. Marshall, Bexte, Lane. RBIs—Symmes, Kitch, Venturini, Seaman, Calles, Stultz. Wandler, Bexte.

Other scores

Cranbrook Bandits 5, Edmonton Cardinals 4

Ferris Saxons 8, Calgary Redbirds 1

Medicine Hat Knights 8, Mission Valley Mariners 4

Edmonton Cardinals 6, Mission Valley Mariners 5

Walla Walla Bruins 6, Cranbrook Bandits 3