FLORENCE — For the third time in the four games the Kalispell Lakers edged out a one-run victory at the Montana/Alberta American Legion Western A District baseball tournament, defeating the host Bitterroot Bucs 4-3 on Saturday afternoon to advance one game away from a spot at the state tournament.

The Lakers built a 4-0 lead by the third inning, the back end of the order pushing two leadoff runners over the plate in the second and a pair of errors in the third scoring two more.

Kalispell leaned on its defense after that with the offense unable to hit in the final 10 runners of the game. After a close call in the bottom of the third, the Lakers were able to keep Bitterroot out of scoring position until the seventh inning when a pair of errors helped the Bucs load the bases.

Bitterroot scored three runs in the seventh but found it impossible to get past first base again in the final two frames despite four baserunners.

“We were able to hang on,” Lakers A coach Jesse McFarland said. “Our pitchers buckled down. We have some tired arms but we have a group of competitors. As the situation got tougher they rose to the occasion. It was fun to see.

“We were in a lot of tight games early on in the season. We told them it would pay off down the road. Sure enough we get to the district tournament and win three one-run games. They’re doing all the little things right and it’s paying off.”

Kalispell’s Drew Scherrer picked up his 100th strikeout of the season in the win a day after his 100th inning pitched. Scherrer pitched five innings with three hits and two strikeouts while holding the Bucs scoreless.

Ryan Symmes was 3 for 5 in the leadoff role at the plate for the Lakers and Jaycob Serrano was 2 for 3 with a double.

The Lakers will play the Glacier Twins in the third-place game this morning, the winner advancing to the championship game to play the Bitterroot Red Sox and clinching a spot at this week’s state tournament. The teams split the regular season series.

Earlier in the day, the Lakers kept their chances alive by edging the Mission Valley Mariners 10-9.

The Lakers led 10-6 after a four-run seventh but saw the Mariners blast two home runs in the final two innings and load the bases with two outs in the ninth before getting away with the victory.

Mission Valley’s Jacob Harrod continued his hot-hitting tournament by going 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles in the loss.

The Bucs also beat Missoula 4-2 earlier in the day.

Kalispell 022 000 000 — 4 9 5

Bucs 000 000 300 — 3 7 2

Drew Scherrer, Clayton Jaques (6), Brady Peiffer (7) and Keaden Morisaki. Jake Scully, Braxton McCullough (4), Dylan Gavlak (5), Rees LeSoine (8) and Bo Zeiler, Scully (4), Zeiler (9). W—Scherrer. L—Scully.

KALISPELL — Ryan Symmes 3-5, Keaden Morisaki 1-2, Randy Stultz 0-5, Eric Seaman 1-5, Sam Elliott 1-4, Jaycob Serrano 2-3, Clayton Jaques 0-2, Brady Peiffer 0-1, Jaryon Venturini 0-4, Tyler Kitch 1-3.

BITTERRROOT BUCS — Dylan Gavlak 3-5, Braxton McCullough 1-4, Jake Finley 0-4, Rees LeSoine 1-5, Bo Zeiler 0-4, Liam LeCoure 1-3, Brendan Schneiter 0-2, Jake Scully 0-3, Alex Gavlak 1-4.

2B—Serrano. RBIs—Venturini, Kitch. D. Gavlak, LeSoine, Zeiler.

M. Valley 000 114 012 — 9 14 3

Kalispell 102 003 40x — 10 12 6

Tyson Petticrew, Brendon Blood (1) and Warren Wood. Brady Peiffer, Clayton Jaques (6), Drew Scherrer (9) and Keaden Morisaki. W—Jaques. L—Blood.

MISSION VALLEY — Anthony Jones 0-5, Jacob Harrod 3-5, Bransen Krebs 2-5, Walter Wood 0-3, Karsen Krebs 0-4, Nyqolas Gillingham 2-6, Kade Schutzmann 1-3, Warren Wood 3-3, Micah McClure 1-5, Bryan Hales 2-5.

KALISPELL — Ryan Symmes 1-4, Randy Stultz 0-4, Keaden Morisaki 1-5, Eric Seaman 1-5, Sam Elliott 3-4, Jaycob Serrano 2-3, Adam Joy 1-3, Jaryon Venturini 2-4, Tyler Kitch 1-4.

2B—Harrod 2. Seaman. HR—Warren Wood, Bransen Krebs.

Red Sox 9, Twins

FLORENCE — After loading the bases in the first inning, the Glacier Twins struggled to get runners on base falling 9-2 to the Bitterroot Red Sox in the championship semifinals.

The Twins reached their first four runners and had the bases loaded with one out in the first inning but ended up empty. The Red Sox answered with six hits and four runs in the bottom half of the inning and tallied three runs in the second, including a two-run homer from Justin Horvath, to pull out to a quick 7-0 lead.

Glacier got a run back in the fourth on an error from the Bitterroot third baseman, but gave up another run in the bottom half of the inning to fall back into a seven-run hole.

The Twins only reached four more runners in the game, scoring a run in the eighth to cut the final score to 9-2.

Horvath was 3 for 4 with a double, a homer and 4 RBIs to lead the defending district and state championsin the win.

Colten Parker and James Sampson Keck each had two hits for Glacier.

The Twins have a chance to reach their third-straight district title game this morning, playing Kalispell for a chance for a rematch with the Red Sox and a spot in the state tournament.

Glacier 000 100 010 — 2 6 4

Red Sox 430 101 00x — 9 13 2

Jonny Sapa, Vinny Smith (6) and Ryan Veneman. Jonathon Ringer, Tylor Nixon (8) and Austin Ray.

GLACIER — Colten Parker 2-4, Tristin Steinwand 0-4, James Sampson-Keck 2-3, Vincent Smith 1-3, Jesse Walburn 0-4, Max Smyley 0-2, Thomas Hellwig 0-1, AJ Wetsch 1-4, Ryan Veneman 0-4, Nathan Hader 0-2, Skyler Warner 0-2.

BITTERROOT SOX — Austin Ray 2-4, Nate Loranger 1-4, Tylor Nixon 2-5, Jonathon Ringer 1-5, Justin Horvath 3-4, Joe Johnson 2-4, Kyle Norman 1-4, Hunter Omlid 1-4, Justin Catanach 0-3, Kyle Crossman 0-1.

2B—Smith. Horvath, Ray. HR—Horvath. RBIs—Nixon, Ringer 2, Horvath 4, Omlid.

Saturday’s Other Game

Missoula 000 003 1 — 4 2 4

Bucs 200 04(12) x — 18 18 2

Asher Zimmerman, Jayce Denman (6), Connor Daniels (6), Nathan Keffeler (6) and Beau King. Liam LeCoure, Brenden Bailey (7) and Jake Scully.

MISSOULA — Sam Bucy 0-2, Riley Vetos 1-1, Asher Zimmerman 0-2, Will Larson 0-3, Dane Fraser 1-4, Parker Stevens 0-2, Drew Leonard 0-3, Brendan Buchanan 0-3, Kellen Johnson 0-2, Jayce Denman 0-0, Connor Daniels 0-0, Nathan Keffeler 0-0, Beau King 0-1, Cory Taylor 0-0.

BITTERROOT BUCS — Dylan Gavlak 2-5, Braxton McCullough 4-5, Jake Finley 3-4, Reese LeSoine 3-4, Bo Zeiler 1-3, Liam LeCoure 1-4, Brendan Schneiter 1-4, Jake Scully 3-4, Alex Gavlak 0-1.

2B—Fraser. Finley. RBIs—Zimmerman, Fraser, Leonard. D. Gavlak, McCullough, Finley 3, LeSoine 5, Zeiler 2, LeCoure, Schneiter 2, Scully, A. Gavlak.