MISSOULA — The Kalispell Lakers scored eight times in the third inning and kept their season alive with a landslide 14-8 whipping of the Billings Royals in a loser-out game at the Montana/Alberta State AA tournament Friday at Lindborg-Cregg Field.

Kalispell (40-20) has reached the 40-win plateau for the first time in coach Ryan Malmin’s 11-year tenure as Lakers head coach and advances to the state’s final four.

The Lakers are 2-1 at the double-elimination tournament and will take on the event’s only remaining undefeated team, the Billings Scarlets, tonight at 7 p.m.

The Friday win followed a similar script as Wednesday’s, with Kalispell’s offense putting big numbers on the board early to carry the day. The Royals tallied four times in the top of the third inning to take a 5-3 lead before the Lakers erupted, scoring eight times on six hits and sending 13 batters to the plate in the inning.

“We were pretty good offensively today,” Malmin said. “A rough start but in the third inning the kids just came up with big and clutch hits. The kids just out-battled the Royals.”

Micah Benson had the first big hit in the eight-run outburst, tying the score with a two-run double. Later in the inning, Patrick O’Connell tripled with the bases loaded to stretch the Lakers’ lead to 9-5.

Andrew Schleusner was the surprise starter on the mound and earned the win, working seven solid innings. The Lakers’ regular closer, Schleusner allowed 11 hits and six runs.

“For him to come in and start a game and go seven complete says a lot,” Malmin said. “It’s either win or go home and statistically he was our best option. We felt comfortable and confident he would get it done for us.”

The Lakers scored their 14 runs on just 12 hits. Benson’s double and O’Connell’s triple were Kalispell’s only extra-base hits. Schleusner, Leif Ericksen, Haydn Schlepp, Jayson Combs and Benson all had two hits.

Cole McKenzie and Pearce Kurth had three hits for the Royals, whose season came to an end with the loss.

Billings 104 000 120 — 8 13 3

Kalispell 218 011 10x — 14 12 4

Jake Oruis, Tyler Frieders (3), Brooks Zimmer (8) and Morgan Dugi, Jarret Leinwand (5). Andrew Schleusner, Jake Halland (8), Logan DeCock (8) and Tiler Whiteaker, Schleusner (9). W — Schleusner. L — Oruis.

BILLINGS — Patrick Zimmer 1-4, Oruis 1-4, Cole McKenzie 3-4, Dugi 1-2, Kolten Weichman 0-2, Leinwand 1-5, Peace Kurth 3-4, Dawson Smith 1-5, Connor Polkowsye 2-5, Brock MacDonald 0-1, Frieders 0-2, Cameron Maciel 0-1, B. Zimmer 0-0.

KALISPELL — Whiteaker 0-3, Halland 0-6, Patrick O’Connell 1-5, Schleusner 2-4, Leif Ericksen 2-3, Haydn Schlepp 2-4, Micah Benson 2-5, DeCock 1-4, Jayson Combs 2-4.

2B — Kurth, McKenzie, Leinwand; Benson. 3B — O’Connell. RBIs — McKenzie 2, Kurth 2, Weichman, Leinwand; O’Connell 3, Schleusner 2, Benson 2, Whiteaker, Halland, Ericksen, Combs.

Twins blast Braves, stay unbeaten at State A

GREAT FALLS — Tyler Murphy dominated on the mound and the Glacier Twins scored in six of the last seven innings, marching into the third round of the Montana/Alberta State A tournament by clobbering the Livingston Braves 18-6 at Centene Stadium on Friday.

The Twins (38-22) are one of two undefeated teams at the double-elimination tournament and will play the tourney’s only other unbeaten team, the Bitterroot Red Sox, today at 7 p.m. The Red Sox and Lakers have played six times this year with Bitterroot taking all six prior meetings, including a 23-2 laugher in the championship game of last week’s Western A district tournament.

Murphy struck out 11 and allowed only four hits on Friday, but an offensive explosion from his teammates overshadowed his stellar effort. The Twins piled up 18 hits, scored four times in the third inning, five times in the sixth and led 15-2 before Murphy gave the ball over to the bullpen.

“The boys really came alive at the plate,” Glacier coach Bob Rupp said. “Which is exactly what we needed to do.”

A.J. Wetsch went 3 for 6 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He cleared the bases with a triple in the sixth, coming around to score on himself later on the same play on an error. Colten Parker and Max Smyley also had three hits. Vinny Smith was 2 for 5 with a double and a triple.

The Braves remain alive in the tournament despite the loss, moving to take on the Billings Cardinals at 10 a.m. today in a loser-out game.

Glacier 004 115 043 — 18 18 1

Livingston 000 020 040 — 6 8 7

Tyler Murphy, Greyson Bistodeau (8), Colten Parker (9) and Ryan Veneman. Zander Petrich, Ethan Bullock (7) and Brock Peterson. W — Murphy. L — Petrich.

GLACIER —Parker 3-5, Tristin Steinwand 0-5, James Sampson-Keck 2-5, Vinny Smith 2-5, Jesse Walburn 1-5, Max Smyley 3-3, A.J. Wetsch 3-6, Derek Kastella 2-5, Veneman 2-6.

LIVINGSTON — Petrich 0-4, Jorden Darr 0-3, Buck Spallone 2-4, John Becker 1-4, Bullock 1-4, Tristen Jenkins 0-4, Peterson 2-4, Sage McMinn 1-4, Clayton Busby 1-4.

2B — Veneman 2, Smith; Peterson. 3B — Smith, Wetsch; Becker. RBIs — Wetsch 3, Kastella 2, Smith 2, Parker, Sampson-Keck, Walburn, Smyley, Veneman; Spallone, Becker, Bullock, Peterson.