MISSOULA — One bad inning cost the Kalispell Lakers in a 6-5 loss to the Billings Scarlets in the Montana/Alberta American Legion Class AA state baseball championship game on Sunday night at Lindborg-Cregg Field.

The Lakers, who legged out a shoutout win earlier in the day, controlled the first half of the game and looked to be in good shape heading into the seventh inning against the defending state champions.

Tiler Whiteaker and Jake Halland led off the bottom of the first inning with singles, setting up Patrick O’Connell for an RBI single and Andrew Schleusner for a two-run double to give the Lakers an early 3-0 lead. After a Billings run in the top of the second, Kalispell answered with two runs in the home half of the inning, O’Connell continuing a strong day at the plate with a bases-clearing double to score Whiteaker and Halland with two outs.

Billings scored a run in the fifth inning to narrow the lead to 5-2, but Drew Scherrer controlled the pace of the game, striking out three batters in the first six innings while the defense cleaned up behind him, including a double play in the third inning.

Scherrer got the first two outs of the seventh before the Scarlets started to find some life. A single, a wild pitch and a single in the next two at-bats scored one runner and Billings picked up one more single before the Lakers replaced Scherrer on the mound. Kalispell gave up a two-run single and a double in the next two batters before finally getting out of the inning on a fly ball to center field, now trailing 6-5.

The Lakers couldn’t mount a comeback, failing to get on base in the final three innings.

“To know the state championship game came down to one out, one play, one pitch is absolutely gut wrenching,” Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said.

“Your heart goes out to these kids. We harp on them every day to give their absolute best and this weekend you couldn’t ask for more.”

O’Connell was 2 for 4 in the game with a double and three RBIs to lead the Lakers at the plate.

The Lakers cruised through their first game of the day with strong pitching and timely hitting.

Dawson Smith pitched a complete game shutout in the semifinals, throwing a no-hitter going into the fourth and holding the Elks to three hits through eight innings.

O’Connell was big early too, going 3 for 5 in the opener with a double, a triple and an RBI, falling a home run short of the cycle.

The second-place finish is the best for the Lakers since the 1978 state championship. Kalispell’s AA team finished in third place in 2009.

Billings 010 010 400 — 6 12 1

Kalispell 320 000 000 — 5 6 1

Jake McGovern, Gordon Sveinson (7) and Lukas Funyak. Drew Scherrer, Sam Elliott (7) and Andrew Schleusner. W—McGovern. L—Scherrer.

BILLINGS — Riley Bruns 3-5, Caje Golden 0-4, Gordon Sveinson 1-5, Jake McGovern 2-4, Jake Tallman 2-3, Lukas Funyak 2-5, Ben Tallman 1-4, Cole Kramer 1-3, Jackson Cobb 0-4.

KALISPELL — Tiler Whiteaker 1-2, Jake Halland 1-4, Patrick O’Connell 2-4, Andrew Schleusner 1-4, Leif Ericksen 0-3, Hayden Schlepp 0-3, Spencer Pisk 0-1, Micah Benson 0-3, Eric Seaman 1-4, Jayson Combs 0-4.

2B— B. Tallman, Bruns. Schleusner, O’Connell. RBIs—McGovern, J. Tallman, Funyak, B. Tallman 2. O’Connell 3, Schleusner 2.

Kalispell 012 000 100 — 4 9 0

Lethbridge 000 000 000 — 0 6 2

Dawson Smith and Andrew Schleusner. Tevin Hall, Bryce Oriold-Fraser (7) and Kyle Bloor. W—Dawson Smith. L—Hall.

KALISPELL — Tiler Whiteaker 1-4, Jake Halland 1-5, Patrick O’Connell 3-5, Andrew Schleusner 0-1, Leif Ericksen 0-2, Spencer Pisk 1-4, Micah Benson 2-4, Logan DeCock 0-4, Jayson Combs 1-3.

LETHBRIDGE — Wyatt Tomalty 0-4, Tevin Hall 2-4, Shawn Grandmont 1-4, Eric Davies 2-4, Kyle Bloor 0-4, Torrin Vaselenak 1-3, John Luchanski 0-3, Raleigh Ferby 0-2, Bryce Oriold-Fraser 0-1, Liam Leech 0-2.

2B—Combs, O’Connell. 3B—O’Connell. RBIs—Combs, O’Connell, Ericksen 2.