Closing flourish: AA Lakers have won 9 of 11

JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 2 weeks AGO

Kalispell's Andre Cephers (7) connects on an RBI single in the sixth inning against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers AA starting pitcher Luke Nikunen (12) delivers against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers teammates congratulate Hunter Fann (15) after Fann scored on a squeeze bunt by Oscar Kallis in the sixth inning against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers AA shortstop Carter Schlegel (5) fires to first base for an attempt at a double play against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers AA shortstop Ostyn Brennan (10) makes a play on a grounder against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers AA third baseman Luke Nikunen (12) holds on to a hard-hit line drive against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Kalispell's Oscar Kallis (3) drives in a run in the fifth inning against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers AA second baseman Hunter Fann (15) fields a ground ball against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers AA pitcher Carter Schlegel (5) delivers against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Helena Senators shortstop Keaton Troyer (3) charges a ground ball against the Kalispell Lakers AA at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Lakers teammates congratulate Andre Cephers (7) after scoring in the fifth inning on a single by Oscar Kallis against the Helena Senators at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Kalispell's Brady Buckmaster (18) connects on a bunt single that scored a run on an ensuing Helena throwing error in the fifth inning at Griffin Field on Saturday, July 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

The Kalispell AA Lakers closed out the regular season in style.

Andre Cephers went 2-for-3, driving in the go-ahead run for the Lakers in a 4-2 Senior Day victory over the Helena Senators in AA American Legion baseball Saturday at Griffin Field.

“In order to play great baseball, you have to play great competition,” Lakers manager Ryan Malmin said. “Obviously, Helena is the bar, they have dominated the past five or six years and for us to come out and compete and play well is great.

‘But now we are 0-0 and that has to be our mindset now, our goal is to be 1-0.”

The win moves the Lakers to 13-11 in conference, placing them as the No. 6 seed in the state tournament starting Wednesday in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Kalispell is 35-18 overall. Helena claimed the top seed with a 16-7 record in AA games, 44-25 overall. The top six teams are separated by 3½ games.

“It all just comes down to recovery and what we are doing in between for those four games (at state),” Cephers said. “It’s a mind game now, the other teams don’t know what to expect because we can beat any seed.”

Tied at two entering the bottom of the sixth, Luke Nikunen singled to open the inning. Hunter Fann followed with a bunt single to put two aboard for Cephers. The senior took advantage with a single to center field to bring Nikunen home, giving Kalispell the 3-2 lead.

“I really just wanted to see the fastball down and hit it up the middle,” Cephers said. “Good timing and get on top of the ball, I didn’t want to pop it up and give the team that negative energy.”

Next batter, Oscar Kallis bunted as Fann raced home, avoiding a tag from Helena pitcher Will Lyng to extend the advantage to 4-2. Kallis finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs and one run scored.

Cephers’ first hit in the fifth inning sparked a two-run rally to tie the game as Oscar Kallis drove Cephers in before Kallis scored as Brady Buckmaster laid down a bunt single. Buckmaster advanced to second on an errant throw.

“The team came out to compete,” Cephers said. “Splitting yesterday, I think just made us want it more and we just came out and performed really well.

Nikunen started on the mound for the Lakers, going three innings and allowing one run on one hit. He struck out four.

Carter Schlegel closed out the final four innings, scattering four hits and allowing one run. He fanned four.

“Carter did a great job coming in in relief for those four innings,” Malmin said. Aside from a couple of bad hops and one mistake we were pretty solid defensively.”

Helena (44-25, 16-7) picked up both their runs on tight calls at first base. in the third inning, Aaron Fuzesy barely beat out a double play attempt as Kai Richey scored; after a discussion between the umpires the safe call was upheld.

The Senators made it 2-0 in the fifth as Keaton Troyer outran the throw on an infield single that brought in Carter Perlinski.

James DeMers went five innings for Helena, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out eight.

“DeMers was dialing in pretty well on the mound early on,” Malmin said. “We just grinded out some at bats and were able to execute our short game to put some pressure on people that way.”

Lyng threw the sixth inning in relief, giving up four Laker hits for two runs.

NOTES: According to 406mtsports.com’s Daniel Shepard, the Senators have clinched the No. 1 seed and won’t play a scheduled game at Lethbridge Sunday. ... The Billings Royals and Billings Scarlets play Sunday. According to Malmin, the Scarlets are the No. 2 seed with a win, moving Missoula to No. 3; if the Scarlets lose they remain the No. 3 seed.

Senators 001 010 0 - 2 5 3

AA Lakers 000 022 x - 4 8 1

James DeMers, Will Lyng (6) and Tizer Lindgren. Luke Nikunen, Carter Schlegel (4) and Brady Buckmaster.

HELENA SENATORS — Walker DesRosier 0-4, Brayden Beatty 1-4, Carter Perlinski 0-1, Aaron Fuzesy 2-4, Connor Devine 0-4, Keaton Troyer 2-3, Finn Doran 0-2, Tanner Steen 0-1, Tizer Lindgren 0-3, Kai Richey 0-1.

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Ostyn Brennan 1-4, Cale Brink 0-2, Carter Schlegel 1-3, Luke Nikunen 1-3, Hunter Fann 1-3, Kaedon Kahler 0-3, Andre Cephers 2-3, Oscar Kallis 2-2, Brady Buckmaster 0-2.

2B — Troyer. RBIs — Fuzesy, Troyer. Kallis 2, Cephers.

Montana/Alberta Standings

Through July 26

Conf. All

Helena Senators 16-7 44-25

Missoula Mavericks 16-8 41-21

Billings Scarlets 15-8 26-16

Billings Royals 14-9 30-13

Bozeman Bucks 14-10 31-21

Kalispell Lakers 13-11 35-18

Great Falls Chargers 10-14 36-32

x-Lethbridge Elks 6-17 22-17

Med. Hat Monarchs 2-22 8-28

x-eliminated.

Monday, July 21

Missoula 10, Mission Valley 2 (nc)

Great Falls 4, Lethbridge 3

Tuesday, July 22

Bozeman 4, Billings Royals 2

Wednesday, July 23

Helena 11, Great Falls 5

Billings Scarlets 12, Medicine Hat 1, first game

Medicine Hat 6, Billings Scarlets 4, second game

Billings Royals 7, Bozeman 5, first game

Billings Royals 13, Bozeman 0, second game

Thursday, July 24

Lethbridge 4, Missoula 3

Billings Scarlets 6, Medicine Hat 1

Friday, July 25

Missoula 5, Lethbridge 0

Helena 3, Kalispell 1

Kalispell 4, Helena 3

Saturday, July 26

Kalispell 4, Helena 2

Billings Scarlets 4, Bozeman 0

Missoula 9, Lethbridge 6

Sunday, July 27

Billings Scarlets at Billings Royals

Helena at Lethbridge, canceled