Whitefish didn’t ease into Friday evening’s matchup against Flathead, scoring nine runs in the first inning to take a commanding lead and never let up in a 16-6 nonconference baseball victory at ABS park. 

The Bulldogs (2-1) set the tone immediately. After a quick out, Luke Dalen reached first on a walk and turned it into instant pressure, stealing second and third before scoring on a throwing error. That sequence opened the floodgates. 

“We took advantage of some free bases and were able to capitalize,” Whitefish head coach Kyler Blades said. “Luke Dalen has been a catalyst for us, and he was flying around the bases again today.” 

Flathead (2-4) struggled to find the strike zone, and walks piled up, wild pitches moved runners along and the Bulldogs continued to deliver. Gavin Knapp drew a bases-loaded walk and, even after a pitching change, the momentum didn't shift. Reyd Hobart punched a two-run single, and Finn Ryan followed with an RBI hit that turned into more damage on an error. 

“We need to be able to throw strikes, plain and simple. When you throw that many pitches in five innings, it’s tough to win,” Flathead coach Richard Burland said. “This team will always be behind one another; we just can’t give up 16 runs on five hits.” 

In the bottom half of the first, the Braves showed life. Dillon Wink led off with a single, and a string of walks helped bring in runs. Eli Coopman added an RBI knock as the Braves trimmed the deficit to 9-4, but it was as close as they would get. 

Whitefish kept applying pressure in the second. More free passes and aggressive baserunning set up Dalen again, and he delivered with a two-out RBI single. Another run came home on a wild pitch, stretching the lead to 13-4. 

From there, the Bulldogs settled in. Knapp provided stability on the mound, working three innings to help quiet Flathead’s bats. 

Dalen finished as the spark at the top of the lineup, scoring three times and driving in two while constantly disrupting the Braves pitchers' focus. Hobart added a pair of RBIs, and Ryan chipped in two hits and two runs driven in as Whitefish did steady damage throughout the lineup. 

“Reyd (Hobart) has been fantastic, I like to have a great hitter in the nine slot, and he’s done well embracing that role” Blades said. “Gavin Knapp stepped up big pitching, and this was a step in the right direction for us as we get into the meat of our schedule.” 

Whitefish now travels to Polson to face the Pirates on Tuesday, while Flathead also returns to action on Tuesday against Missoula Sentinel at ABS Park. 

Whitefish    941    11    -    16    5    1  

Flathead    400    02    -    6    5    3 

Reed Boyer, Gavin Knapp (1), and Reyd Hobart. Eli Coopman, Landen Jacobson (1), Miles Arrowsmith (2), Liam Rech (4) and Leum Saisbury. 

WHITEFISH — Drew Queen 0-4, Wyatt Hanchett 0-1, Luke Dalen 1-1, Joaquin Gonzalez 0-1, Devin Meuter 0-1, Tait Orme 1-1, Finn Ryan 2-3, Reed Boyer 0-3, Carter Godsey 0-2, Collison Lewis 0-2, Reyd Hobart 1-2. 

FLATHEAD — Dillon Wink 1-3, Liam Rech 0-1, Hunter Fann 1-1, Eli Coopman 1-2, Leum Saisbury 1-3, Micah Engle 1-1, Carter Wiggington 0-3, Tyson Franchini-White 0-3, Miles Arrowsmith 0-2. 

2B — Dalen. Engle. RBIs — Dalen 2, Ryan 2, Hobart 2, Godsey 2. Coopman, Engle, Franchini-White.