Mariners split Firecracker tourney twin bill

POLSON — Cody Haggard and Brayson DuMont each doubled twice and Mission Valley took a 9-4 win over the Flathead A’s Saturday at the Firecracker Tournament.

In the second game of the day, Fort McLeod handed the Mariners (12-10) an extra innings defeat, 11-3. 

Jaxson Cadwell and Kyler Voermans drove in runs for the A’s (8-5) in the opening inning to give them a 2-0 lead. 

Haggard quickly tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom half of the frame. Jake Helser made it 3-2 with an RBI double in the second. 

Cadwell hit another RBI single in the fifth to give Flathead a 4-3 lead, but Mission Valley tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning. 

In the sixth, the Mariners seized control with a walk and a hit batsman bringing in two runs before Haggard cleared the bases with his second double of the game to center giving Mission Valley a 9-4 advantage. 

Against the Royals, Holden Emerson started the scoring in the first with an RBI double to left. 

A double from Nixon Strangway in the second put Fort McLeod (12-18) in the lead 2-1, while K Scott squeezed home another run in the third inning to make it 3-1. 

Paxson DuMont scored Cole Wadsworth with an RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 3-2. 

Down to their final out, Haggard singled to right to tie the game at three and send it to extras. 

In the extra frame, Fort McLeod took the lead on a single from C Schmid and jumped on the Mariners for eight runs and an 11-3 lead. 

Cashe Kropinak worked three strikeouts in a scoreless bottom half to secure the win. 

Caleb Gfroerer went seven innings on the mound for the Mariners, allowing three runs on six hits and fanning a pair. 

Strangway went five strong innings for the Royals, scattering four hits and sitting down four.