Elks complete sweep of AA Lakers

LETHBRIDGE, Alberta — The AA Lakers hopped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning Thursday, but after that Lethbridge took control to finish a three-game sweep with a 13-3 victory.

The win for the Elks (22-6) came after 9-1 and 13-3 decisions Wednesday evening. 

Micah Engle drew a first inning bases-loaded walk to put Kalispell (11-12) on the board. Teagan Dixon followed with an RBI ground out to make it 2-0. 

Lethbridge answered in the bottom of the first as Willis Takahashi singled to put the Elks on the board. Grady Johnson knocked in two more later in the frame to give Lethbridge a 4-2 advantage. 

The Lakers drew to 4-3 on Miles Arrowsmith’s RBI double in the second but the bats dried up from there. 

The Elks took control in the fourth: Carter Mann’s two-run single sparked a nine-run inning. 

Lethbridge pitcher Kylar Loman went the distance, allowing five hits and fanning three batters. The game ended after five innings due to the run rule. 

The Lakers return to action Tuesday with a doubleheader against the Billings Scarlets at 5 p.m. at Griffin Field. They complete a three-game set Wednesday —the AA Lakers’ last home game.  

AA Lakers    210    00    -    3    5    2 

Elks    409    0x    -    13    11    0

Kyler Croft, George Schwan (3) and Brady Buckmaster. Loman and Takahashi. 

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Wink 1-2, Arrowsmith 1-3, Fann 1-3, Orme 1-2, Engle 0-2, Dixon 0-2, Rech 0-2, Schulz 1-2, Buckmaster 0-1. 

LETHBRIDGE ELKS — Machum 1-4, Smith 2-3, Bruinsma 2-3, Conway Mulder 1-1, Mann 2-2, Johnson 2-3, Babki 0-2, Olson 0-3. 

2B — Arrowsmith, Orme. Mann. RBIs — Arrowsmith, Engle, Dixon. Mann 4, Johnson 2, Machum 2, Smith, Bruinsma, Takahashi. 

Same score in Wednesday's Game 2 

Late Wednesday, the Elks took advantage of a five-run second inning, highlighted by an RBI double from Fawkes Bruinsma, to jump ahead 6-0. 

Lethbridge added three more runs in the third. 

Kalispell got on the board in the fifth as Dixon doubled to left to score a pair. Tait Orme added another run on a single to right later in the frame. 

Noah Babki and Evan Machum tripled in the bottom half of the fifth to help the Elks walk it off under the mercy rule. 

Jesse-James Olson tossed all five innings for Lethbridge, fanning five batters. 

Late Wednesday 

AA Lakers    000    03    -    3    6    4 

Elks    153    04    -    13    11    0

Max Schara, Liam Rech (4) and Carter Wigginton. Jesse-James Olson and Grady Johnson. 

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Teagan Dixon 1-2, Micah Engle 0-2, Eli Coopman 0-1, Tait Orme 2-3, Beau Schulz 0-2, Hunter Fann 0-2, Liam Rech 1-2, Dillon Wink 0-0, Wyatt Asher 0-1, Miles Arrowsmith 1-2, Carter Wigginton 1-2. 

LETHBRIDGE ELKS — Evan Machum 2-2, Brett Smith 2-4, Fawkes Bruinsma 3-4, Willis Takahashi 1-1, Carter Mann 0-3, Nate Conway Mulder 0-3, Grady Johnson 1-3, Noah Babki 2-2, Kylar Loman 0-1. 

2B — Dixon. Bruinsma 2. 3B —Machum, Babki. RBIs — Dixon 2, Orme. Machum 3, Bruinsma 2, Babki, Takahashi, Smith.