Scarlets take pair of wins over AA Lakers

Luke Slyker drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 10th inning to give the Billings Scarlets the lead in a 6-4 victory over the Kalispell AA Lakers Tuesday evening at Griffin Field.

In the second game of the evening, Billings used a three-run fifth to take a 5-3 victory. 

Billings (18-13 overall, 9-8 in AA Legion games) took the lead in the first inning thanks to a balk from Lakers starter Tait Orme. An RBI groundout from Zach McDonald made it 2-0. 

The Scarlets added two more on an error as Bridger Leland reached, extending the advantage to 4-0. 

Kalispell (11-14, 4-12 in conference) worked its way back into the game in the fourth as Micah Engle made it 4-2 with a two-run single. Another RBI single from Dillon Wink made it a one-run game. Wyatt Asher then tied the game on a passed ball later in the frame. 

Billings looked to take the lead in the seventh with the bases loaded, but Lakers reliever Max Schara struck out Kyren Ballard to end the threat. 

No one scored in the first two extra innings, but Ballard led off the 10th with a double to put the Scarlets in business. Three straight walks brought in the first run to make it 5-4 Billings. Porter Dahlberg then added another with a sacrifice fly to right. 

Orme and Engle singled in the bottom half of the inning, but the Lakers couldn’t get either runner home. 

Orme went six innings for Kalispell, allowing four runs on four hits. He fanned five. Schara went 3 1-3 innings in relief, sitting down four. 

McDonald tossed 6 2-3 innings for Billings, scattering 10 hits and striking out six. Blake Skillestad finished the last 3 1-3 innings to secure the win.  

In game two, Kalispell got a early spark as Teagan Dixon led off with a double and quickly came home on an error to make it 1-0. Engle made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly later in the frame. 

Another run came in on a fielder’s choice in the third inning to give Kalispell a 3-0 lead. 

Then the Scarlets found their groove. Dahlberg doubled in the fourth to bring in Billings first run. Matteo Harris followed that with an RBI single to make it 3-2. 

Next inning, Billings tied the game on a bases loaded walk before taking the lead and extending the advantage to 5-3 on two wild pitches. 

That was all Billings needed as Ballard went the full seven innings in the victory on the mound. He allowed eight hits and fanned eight. 

Kalispell found four innings from Beau Schulz to start, scattering six hits and striking out four. Eli Coopman tossed one inning in relief before Lincoln Fisher closed out the final two innings. 

Scarlets    220    000    000    2    -    6    8    3 

AA Lakers    000    400    000    0    -    4    12    3

Zach McDonald, Blake Skillestad (7) and Luke Slyker. Tait Orme, Max Schara (7), Miles Arrowsmith (10), Lincoln Fisher (10) and Brady Buckmaster. 

BILLINGS SCARLETS — Jaxon King 4-6, Bridger Leland 2-5, Oliver Prill 0-3, Kyren Ballard 2-5, Zach McDonald 0-4, Ollin Kulaga 0-3, Matteo Harris 0-2, Blake Skillestad 0-1, Luke Slyker 0-3, Brooks Hust 0-3, Porter Dahlberg 0-2. 

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Beau Schulz 0-3, Miles Arrowsmith 0-5, Lincoln Fisher 0-0, Hunter Fann 2-5, Tait Orme 3-5, Micah Engle 3-5, Brady Buckmaster 2-5, Dillon Wink 1-4, Liam Rech 0-4, Kyler Croft 1-3, Max Schara 0-1. 

2B — Ballard. RBIs — Dahlberg, McDonald, Slyker. Engle 2, Wink. 

Scarlets    000    230    0    -    5    7    1 

AA Lakers    201    000    0    -    3    8    2

Ballard and Harris. Schulz, Eli Coopman (5), Fisher (6) and Buckmaster. 

BILLINGS SCARLETS — King 0-4, Leland 1-4, Prill 0-3, Ballard 0-4, McDonald 1-4, Kulaga 2-3, Dahlberg 1-3, Harris 1-2, Hust 1-3. 

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Teagan Dixon 2-3, Arrowsmith 1-4, Fann 0-4, Orme 2-4, Engle 1-1, Buckmaster 0-3, Rech 0-2, Croft 1-2, Schulz 1-2, Coopman 0-0, Fisher 0-1, Wink 0-3. 

2B — Dahlberg. Dixon, Engle. RBIs — Dahlberg, Harris. Engle, Buckmaster, Arrowsmith.