Twins stay alive, Libby and Mission Valley fall at Western A Legion

HAMILTON — The Glacier Twins stayed alive at the Western A district Legion tournament on Friday, while Bitterroot and Cranbrook advanced to the semifinals. 

The Twins eliminated Kalispell 12-5 to move on in the consolation bracket, while Bitterroot handed Libby its first loss of the tournament, 5-2. Cranbrook also punched its ticket to Saturday's semifinal after holding Mission Valley’s late rally for a 10-9 victory. 

Twins 12, Lakers 5 

Glacier used a big first inning and took advantage of 14 walks to eliminate the Lakers. 

Travis Banks drew a bases-loaded walk before Tayvion Robinson lined a two-run single to center field, putting the Twins ahead 3-0 in the opening inning. Tristan Libby added an RBI single in the second, scoring Mason Muller. 

Kalispell (11-27) chipped away in the middle innings and finished with seven hits but couldn’t string together enough offense to overcome the deficit. Blake Paulsen led the Lakers, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs, while Landen Jacobson added two hits. 

Robinson finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs for Glacier (10-27), while Banks drew three walks. Muller added two stolen bases. 

Trenton DeRosa earned the win, allowing five runs, two earned, over six innings while striking out eight. 

Glacier advances to Saturday’s 1 p.m. loser-out game against Libby. 

Red Sox 5, Loggers 2

Libby carried a two-run lead into the fourth inning before Bitterroot rallied for three runs in the fifth, handing the Loggers their first loss of the tournament. 

Hunter Rooney put Libby (14-20) on the board with an RBI groundout in the first, and the Loggers added another run in the third after a dropped third strike allowed a run to score for a 2-0 lead. 

Bridger Huddleston scored the Red Sox’s first run in the third with a double to center field. Chase Wagner, Jackson Lubke and Bridger Huddleston each delivered RBI singles in the fifth as the Red Sox surged in front 4-2 before adding an insurance run in the sixth. 

Jordan Griffin, Dalton Cannon and Rooney each collected a hit for Libby. Griffin and Bransen Holzer each stole two bases. 

Kale Hall went six innings for Libby, allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits. 

Bandits 10, Mariners 9

Mission Valley nearly erased a five-run deficit late, but Cranbrook held on for the victory. 

The Bandits (26-15) built an early 3-0 lead in the first, before the Mariners (21-14) answered with four runs to move in front in the fourth. Brayson DuMont drove in a run with a single, and Jason Leishman added a sacrifice fly during the inning. 

Cranbrook quickly swung the momentum back with a six-run fifth. Dallin Rodger drove in two runs during the rally as the Bandits opened a 9-4 cushion. 

The Mariners refused to go away, scoring four times over in the final inning to pull within one, but couldn’t plate the tying run with the bases loaded. DuMont finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs, while Noah Agliano reached base four times after drawing three walks. 

Olly Williams and Ty Dupley each had two hits and two RBIs for Cranbrook (27-15). Cody Haggard struck out five over 4 2/3 innings for Mission Valley (21-14). 

Cranbrook advances to Saturday's semifinal against Bitterroot at 4 p.m., while the Mariners will face Missoula in loser-out action at 10 a.m.