Senators eliminate Lakers from AA State Legion

LETHBRIDGE, Alberta — The Lakers jumped out early, but Helena had the final say Sunday in a 5-2 win that ended Kalispell's season at the Montana/Alberta State AA Legion tournament. 

The win moved Helena into another loser-out matchup Monday against the Billings Scarlets. 

Kalispell finishes the season 14-20. 

Elsewhere at the tournament, the Lethbridge Elks rebounded from a late loss to the Billings Royals Saturday to defeat Great Falls 11-1. 

In the winners bracket games, the Missoula Mavericks rallied to defeat the Billings Scarlets 6-5, while the Billings Royals and Bozeman Bucks were still playing at press time. 

Senators 5, Lakers 2 

Hunter Fann and Micah Engle hit RBI singles in the opening frame to give Kalispell a 2-0 lead, but the offense dried up from there. 

Helena wasted no time tying the game up in the bottom of the first as Keaton Troyer went yard for a two-run homer after Tanner Steen walked to tie the game at two. 

The Senators took the lead in the second inning as Finn Doran singled home a run before Liam Priebe came in on a passed ball to make it 4-2. 

Brady Perlinski added another insurance run in the third as Helena's pitching kept the Lakers off the board. 

Tyler Kaiser went the distance for the Senators, allowing four hits and striking out five. 

Kyler Croft started for Kalispell, allowing three earned runs on five hits. George Schwan tossed 3 2-3 innings in relief, only allowing one hit and sitting down four. 

Helena faces the loser of Bozeman and the Billings Royals Monday at 7 p.m. 

AA Lakers    200    000    0    -    2    4    2 

Senators    221    000    x    -    5    6    2

Kyler Croft, George Schwan (3) and Brady Buckmaster. Tyler Kaiser and P Sublette. 

KALISPELL AA LAKERS — Max Schara 0-4, Miles Arrowsmith 0-2, Hunter Fann 1-2, Tait Orme 1-3, Micah Engle 1-2, Beau Schulz 0-3, Liam Rech 0-2, Teagan Dixon 1-1, Eli Coopman 0-3, Brady Buckmaster 0-3. 

HELENA SENATORS — Matt Feller 0-2, Tanner Steen 0-2, Keaton Troyer 2-3, James DeMers 0-3, Brady Perlinski 1-3, Grant Bahnmiller 1-3, Pierce Sublette 1-3, Liam Preibe 0-2, Finn Doran 1-2.  

HR — Troyer. RBIs — Troyer 2, Doran. Fann, Engle. 

Elks 11, Chargers 1

Midnite Toker and Noah Babki both tripled as Lethbridge kept its season alive over Great Falls. 

Babki's triple plated two during a six-run third inning that gave Lethbridge control of the game. He added a two-RBI double in the sixth that triggered the run-rule to end the game. 

Lethbridge faces Missoula in a loser-out game at 4 p.m. Monday. 

Mavericks 6, Scarlets 5

Ethan Paugh hit a walk-off single with the bases-loaded as Missoula rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the final two innings to advance to the winners semifinal. 

Bridger Leland drove in two on a double to center field to spark a four-run fifth inning that helped Billings to a 5-0 advantage. 

Two singles in the sixth cut Missoula's deficit to 5-2 with one inning to go. 

Rowan Miculka and Remington Howard singled in the seventh to make it 5-4 before Andrew Richardson was hit by a pitch to tie the game. A line out put Missoula down to its final out and Paugh delivered with a single to right field, scoring Miculka.