Baseball: Vikings get past Wildcats in 9th; Libby, Polson win

BIGFORK — Bigfork’s Mason Lewis hit a game-tying two-run single in the ninth inning and the Vikings got the winning run on a two-out passed ball to beat Columbia Falls 7-6 in North A baseball action Saturday.

It was a unique game: Lewis had the only Bigfork hit off a trio of Wildcat pitchers; the Vikings took advantage of 13 walks and one hit batter in their season opener. 

The rally came after the Wildcats pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth thanks to a walk to Nico Young, a single by Jett Pitts, Zeke Dunn’s squeeze bunt and a double steal. 

In the bottom half Bigfork loaded the bases with one out by drawing three walks. Lewis tied the game with his single to center. Hayden Mayer advanced to third on the hit, stayed there when Max Schara reached on a dropped third strike and then came in on when another pitch got away. 

Young’s RBI double in the fourth gave Columbia Falls a 3-2 lead; the Vikings got back in front thanks to five walks issued in the fifth inning by the Wildcats. Bigfork led 2-0 in the first inning when both Rye Rodriguez and Grady Campbell scored on Lewis’ bases-loaded, double-play grounder. 

Young threw the first 3 2-3 innings, fanning seven but also walking seven. Dunn threw 4 1-3 innings, striking out nine while walking four. Pitts issued two walks and fanned two in the ninth. 

Lewis started on the mound for Bigfork and went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks. Mayer allowed three hits and a walk in his five innings of relief. 

Polson 4, Eureka 0

POLSON — Cole Wadsworth and Cody Haggard combined on a two-hit shutout for Polson, and Liam Jackson keyed a 3-run fifth inning with a two-run single. 

Wadsworth threw 4 1-3 innings and Haggard got the final eight outs. Each gave up a hit; Wadsworth had no walks and four strikeouts, and Haggard walked one and fanned three. 

Jackson’s big hit came after Wadsworth, Hunter Emerson and Haggard walked with one out in the fifth. Paxson DuMont followed with a grounder that was misplayed for an error, scoring Wadsworth before Jackson dropped a two-out single into right field to score Emerson and Haggard. 

Emerson added a two-out RBI double in the sixth for Polson (1-1). 

Emmet McKim had both Eureka hits, including a double; he singled in the fourth but was erased by a double play. 

Rowan Burrow threw 3 1-3 innings for the Lions, allowing one hit and five walks while striking out six. Brody Chapman and Tyce Van Orden finished up; just one Pirate run was earned. 

Hamilton 11, Eureka 2

POLSON — Bridger Huddleston’s three-run double was the big hit in a six-run first inning for Hamilton, which got a combined five hitter from three pitchers. 

Cash Lawrence had two hits and drove in two for the Broncs (2-0), while Jackson Lubke hit a double and scored twice. Trevyn Bakken had two knocks and two RBIs as well. Hamilton worked Lions pitchers Leif Burow, Bennett Clear and Mason Parrish for eight hits, six walks, two hit batters and eight earned runs. 

Chapman and Tristan Libby each had a hit and scored a run for the Lions (0-2); Chapman’s was a double.  

Libby 17, Browning 0

LIBBY — Leadoff hitter Bransen Holzer had three doubles, drove in three runs and scored three times for the Loggers, who ended the game in the third inning under the mercy rule. 

James Woody threw all three innings for Libby (1-0), allowing two walks and no hits. He struck out seven. 

Holzer, Elijah Foulke and Ian Thom all doubled as Libby went up 2-0 in what became a 10-run first inning. Holzer came up again with the bases loaded and nobody out and hit a two-run double that made it 8-0. 

Three Browning pitchers allowed 11 hits and six walks, plus hit three batters.  

Hunter Rooney drove in three runs for Libby; Foulke had two doubles and drove in two; Thom drove in two runs and Kale Riddle had a double.