Vikings to battle for State A baseball title

POLSON — The Vikings spent most Friday afternoon barley hanging onto its season before accomplishing a feat the program hadn’t seen.

Bigfork erased a two-run deficit with a four-run sixth inning to defeat Frenchtown 4-2 at O’Malley Park and advance to the Class A-B state championship game. 

Holland Jantzen broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning to set the Vikings into Saturday’s 11 a.m. championship against Dillon at O’Malley Park. Dillon beat Columbia Falls 5-4 in the other semifinal to improve to 19-0. 

Bigfork 4, Frenchtown 2 

Frenchtown (17-6) grabbed an early lead in the second inning after Cash Mickey doubled and later scored on an error. The Broncs added another run in the fifth when Brooks Day singled home Jace Warner for a 2-0 advantage. 

Bigfork (16-5) stayed within striking distance behind Schara, who worked through traffic most of the afternoon and tossed a complete game. The right-hander allowed six hits and two runs — one earned — while walking three. 

“I’ve kind of learned to succeed under pressure,” Schara said. “At the end of the game I got a little nervous, but you’ve got to get over that and keep going.” 

Frenchtown pitcher Dawson Rodoni struck out 12 batters through six innings, but Bigfork finally broke through in the sixth. 

Schara opened the inning with a double before Hayden Mayer lined an RBI double to left. Mason Lewis followed with a walk, and Grady Campbell tied the game with a shallow single to right field. 

Holland Jantzen then gave the Vikings the lead with an RBI infield single that sparked a lengthy discussion between Frenchtown coaches and umpires. 

The Broncs argued Mickey kept his foot on first base for the out, but the call stood before Wyatt Hickey followed with another RBI single for insurance. 

"We shortened up and started playing for each other,” Campbell said. “We weren’t worried about hitting the ball high. We just wanted line drives and to put the ball in play.” 

Hickey led Bigfork with two hits, while the Vikings matched Frenchtown’s six-hit output led by multi-hit games from Brooks Day, Hickey and Rodoni. 

Bigfork assistant coach Hunter Johnson said the Vikings have embraced the underdog role throughout this season. 

“We’ve been doubted all year, and I’ve told the boys that they can beat anybody,” he said. “When things go wrong, it doesn’t affect them.” 

Saturday’s title game will also carry extra meaning for coach Johnson, a Dillon graduate who will now coach against his former school. 

“I love it,” Johnson said. “I’m born and raised in Dillon. I know all those coaches over there. But I'm sure everyone's going to be doubting us, and our boys don't care.” 

Frenchtown    010    010    0    -    2    6    0 

Bigfork        000    004    x    -    4    6    3 

Dawson Rodoni and Henry Scheffer. Max Schara and Wyatt Hickey. 

FRENCHTOWN — Jordan Warner 1-3, Gabe Gibbs 0-3, Brooks Day 2-4, Scheffer, Cash Mickey 2-4, Rodoni 2-4, Konnor Klimpel 0-3, Hunter Nowlen 0-3, Hendrix Waln 0-2, Liam Wexler 0-3. 

BIGFORK —Rye Rodriguez 0-3, Schara 1-3, Hayden Mayer 1-3, Mason Lewis 0-1, Cavin Weist 0-2, Grady Campbell 1-3, Holland Jantzen 1-2, Braxton Wheeler 0-1, Hickey 2-3, Ryder Hamilton 0-3. 

2B — Mickey. Mayer, Schara. RBIs — Day. Mayer, Campbell, Jantzen. 

Dillon 5, Columbia Falls 4 

Jett Pitts battled through 117 pitches and delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, but the Wildcats fell to the Beavers on Gage Curnow’s walk-off single. 

Columbia Falls (16-5) carried a 3-0 lead into the fifth after manufacturing runs in the fourth inning. Jory Hill delivered an RBI single, Jaxson Cadwell followed with an RBI base hit and Lincoln Fisher added a sacrifice fly as the Wildcats seemed to take control. 

Dillon answered with one run in the fifth before tying the game in the sixth. Garrett Tackett lined an RBI single to right field and Sawyer Tackett followed with an RBI groundout to even the score at 3-3. 

The Wildcats reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh when Pitts singled home Nico Young. But with Pitts having reached the 110-pitch limit, the Beavers rallied in the bottom half. The tying run scored on a wild pitch before Curnow lined the game-winner to center field. 

Hill led Columbia Falls with two hits and Pitts struck out eight across 5 2-3 innings in relief, allowing four earned runs on four hits. 

“We gave them one or two unearned runs, which ends up hurting you in baseball, especially in the state semifinals,” Green said. “But kudos to them. They did what they needed to do.” 

Green said Pitts’ exit created a difficult late-game situation. 

“I don’t second guess that decision at all,” Green said. “Tayvin Beach has been doing it for us all year. They got a fly ball, kind of blooped one over the infield and made us pay.” 

With the loss, Columbia Falls dropped into the consolation bracket, where the Wildcats faced an elimination game against Billings Central later Friday evening in Ronan. Columbia Falls trailed 5-1 in the bottom of the third inning when play was delayed because of weather. 

C-Falls    000    300    1    -    4    4    1 

Dillon    000    012    2    -    5    5    2 

Nico Young, Jett Pitts (2), Tayvin Beach (7), and Young. Sawyer Tackett, Will Hansen (4), Andrew Bartlome (5), Levi Stonebraker (7), and Bartlome.  

COLUMBIA FALLS — Jaxson Cadwell 1-3, Lincoln Fisher 0-2, Young 0-2, Pitts 1-4, Tristan Victor 0-2, Wyatt Dodson 0-3, Jory Hill 2-3, Zeke Dunn 0-2, Easton Corbett 0-1 

DILLON — S Tackett 0-4, Cohen Hartman 0-2, Bartlome 0-2, Trenton Moreni 1-3, Jase Alvarez 0-4, Kanin Engelhardt 1-4, Stonebraker 0-2, Gage Curnow 2-3, Garrett Tackett 1-2. 

2B — Hill. RBIs — Cadwell, Fisher, Pitts, Hill. Tackett, Moreni, Curnow, G Tackett. 

Whitefish 11, Columbus 1 

Tait Orme went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Whitefish defeated Columbus in elimination play.

The Bulldogs (15-9) broke the game open with a six-run second inning behind RBI hits from Logan Stewart, Carter Godsey, Orme and Finn Ryan. Godsey finished with four RBIs, while Ryan added two hits. 

Whitefish scored three more runs in the fourth and added two in the fifth while taking advantage of six Columbus errors. Stewart earned the win after allowing one hit in three scoreless innings, while Gavin Knapp pitched two innings in relief. 

Columbia Falls dropped into the consolation bracket, and rain interrupted its game with Billings Central with the Rams leading 5-1 in the third. That game will continue at 8:30 a.m. in Ronan; Whitefish and Frenchtown play at O’Malley Park at 8:30 a.m. as well; the early winners will share third place.

Billings Central 9, Laurel 1 

In Ronan, Brendan Warn collected three hits as Billings Central defeated Laurel in Friday's other loser-out.

Zach McDonald drove in three runs for the Rams, while Ollin Kulaga tossed a complete game, allowing one run with nine strikeouts.  

Billings Central finished with 11 hits and drew six walks in the win.