Glacier 15 all-stars nearly win tourney title

Oh, so close.

Glacier's 15-year-old Babe Ruth all-star team nearly came away with the championship in the Fourth of July Invitational over the holiday weekend in Helena. Glacier won its first five games, including two in single-elimination bracket play, but was nipped by Mission 9-8 in eight innings in the title game.

Pitcher Corey Davis held Mission to two runs through six innings, but his defense had a letdown in the seventh — committing four errors as Mission took the lead. Glacier tied the game 6-6 in the last of the seventh when Cody Dopps drove in two runs, but Glacier stranded two runners.

Mission scored three unearned runs in the top of the eighth. In the bottom half, Michael Herbig reached base and scored on a hit by Garrett Houston. After Maxl Smith got on base, a Davis hit brought Houston home. But Smith fell rounding third base and was tagged out to end the game.

Glacier head coach Chuck Houston had no blame for Smith and credited him with good hustle.

"It was an outstanding comeback by our team. We came up a little bit short," Houston said.

The coach said Herbig had a great game at shortstop despite a shoulder injury while Isaac Venezio played very well at third base.

Glacier opened pool play with a 9-8 win over Bozeman, a game in which Jim Dunnigan hit very well and Taylor Martinson stole four bases, according to Houston.

The Glacier all-stars then blanked South Mountain, a team from the Ennis area, 16-0, in five innings. Venezio pitched the win, and Garrett Houston closed it out.

"Everybody was hitting the ball," coach Houston said.

On Saturday, Glacier slipped by Billings, 6-4, as Connor Donahue went the distance, allowing only four hits.

With a top seed going into bracket play, Glacier ripped Helena, 19-3, in five innings. Tyler Brown was the winning pitcher, and Brett Sward closed it out. Nate Carr and Venezio were Glacier's top hitters in the win.

In the bracket semifinals, Dan Jones tossed a four-hit shutout as Glacier blanked Golden Triangle, 4-0. Glacier scored all four runs in the first inning, keyed by a two-RBI single by Houston.

Glacier plays in the four-team 15-year-old district tournament this weekend in Ronan and Polson. The first game is Friday against Kalispell AA.

Glacier's 14s go 3-3

Glacier's 14-year-old Babe Ruth all-star team won three of six games in the Fourth of July Invitational last weekend in Helena, finishing with a victory to claim third place.

The Glacier all-stars battled back from a 9-4 loss to Bozeman in bracket play Sunday, burying Helena, 16-2 in the game for third and fourth places.

"That's the kind of momentum I want going into the state tournament," Glacier head coach Eric May said.

The five-team state tourney begins today (Thursday) and runs through Sunday in Bozeman. The state champion advances to the regional tournament, which begins Aug. 2 in Moscow, Idaho.

Luke LaFontaine and Nick LaGrandeur pitched Glacier to the win over Helena. LaFontainte threw the first three innings, and LaGrandeur went the rest of the way.

The Glacier all-stars opened the tourney in Helena by routing Regina, Saskatchewan, 25-4 Friday. Glacier batted through the lineup twice in the second inning en route to the five-inning win. LaGrandeur started on the mound, then Austin Martin saw mound duty.

Glacier spotted Rexburg, Idaho, six runs in the first inning later Friday as pitchers had control problems. The all-stars rallied but fell short, 11-10.

"We came back and battled," May said. "Get rid of that first inning and we controlled it (the game)."

Again Glacier got off to a slow start the next day against Billings, giving up four first-inning runs and losing, 7-6. The game was tied at 6-6 when Billings scored the winning run in the last of the seventh inning.

Glacier then rallied for a wild 15-11 win over Post Falls, Idaho, Saturday afternoon. Down 11-7, Glacier erupted for eight runs in the top of the seventh for a four-run lead.

"We strung together about nine hits," May said. "It was awesome."

Glacier shut out Post Falls in the bottom of the seventh.

The Glacier all-stars had a tough time in the games against Bozeman in the bracket semifinals.

"We had a bad first inning. We struggled from that point on," May said.

May was pleased with the play of all the Glacier all-stars in the tourney.

"They all had big games and really hit the ball well. Every kid stepped up and had big moments," the coach said.

Glacier enters pool play in the state tournament, then teams are seeded into a single-elimination bracket. And once you get into the bracket, it's do or die.

"There are no bad games or you're going home. You have to dial in and focus and get it done," May said.

The Glacier 14 all-stars went 2-2 in the Guy Houston Tournament June 26-26. They lost to Kalispell AA 9-2, beat South Bitterroot 7-1 and Missoula 13-2, and finished with a 9-3 loss to Mission, the eventual tournament champion.

BR 13s

win three

Glacier's 13-year-old Babe Ruth all-stars closed out the Fourth of July Invitational last weekend in Helena by routing GSM, 17-2, in five innings. Glacier was 2-1 in pool play, then lost to Bozeman 16-6 in five inning in the first round of bracket play.

In the pool play opener, Glacier lost to North Bitterroot, 9-3, Friday.

"They just outhit us," head coach Ken Darling said.

Glacier rallied for a 12-10 victory in eight innings over GSM, a team from small towns in Gallatin County later Friday. Glacier stormed back from a 10-2 deficit, tying the game with six runs in the seventh inning.

In the eighth, with two out, a double by Zach Darling sparked Glacier. Then Brendan Windauer had a key hit. Both runners came around to score. In relief of Brandon Maassen, Brady Harwood shut out GSM in the bottom of the eighth.

Coach Darling said Maassen pitched very well.

On Saturday, Glacier doubled Belgrade, 10-5, scoring four runs in its first at-bat.

"We played solid defense. We had double plays and other key plays," Darling said, "and hit the ball fairly well."

Hugh Ramlow went the distance to earn the win. "He had a great pitching tournament," Darling said.

Bozeman scored six times in the first inning against Glacier in bracket play. "They got tons of hits. They're a very schooled ball team," Darling said.

The Bozeman team will not play in the state tournament in two weeks in Great Falls since the squad hosts the regional tourney.

In the 17-2 win over GSM, Glacier scored seven runs in the first inning and five in the second.

"Almost every guy had a stolen base, and nearly everyone scored," Darling said.

Ramlow went the distance, and Darling said Maassen had an "awesome game" at shortstop. The coach said Harwood was outstanding at the plate, and Kyle Tracy and Ryder Hermann were terrors on the basepaths. Darling added that E.J. Havens has not struck out during the all-star season.

Glacier plays in the Ronan Invitational this weekend.