Bucks stymie Lakers AA

The Kalispell Lakers AA found trouble reaching base against Bozeman’s Morgan Hostetter in a 6-1 loss to the Bucks on Friday in the final home game of the American Legion baseball season at Griffin Field.

Bozeman (14-4) filled the bases with one out in the top of the first inning and punched in two runs in the next at-bat, once on a balk and again on a fielder’s choice from Adam Hubley.

That was enough for Hostetter, who kept the Lakers (9-7) hitless for the first 3 2/3 innings when Haydn Schlepp broke up the no-no with a single through the left side of the infield. Kalispell finished with three hits in the entire game, not scoring until Schlepp added his second hit of the game in the sixth inning.

Bozeman scored twice in the fifth inning, reaching batters on a dropped third strike and an error to open the frame, leaving Andy Purpura for a two RBI single in the next at-bat.

The Bucks hit a double to lead off the next inning and scored two runs to pull ahead 6-0 before the Lakers added their only run. Bozeman nearly added another in the seventh inning, leading off with a triple, only for Kalispell’s Ryan Symmes to make a diving catch in center field, starting an 8-3-5 double play to end the inning.

Kalispell wasn’t able to get any closer, with relief pitcher Mike Freund closing down the game with four strikeouts and no hits.

Bozeman clinched the top seed in next week’s state tournament, which they will host, and dropped the Lakers to a tie for fifth.

“We had an opportunity to fight for the top three seed in the state tournament,” Lakers AA manager Ryan Malmin said. “I didn’t think we were very good offensively with our approach. Defensively we made some good plays but we gave them extra opportunities.

“They were able to make plays and eliminate anything we could get going offensively. It was disappointing.”

The Lakers close out the regular season with a doubleheader at Butte (1-15) today. Kalispell can move as high as fourth in the seeding with a pair of wins and a pair of losses by Missoula.

Bozeman 200 022 000 — 6 8 0

Kalispell 000 001 000 — 1 3 1

WP—Morgan Hostetter. LP—Dawson Smith.

BOZEMAN — Tyler Dobie 0-2, Jake Buck 1-1, Bailey Paddock 1-5, Andy Purpura 2-4, Morgan Hostetter 1-2, Adam Hubley 0-3, Jake Murfitt 0-4, Kehler Murfitt 1-3, Ryan Evenson 2-4, Mike Freund 0-4.

KALISPELL — Ryan Symmes 0-2, Eric Seaman 0-3, Patrick O’Connell 1-4, Torin Bowden 0-2, Haydn Schlepp 2-3, Jonas Nyman 0-4, Spencer Pisk 0-2, Sam Elliott 0-3, Johan Freudenberg 0-2.

2B—Buck, K. Murfitt. 3B—Purpura. RBIs—Dobie, Purpura 2, Hubley, Freund. Schlepp.