Mariners down Twins, 6-4, for district title

LIBBY — One team’s heroism, another team’s heartbreak.

Trailing the Glacier Twins 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning, and with an 0-2 count, Mission Valley’s Eric Dolence hit a grand slam to left field and the Mariners claimed a 6-4 American Legion baseball victory Monday in the West A District championship game at Lou Gehring Field.

The Twins had led from the first inning, when they scored one run on a Mission Valley error.

They added three more runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Jack Schwaiger and Zach Veneman.

The Twins racked up eight hits on the day and didn’t commit a single error in the field. Austyn Andrachick was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Schwaiger was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Jay Tyree was 2-for-3. Coby Clark-Dickinson had a triple.

But the Mariners had 11 hits, eight in the seventh inning.

Trevor Lake and James Bennett were each 2-for-3 for Mission Valley. Corbin Davis also had a double.

Alex Muzquiz earned the victory after coming in during the sixth inning. He gave up three hits, struck out one and gave up no runs.

Zach Veneman took the loss. He struck out six Mariners in six and a third innings, but gave up nine hits.

The Mariners will advance to state later this month in Florence.

The Bitterroot Bucs are the state hosts, so they earn one of the state spots from the West District.

Mission Valley 000 000 6 — 6111

Glacier 100 003 0 — 4 80

Eric Dolence, Alex Muzquiz (6) and Izyk Gillingham. Zach Veneman, Jack Schwaiger (7) and A. Andrachick. W — Muzquiz. L — Veneman.

Mariners — Izyk Gillingham 1-3, Gabe Mergenthaler 1-2, Eric Dolence 1-4, Corbin Davis 1-4, Keyan Dalbey 0-3, Alex Muzquiz 1-1, Xavier Fisher 1-4, Dawson Dumont 1-3, Trevor Lake 2-3, James Bennett 2-3, Xavier Fisher 0-0. 2B — Davis. HR — Dolence. RBI — Mergenthaler 1, Dolence 4, Bennett 1.

Twins — Jack Schwaiger 2-3, Zach Veneman 1-3, Coby Clark-Dickinson 1-3, Austyn Andrachick 2-4, Stevyn Andrachick 0-4, Forrest Kobelt 0-4, Jay Tyree 2-3, Nathan Hader 0-1, Chad Queen 0-1, Jack Price 0-2. 2B — A. Andrachick, Tyree. 3B — Clark-Dickinson.RBI — Veneman 2, Schwaiger 1, A. Andrachick 1.