Bigfork cruises past Troy in 13-3 victory

Bigfork pitcher Grady Campbell (3) delivers against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Cavin Wiest (16) connects on a pitch against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork second baseman Rye Rodriguez (23) makes an over-the-shoulder catch in shallow center field against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork shorstop Liam Benson (7) fields a ground ball in the hole against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Sam Plummer (12) drives in a run against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Holland Jantzen (25) connects on a double as the Vikings take on Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Troy pitcher Carson Orr (3) delivers against Bigfork at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Grady Campbell (3) celebrates with Hayden Mayer (8) after scoring a run against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bigfork's Sam Plummer (12) congratulates Rye Rodriguez (23) after Rodriguez scored a run against Troy at Flathead Beacon Field on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Dan Purcell speaks before the first game at Flathead Beacon Field between Bigfork and Troy on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Dan Purcell throws out the first pitch before the first game at Flathead Beacon Field between Bigfork and Troy on Thursday, April 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by BRANDON HANSEN For the Eagle
| April 23, 2025 12:00 AM

The Bigfork Vikings capitalized on eight Troy errors and a steady stream of offense to roll to a 13-3 win Thursday, improving to 5-3 on the season.

After a scoreless start, Bigfork exploded for five runs in the third inning and never looked back, tacking on runs in each of the final three frames to end the game via the 10-run rule in the sixth.

Grady Campbell led the way both on the mound and at the plate, throwing 3 2/3 hitless innings with five strikeouts while also collecting a triple and an RBI. Campbell allowed two earned runs, but kept Troy’s bats in check and set the tone early.

Hayden Mayer and Mason Lewis added key hits, with Mayer going 1-for-3 and driving in a run. Lewis went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Ryder Hamilton tripled and Holland Jantzen added a double and an RBI.

Troy managed just three hits on the day and scored two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth inning before Bigfork put the game away.

Campbell was relieved by Liam Benson briefly in the fourth, and Mayer closed out the game with 2 1/3 solid innings, giving up one earned run and striking out four.

Thursday, April 18

At Bigfork

BIGFORK 13, TROY 3

Troy - 000210 - 3 - 3 - 8

Bigfork - 005233 - 13 - 8 - 1

BIGFORK HITTING: Cavin Wiest 0-2, Liam Benson 1-3, Sam Plummer 1-4, Hayden Mayer 1-3, Grady Campbell 1-3, Mason Lewis 1-3, Ryder Hamilton 1-4, Holland Jantzen 1-3, Ryder Rodriguez 1-2; RBI: Benson, Plummer, Mayer, Campbell, Lewis 2, Hamilton, Jantzen; 2B: Jantzen, 3B: Campbell, Hamilton

BIGFORK PITCHING: Grady Campbell (3 amd 2/3IP, 0H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 5SO), Liam Benson (0IP, 2BB), Hayden Mayer (2 and 1/3IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 4SO)

TROY HITTING: Carson Orr 1-3, Trapper Savage 0-2, Mason Crowe 0-3, Cooper Carsley 1-3, Preston Nordor 0-2, Henry Roy Jr. 0-2, G Fisher 0-1, Tommy Guinard 1-2, Lucas Peterson 0-3; RBI: Carsley, Fisher Guinard

TROY PITCHING: Carson Orr (2 and 1/3IP, 3H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 1SO), Tommy Guinard (2 and 1/3IP, 4H, 5R, 1ER, 1BB, 1SO), Lucas Peterson (1/3IP, 1H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB)

Wildcats capitalize on Bigfork miscues in 8-2 victory

The Columbia Falls Wildcats took advantage of seven Bigfork errors to hand the Vikings an 8-2 loss Tuesday afternoon in North A baseball action.

Bigfork dropped to 4-3 on the season after the defeat at home. Columbia Falls struck early and maintained control throughout, scoring in four of the seven innings and limiting Bigfork’s offense until the final frame.

Columbia Falls opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning and added a run in the second. After a scoreless third and fourth, the Wildcats tacked on two more in the fifth and capped off their day with three insurance runs in the seventh.

While Columbia Falls managed only six hits, their ability to put the ball in play combined with Bigfork’s defensive struggles proved decisive.

Bigfork starter Mason Lewis pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up just four hits and five runs — all unearned — while walking two. He kept the Vikings within reach before handing the ball to reliever Hayden Mayer. Mayer allowed two hits and three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Offensively, Bigfork was held scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when they scratched across two runs. Sam Plummer led the Vikings with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, while Grady Campbell, Liam Benson, and Ryder Hamilton each added a hit. Hamilton also drove in a run with a double, one of two extra-base hits for Bigfork on the day — the other belonging to Plummer.

Tuesday, April 15

At Bigfork

COLUMBIA FALLS 8, BIGFORK 2

C-Falls - 2100203 - 8 - 6 - 1

Bigfork - 0000002 - 2 - 5 - 7

BIGFORK HITTING: Cavin Wiest 0-4, Liam Benson 1-3, Sam Plummer 2-3, Hayden Mayer 0-2, Mason Lewis 0-3, Grady Campbell 1-3, Ryder Hamilton 1-3, Holland Jantzen 0-1, Wyatt Hickey 0-1, Ryder Rodriguez 0-3; RBI: Hamilton; 2B: Hamilton, Plummer

BIGFORK PITCHING: Mason Lewis (5 and 2/3IP, 4H, 5R, 0ER, 2BB, 1), Hayden Mayer (1 and 1/3IP, 2H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 1SO)