Twins AA take 4th at Sapa-Johnsrud

By DAVID ERICKSON

Whitefish Pilot

Although the Glacier Twins AA team ended on a sour note in the 23rd Annual Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Baseball Tournament over the weekend, they can be proud of the way they played overall.

The team finished with a 3-2 record while hosting the tournament. In their final game Saturday night, the Twins lost 5-20 to Spokane at Memorial Field in Whitefish. The fifth inning was one the team would rather forget, as the Dodgers scored 16 runs to end the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule.

The Twins move to 6-7 in Western AA conference standings and 24-25 overall on the American Legion season. They have 11 conference games remaining on their schedule, including a matchup with their southern rivals the Kalispell Lakers July 17 at 7 p.m.

Glacier 20, Spokane 5

The Twins got off to a good start, but one bad inning put the game out of reach for the Glacier Twins as the Spokane Dodgers went on a 16-run tear in the fifth to take third place at the tournament July 14. The Dodgers walked five times and had seven hits in the fifth frame, including two three-run home runs to come back from a 5-4 deficit and end the game early at 20-5. Nineteen Dodger batters went to the plate in the final inning, and the first 13 hitters scored.

The Twins were ahead 2-0 going into the second inning after shortstop Roo Grubb and left-fielder Scott Palmer both scored on wild pitches. Then Jarek Cunningham got to the plate, and things started going downhill for the Twins. Cunningham's blast to dead center in the third inning put the Dodgers up 3-2.

Spokane had four home runs on the evening, including two by shortstop Jarek Cunningham. Center-fielder Nic Fowler and pinch-hitter Trevor Shull each had one.

The Dodgers out-hit the Twins 13-2. Twins pitcher Zane Ridings had a solid outing, allowing only three earned runs in four innings.

Third baseman Josh Peterson and catcher Brad Nielsen led the Twins with two singles apiece.

Glacier 10, Gonzaga Prep 0

Weston Chambers pitched a one-hitter as the Glacier Twins blanked Gonzaga Prep 10-0 July 10 at Sapa-Johnsrud field in Columbia Falls. The game ended after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. The win was the second straight for the Twins and put their record at 3-1 in the American Division of the tournament pool. The victory earned Glacier a berth in the No. 2 seed game against the National Division Spokane Dodgers.

No other statistics were available from the game.

Glacier 7, Pullman 4

The Glacier Twins got their second Sapa-Johnsrud tournament victory July 12 by sitting on an early lead and beating the Patriots of Pullman, Wash., 7-4 at Memorial Field in Whitefish.

Scott Yogodzinski and Michael Hader both had strong outings on the mound. Yogodzinski struck out five batters while allowing only three earned runs to get the win. Hader relieved him in the sixth inning, tossing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief.

The Glacier offense built an early lead as the first two batters reached base and scored. Left-fielder Scott Palmer led off with a single before scoring on first baseman Justin Collom's walk with the bases loaded. Roo Grubb scored one batter later on a groundout by Weston Chambers.

By the fourth inning, the Twins had a 4-0 lead after third baseman Zane Ridings and catcher Ryan Caron smacked RBI singles in the fourth inning, sending Collom and Chambers home.

Glacier had three runs in the fifth inning, with Grubb, second baseman Brad Bell and Collom each scoring after being hit by wild pitches. Chambers then singled to score two before Ridings belted another RBI single. Glacier and Pullman both finished with eight hits apiece, with Palmer leading the Twins with one triple.

Glacier 3, Apple Valley 9

The Glacier Twins' second game of the tournament was a nail-biter until the final two innings, when the Packers of Wenatchee, Wash., scored a combined six runs to turn the game into a blowout.

Glacier starting pitcher Justin Collom threw five strong innings, holding the Packers to only two earned runs. The Twins got two runs in the forth inning, slimming their deficit to 2-3. Glaciers relief pitchers couldn't hold off the Packers' offense, however, and Apple Valley got three runs in the sixth inning and another three in the seventh to ice the game.

Weston Chambers notched the only RBI for the Twins in the fourth inning, scoring Brad Bell.

The Twins had six errors, with only four hits. The Packers had nine hits. Glacier left-fielder Justin Goode, center-fielder Scott Yogodzinski, Chambers and catcher Brad Nielsen each had one hit.

No other stats were available from the game.

Glacier 13, Black Hills 9

Something lit a fire under the Glacier Twins AA team in their opening game of the Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial Tournament on Tuesday night.

Down 7-9 against the Black Hills Lobos at Memorial Field in Whitefish, Justin Collom and Roo Grubb both hit two-run homers to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Twins rallied back to win the game 13-9.

Before the sixth inning, Twins coach Jarod Grubb told his team, "Now's the time to get something going."

And get something going they did. Collom's bomb came on an 0-1 pitch and scored runner Brad Bell to tie the game at nine apiece. The Twins bench erupted in cheers.

Coach Grubb must have inspired his brother Roo because three batters later, Grubb delivered a rocket just over the wall and scored Brad Nielsen from third to win the game.

Collom was named player of the game after the game ended in the seventh due to time constraints.

RJ Beasley earned the win on the mound, holding the Lobos scoreless for 1 2/3 innings in relief pitching.

Justin Goode led the Twins with three RBIs, three hits and a sacrifice fly. The Twins out hit the Lobos 13-8.

The win starts the Twins off 1-0 in the Class AA Legion baseball tournament, which ran through July 15.