Bad Rock baseball wins tourney

By Ray Queen

The Badrock 14U baseball team won the Mother’s Day Tournament in Helena in May and now became the Father’s Day tournament champion this past Sunday in Helena.  

Badrock came out of pool play as the No. 1 seed after beating Flathead As 12-3 and blanking Great Falls Outlaws 8-0, then winning a very tough game over Glendive’s East Side Elite with a come from behind  8-6 win.  This put Badrock in the No. 1 seed getting a bye in the first round. 

Badrock then would face a formidable Helena All Stars team. They were trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Talus Piatowski delivered a huge blow to Helena with an opposite field grand slam home run in dramatic fashion.  Carter Godsey came in for relief and the win after 1.2 innings from Piatowski.

The win advanced Badrock to the championship against The Idaho Falls Banditz.  Jett Pitts took the mound for Badrock and was a dominant force but Pitts was backed by great offensive firepower thanks to  a timely six run inning in the fifth.  The go-ahead inning was led by Pitts, Ashtyn Mintz, Will Sisson and Piatowski each having RBIs in the frame.  This was the firepower needed by Badrock to come away with their second tournament championship, winning 9-1.  Badrock totaled 9 hits in the chipper. Piatowski, Drew Queen and Pitts all had multiple hits for Badrock.

Badrock will have next weekend off before the Firecracker Tournament in Kalispell and then a four-day trip to Gonzaga playing four games on the Home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs with one day of instruction from the coaching staff of the Bulldogs.

Badrock AA 16-18 traveled to Lewistown this past weekend to compete in the 36th annual Harold Gjerde Memorial Tournament.  Badrock faced the host Lewistown Red Birds on Thursday night. Badrock got on the board in the second inning after an error that scored two runs for Badrock. Forest Zelmer led things off on the hill for Badrock.  The ace allowed two hits and one run over three and a third innings, striking out five. Mack McGlaughlin went 3 for 4 at the plate to lead the offense for Badrock. Christian Schwaderer came in for relief for Badrock keeping the Red Birds at bay before an impressive closing appearance by Jacob Polumbus throwing nothing but gas tipping at 88 mph and getting the save with a 5-2 victory over the Red Birds.

Friday morning Badrock was feeling confident going against the Bitterroot Bucs with Polumbus on the bump for Badrock as he toed the rubber.  The right hander lasted five innings allowing four hits and six runs while striking out seven.  Jacob’s gritty performance kept Badrock tied through five innings before Rowan Burow came in for relief and Bitterroot went ahead for good, winning 9-5. 

The second game of the double header found Badrock short on pitching against the Gallatin Valley Outlaws, losing in a blowout fashion 19-0. Badrock had to sleep the loss off and move forward to face the very tough Havre Northstars.  Badrock got an unbelievable, complete game out of Mack McGlaughlin.  McGlaughlin pounded the zone all game long keeping Badrock in the game.  In the seventh inning, Badrock was one hit away from tying the game but fell short, losing, 7-5.

 Overall this was a great learning experience for a younger Badrock AA team that heads to Gonzaga this coming week to play two games at Gonzaga and two games at Whitworth College and a day instruction from the  Gonzaga Coaching Staff.  Badrock Baseball, which is a combination of Columbia Falls and Whitefish players, is doing well.