HELENA — Tayler Carlson threw three innings of shutout baseball, with three strikeouts and only two hits allowed, as the Helena Senators split an American Legion Baseball doubleheader against Lethbridge on Tuesday’s Senior Night.
Carlson earned the save after entering the game in the fifth inning with Helena leading 7-5. He also added a 2-4 performance at the plate, with two RBI. Ty McGurran also drove in two runs in an 8-5 victory in the opener.
Lethbridge, which won the Keith Sell Tournament in Helena on July 1, took a 3-0 lead on Tuesday, taking advantage of a sacrifice fly, bases-loaded walk and a fly ball in the first two innings of the contest. Ty Penner and Torrin Vaselenak drove in the runs.
Helena responded with a big second inning thanks to a Zach Spiroff double that scored Conor McCarvel, giving the Senators their first run of the night. McGurran drove in Spiroff and Riley Chisholm later in the inning to tie the contest at three. Colin Sassano scored on an error in the third to put Helena on top 4-3, but Lethbridge tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth to regain the lead at 5-4.
The Senators again responded with a three-run inning, this time in the fourth, to take the lead for good.
With Sassano at the plate and the bases loaded, Kadyn Craigle tied the game on a wild pitch, while McGurran and Matt Krieger advanced to third and second base, respectively. Three pitches later, Sassano singled to center field, driving in McGurran. Krieger scored later in the inning following a line drive double from Carlsen, putting Helena ahead 7-5.
Craigle drove in the final run for the Senators, an RBI single in the fifth inning that scored Chisholm.
Game 2 saw a different outcome, with the Elks dominating from start to finish, earning a 9-1 victory. Penner had a game-high four RBI on three hits, while scoring a run himself in the rout. He also pitched six innings, hurling four strikeouts and allowing one earned run.
Raleigh Ferby and Kyle Bloor each drove in a pair of runs in the win.
Helena was paced by Sassano, who went 4-4 at the plate, but the Senators left nine runners stranded on base, with Carlsen driving in the lone run.
Helena moves to 21-23 on the season, with a trip to Minnesota looming. The Senators are scheduled for six games in four days beginning on Friday.
