HELENA — Game 1 set the tone for the 2019 Keith Sell American Legion Baseball Tournament. Mother Nature wanted to play a factor in the Helena Senators’ 13-3 win over the Great Falls Chargers in the championship game
Rain dotted the five-day tournament. A storm on July 3 delayed play on Day 1 for about two hours. Severe thunderstorms and lightning wreaked havoc on Day 4. On the final day of play, rain brought out the tarp at Kindrick Legion Field one final time before a steady, light rain drizzled across the first half of the championship game between the Senators and Chargers.
After three innings, the game sat tied at 3-3. Ryan Barrett singled in one run and Zach Spiroff hit a two-run home run in the top of the second for the Senators. Keeton Clark and Josh Lowery each singled in runs for the Chargers, and Andrew Paradise hit a sac fly to right that brought in a third run.
Going into the top of the seventh tied at 3-3, Tyler Tenney hit a bunt single to score Chase Nielson to start the Senators’ onslaught of 10 runs. Barrett scored when Ethan Keintz was hit by a pitch, and Spiroff crossed the plate when Brady Anderson walked.
Ty McGurran delivered a triple to right, bringing in three more runs. Matt Krieger singled to bring in McGurran, and three more Helena runs scored on a sac fly and two Great Falls errors.
Nielson was 3-for-4 in the game, with two runs scored and one batted in. Spiroff was 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and two RBI, and Barrett was 2-for-5 with three runs and one RBI.
Helena pitcher Cy Miller struck out five and walked one in seven innings of work.
Lowery and Clark both went 2-for-3 with one RBI for Great Falls.
More Sunday scores
Butte 9, Eastside 2
Calgary 8, Lethbridge 0
Great Falls 6, Bitterroot 1 (semifinal)
Helena 5, Glacier 2 (semifinal)
Click the links below for highlights and wrap-ups from the first three days of the tournament.
