BILLINGS — For the second straight day, the Billings Scarlets faced elimination from the Class AA American Legion baseball Northwest Regional tournament.
And for the second straight day, a standout pitching performance helped keep their season alive.
RELATED: Class A American Legion baseball Northwest Regional scores and pairings
Lefthanded starter Zach Stewart threw seven innings of four-hit ball while striking out five and walking two in the Scarlets' 7-2 victory over Bellevue, Wash., in a loser-out game Friday at Dehler Park.
Stewart gave up a leadoff home run to Bellevue's Rylan Gullard to start the game but then retired 14 of the next 15 he faced. The performance came on the heels of Thursday's no-hitter thrown by Billings' Drew McDowell in a loser-out game against Pocatello, Idaho.
Meanwhile, the Scarlets' bats remained hot for the second straight game. Nate McDonald's solo home run in the bottom of the third helped stake Billings to a 4-1 advantage.
McDonald's blast was at first not ruled a home run, but after an argument by Scarlets coach Adam Hust and an on-field conference by the umpires, it was deemed the ball indeed caromed off the portion of the left-field barrier above the yellow line.
The Scarlets added three runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach, highlighted by an RBI single by Jakob Wilcox and a Bellevue throwing error that allowed two more to score.
Billings advanced to play again Saturday, and will take on Anchorage, Alaska. A win in that game will put the Scarlets into Sunday's championship round.
Due to potential rain in the forecast Saturday, Billings Legion baseball chairman Jeff Ballard said game times have been moved up. The Scarlets will face Anchorage at noon while Eugene, Ore. — the only unbeaten team remaining in the bracket after a 17-7 win over Anchorage later Friday — will face Fort Collins, Colo., at 3 p.m.
Ballard also said admission will be free to all fans for the final two days of the tournament.
Below is the updated tournament schedule:
2024 Class AA Northwest Regional tournament
at Pirtz Field and Dehler Park, Billings
Wednesday, Aug. 7
Game 1: Eugene, Ore., 3, Cheyenne, Wyo., 2
Game 2: Anchorage, Alaska, 8, Pocatello, Idaho, 5
Game 3: Bellevue, Wash., 3, Missoula 0
Game 4: Fort Collins, Colo., 1, Billings Scarlets 0
Thursday, Aug. 8
Game 5: Cheyenne, Wyo., 8, Missoula 2, loser out
Game 6: Billings Scarlets 8, Pocatello, Idaho, 0, loser out
Game 7: Eugene, Ore., 9, Bellevue, Wash., 4, second round
Game 8: Anchorage, Alaska, 6, Fort Collins, Colo., 3, second round
Friday, Aug. 9
Game 9: Billings Scarlets 7, Bellevue, Wash., 2, loser out
Game 10: Fort Collins, Colo., 8, Cheyenne, Wyo., 5, loser out
Game 11: Eugene, Ore., 17, Anchorage, Alaska, 7, undefeated semifinal
Saturday, Aug. 10
Game 12: Billings Scarlets vs. Anchorage, Alaska, 12 p.m., loser out
Game 13: Eugene, Ore., vs. Fort Collins, Colo., 3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 11
Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 1 p.m., championship
Game 15: Second championship, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
Note 1: Pairings for Game 12 & 13 will not match previous opponents against each other unless absolutely necessary.
Note 2: If three teams remain after Game 13, the winner of Game 11 automatically draws a bye for Game 14.
