HELENA — The Billings Royals and Helena Senators advanced to the undefeated semifinal of the Class AA American Legion baseball state tournament with wins Thursday at Kindrick Legion Field. The Royals defeated the Billings Scarlets 12-6, and the Senators got past the Missoula Mavericks 7-6 in extra innings.
The Royals and Senators, the only two teams remaining in the field without a loss, will meet at 7 p.m. Friday.
Billings Royals 12, Billings Scarlets 6
The Billings Royals scored seven runs across the first two innings en route to a 12-6 upset win over their crosstown rival Billings Scarlets, the top seed in the state tournament.
It was just the Scarlets' 11th loss of the season. They swept the season series 6-0 over the Royals.
The fourth-seeded Royals scored three first-inning runs with two outs on the board. After the Scarlets scored twice in the bottom of the first, the Royals extended their lead with a four-run second — with Ryder Murdock, Sy Waldron, Chaise Tracy and Carson Jenkins-Antle crossing the plate.
The Scarlets tacked on two more runs in the third inning, but the Royals pushed their lead to 10-4 in the fourth, again scoring three runs with two outs.
Royals outfielder Paxton Fitch, batting seventh, had a big game, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs. Anthony Williams went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run for the Royals, and Jenkins-Antle was 2-for-4 with one walk, one RBI and three runs scored.
Waldron and Murdock each added an RBI, as the Royals racked up 16 hits.
The Royals got 6.2 innings of work from starting pitcher Peyton Waskow, who gave up four earned runs. The Royals (33-22-2) will play Helena in the undefeated semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Scarlets were led at the plate by Nolan Berkram, Nathan McDonald, Kyler Northrop and Hunter Doyle, who each had two hits. Berkram and McDonald each scored twice, and Northrop had two RBIs.
The Scarlets (56-11) will face Kalispell (39-24) in a loser-out game at 1 p.m. Friday.
Helena Senators 7, Missoula Mavericks 6 (10 innings)
For the second consecutive game at the state tournament, the Helena Senators earned a walk-off win.
A day after the reigning champion Senators earned a 1-0 win over Kalispell, Walker DesRosier knocked in the winning run to help Helena to a 7-6 win over the Missoula Mavericks in 10 innings.
The Senators and Mavericks went to extra innings with the game tied 6-6 after the teams traded runs in the early going. Both teams plated two runs in the first inning, and Missoula added three more in the top of the third on a three-run home run by Colin Boyce. Helena answered with two runs in the bottom of the third and two more in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-5 advantage.
Missoula tied the game in the top of the sixth when a Carter Taylor single scored Boyce.
Pitching and defense took over from there until the Senators found an opening in the bottom of the 10th. Tycen Mooney started the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Colt Tietje sacrifice and Missoula error. Sam Ark moved Mooney to third on the next at-bat, and DesRosier brought him home and sent the Senators to Friday's undefeated semifinal, where they will meet the Billings Royals at 7 p.m. Friday.
Helena (42-16) totaled 12 hits against the Mavericks with Connor Devine going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and run to lead the way. Aaron Fuzesy was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run, and DesRosier, Mooney and Brayden Beatty each added one RBI.
Eli Peterson threw 5.2 innings for the Senators, striking out five and giving up six runs.
Missoula (49-26) was led by Boyce, who went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs. Taylor, Brennan Labbe and Easton Reimers each had one RBI for the Mavericks, who will next face Lethbridge in a loser-out game at 4 p.m. Friday,
Thursday loser-out scores
Lethbridge 5, Bozeman 4
Kalispell 3, Medicine Hat 2
Click here for updated scores and pairings throughout the tournament.
