HELENA — The Missoula Mavericks rallied to defeat the Helena Senators twice Sunday at Kindrick Legion Field to claim the Class AA American Legion baseball state championship.
The third-seeded Mavs, who secured their place in the championship with a win over the Billings Royals on Saturday, defeated No. 2-seeded Helena 4-0 in the first championship and 6-1 in the winner-take-all second championship.
Missoula 4, Helena 0 (first championship)
Easton Reimers threw a complete-game gem to help the Missoula Mavericks to a 4-0 win over the reigning champion Helena Senators and force a winner-take-all second championship game.
Reimers was excellent on the mound for the Mavs, striking out four and giving up just two hits and one walk in seven innings of work. He walked Bo Bahnmiller in the first inning and gave up a double to Brayden Beatty on the second, but Reimers allowed just two base runners the rest of the way.
Tyler Beaver was solid to start for the Senators, beginning the game with two three-up-three-down innings. The Mavs got to him in the third for one run and then put three more on the board in the fourth with Colter Nicolareson and Colin Boyce scoring on a Helena error.
Boyce was 1-for-2 with one walk, one RBI and two runs scored to lead the Mavs, while Nicolareson was 2-for-3 with one run. Rylan Davis had two RBIs.
Missoula 6, Helena 1 (second championship)
Missoula pitchers Schuyler Fairchild and Colin Boyce combined to limit Helena to just one run en route to a 6-1 win in the second championship game.
Fairchild threw five innings, striking out four batters, walking four and allowing one hit and one earned run. Boyce threw the final two innings and gave up two hits.
Helena pitcher Walker DesRosier kept Missoula at bay much of the way, too, but the Mavericks broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. Carter Taylor and Brennan Labbe started the inning with back-to-back singles. After Sam Matosich advanced them with a sacrifice, Chris Compton brought Taylor home.
Labbe got tagged out on his way home, but Compton later scored when Boyce drew a bases-loaded walk to give Missoula a 2-0 lead.
The Senators got one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning — DesRosier scoring on a Carter Perlinski sac fly — but the Mavs answered with four runs in the top of the seventh. Taylor doubled to bring in Rylan Davis, and a Compton single combined with a Senators error scored Taylor, Labbe and Matosich.
Boyce got three straight outs in the bottom of the inning to secure the championship for the Mavs.
Missoula now advances to the Northwest regional tournament, which is Aug. 7-11 at Dehler Park in Billings.
The Billings Scarlets, who ended their state tournament with a loss to Helena on Saturday, will also play in the regional tournament as the host team.
