Mariners dominate hometown Firecracker tourney
courtesy photo
The Mission Valley Mariners dominated all five games during the Firecracker Tournament this weekend in Polson. This is the third first-place tournament win this weekend.
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The Mariners opened their hometown Firecracker tournament with a boom last week, taking the opening game from the Dillon Cubs with a score of 11 to 6. Dillon gained a quick two-run lead in the first inning, but the Mariners answered with four runs of their own. They logged seven more in the fourth and fifth innings.
Ryan Pablo lent a helping hand, going two for three while knocking in three runs. T.J. Olson, Alex Killian and Brennan Andrews jumped on the RBI wagon with two each. Andrews had a perfect 3-3 day.
Jeremiah Crawford struck out three and allowed five walks.
In game two, the Mariners took off to an early lead, once again, and held it against the Missoula Pioneers on Friday. The team scored in four of the six innings of gameplay. Big bats and patience at the plate helped the Mariners to an 11-3 victory.
Jared Young got the job done and picked up the win on the mound, tossing three strikeouts and allowing just two earned runs. He did not walk a single batter.
Ryan Pablo came through for the Mariners, adding three RBI’s to the book. Bradley Pichler showed incredible patience, landing safely on first base a total of three times.
Cranbrook didn’t put up much of a fight in game three on Saturday as the Mariners cruised past the Bandits with a 9-1 win. The Mariners pitching and hitting were too much for the British Columbian club.
Brennan Andrews’ bat was alive, pushing teammates over home plate with three RBI’s for the game. Jeremiah Crawford went two for three with an RBI.
Kellen Hoyt stood tall on the mound, fanning four, walking two and allowing only one hit in his five innings of work. Hoyt got plenty of help from his team. The Mariners’ defense let nothing by them and put up a “zero” in the error box for the game.
The Mariners stayed strong on Saturday’s second game, pounding the Glaciers Twins B team with a 7-1 win in game four. The Mariners took the lead in the second and stayed on top throughout the contest, sealing their spot in the championship game.
Glacier didn’t stand a chance against Chris Drebes on the mound. Drebes overpowered the Twins by throwing five shutout innings with five strikeouts. He allowed only one run (in the sixth) and no walks.
T.J. Olson had a perfect day at the plate, going three-for-three with a double while Zeke Webster-Yaqui and Ryan Pablo each had a triple.
That win landed the Mariners in the championship game Sunday night against the Kootenai Valley team from Eureka.
Kootenai Valley’s fate was sealed right away as the Mariners put up six runs in the first three innings. The bats continued throughout the game resulting in an 8-0 championship win for the Mariners
Zeke Webster-Yaqui showed a spectacular performance on the mound, picking up the win. Webster-Yaqui went the distance by throwing six shutout innings, striking out five and allowing only two walks.
Ryan Pablo went three-for-four with two RBI’s in the game. Pablo took home the Tournament MVP trophy, leading the tournament with a .556 average, going 10-18 with seven base hits, one double, and two triples. Alex Killian also won an award, receiving a signed Tony Gwynn jersey for “Best Hustle.”
This is the third tournament first-place win for the Mariners on the season. The M’s hope to continue the fire at next weekend’s John Harp Tournament hosted by the Kalispell Lakers.
Mariners would like to say thank you to all of the parents, families, and friends that came out to help make this tournament a success. Also a special thank you to Monty Marengo for providing all of the trophies and awards.
Summary
Game 1
Mariners 11, Dillon Cubs 6
Pablo 2-3, Webster-Yaqui 1-4, Killian 1-3, J.Crawford 1-3, Pichler 1-4, Krebs 0-2, Olson 2-3, Woodward 0-0, Harlan 1-2, Andrews 3-3.
2B – Pablo, Killian, Olson. RBI’s – Pablo (3), Killian (2), Olson (2), Andrews (2).
Game 2
Mariners 11, Pioneers 3
Pablo 2-4, Webster-Yaqui 1-2, Killian 1-4, J.Crawford 0-4, Pichler 0-1, Krebs 1-3, Olson 0-3, Drebes 1-3, Andrews 0-1, Harlan 1-1.
RBI’s – Pablo (3), Killian, Krebs, Drebes, Harlan.
Game 3
Mariners 9, Cranbrook 1
Pablo 1-3, Andrews 1-2, Kiliian 1-2, J.Crawford 2-3, Pichler 0-2, Krebs 0-3, Olson 0-2, Harlan 1-3, Young 2-2.
2B – Andrews, Young. RBI’s Andrews (3), Harlan (2), Killian, J.Crawford.
Game 4
Mariners 7, Glacier Twins B 1
Pablo 2-4, Webster-Yaqui 1-4, Killian 0-3, Harlan 1-2, Pichler 1-3, Andrews 1-2, Krebs 1-2, Olson 3-3, Young 0-2, Rasmussen 0-1, Hoyt 0-0.
2B – Olson. 3B – Pablo, Webster-Yaqui. RBI’s Webster-Yaqui, Harlan, Andrews, Hoyt.
Championship Game
Mariners 8, Kootenai 0
Pablo 3-4, Andrews 1-4, Killian 2-3, J.Crawford 2-3, Pichler 1-2, Krebs 0-2, Olson 1-3, Harlan 2-3, Young 0-2, Woodward 0-0.
2B – J.Crawford. 3B – Pablo. RBI’s – Pablo (2), J.Crawford (2), Andrews, Killian, Krebs.
