Mariners B team’s offense fires blanks at Firecracker tourney
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POLSON — The Mission Valley Mariners B team couldn’t find enough offensive firepower to meet up with their veteran counterparts in the Firecracker Championship.
The Mariners went 1-3 at the tournament, with two of their losses coming in the final inning against A teams. Last week, the Mariners offense was firing on all cylinders as they went 4-1 at the Deer Lodge tournament, but this weekend their bats were as cold as the weather in Polson.
“This tournament was definitely an offensive struggle for us...it was a slow offensive weekend for us,” said Mariner manager Chris Brown. “I’m not sure what the difference was, we kept the same approach at the plate. We just couldn’t find the gaps like we did at Deer Lodge. It seemed like every ball we hit hard in Deer Lodge found grass and this weekend we found a lot of gloves.”
The one bright spot for the Mariners offense was a 13-5 five-inning victory over the Mission Valley Rockies Saturday morning.
Trailing the Senior Babe Ruth team 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth, the Mariners’ offense finally ignited, they scored five runs in the inning off of three hits, two walks and one hit by pitch. Mariner catcher Jack Humprheys led off the inning with a single and came around to tie the game after a Rockies error. Mariner third baseman Dalton Mohlzon had a RBI single in the rally and second baseman Jake Young drove in two runs with a double. Young finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs. His final RBI came in the bottom seventh on a bloop single in left field just out of the reach of shortstop Jame Petersen. Young’s RBI single ended the game in the fifth inning due to the eight-run margin rule.
Cole McArthur was 2 for 2 with one RBI and two runs. First baseman Chris Clary scored three times and shortstop Robbie Gauthier drove in three runs.
After starting the tournament with a 13-0 loss to the Missoula Pioneers Wednesday, the Mariners scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh against Glacier Thursday morning to force extra innings but gave up two runs in the top of the eighth and loss 6-4. In the final game of the tournament, the Mariners were tied with the Reps heading into the final frame, but gave up two runs in the top of the seventh to lose 3-1.
“Those are tough ones to lose right there at the end of the game like that, but at the same time you know you could have won it,” Brown said, adding that it was a great experience for his B team to play against A teams.
Trailing the Twins 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh, McArthur made it a one-run game with a no-out, two-run home run. Humprheys, who reached on a fielder’s choice, tied the game on a single by outfielder Kevin Hagadorn.
Against the Reps, Humphreys started the game with a single and advanced to third on a Hagadorn single. After Clary drew a walk, Humphreys scored the Mariners’ only run of the game, when Mohlzon drew Mission Valley’s second walk of the inning. McArthur ended the base-loaded threat by grounding out to the second baseman. It was the first three of eight stranded runners for the Mariners in the game.
Mariner ace Kellen Hoyt, who only gave up two hits through five innings, gave up a lead-off double in the sixth inning and then issued a walk. With no outs and runners on first and third, Hoyt trusted his defense and pitching to contact was able to limit the damage to one run, after a double play and a 1-3 putout.
In the seventh with a high pitch count, Hoyt showed signs of tiring. After getting the first out, he gave up a double and two singles, before being relieved by Bradley Pichler.
Hoyt threw 112 pitches in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four, scattered six hits and walked two in the loss. All three runs he was charged with were unearned.
“I know he didn’t get the win today, but he has been outstanding all year long,” Brown said. “Today was another great outing. He was around the strike zone all day. He had all his pitches working. He had a good changeup, good curveball and command of his fastball.”
