North Stars finally get some field time

After having its season-opener delayed multiple times, the Havre North Stars American Legion baseball team finally took the field last Thursday at Legion Field. However, the result wasn't exactly what they wanted.

The Great Falls Outlaws, who had the benefit of playing six games before facing the North Stars, looked sharp, while Havre was rusty. And ultimately, the Outlaws allowed just two hits in an 8-1 victory.

"All in all, I thought we did some good things," North Stars head coach Dick Fuzesy said. "I don't think that we had any errors. The pitching was great. Brendan Garden stepped up and gave us some good innings. Gavin Mosbrucker stepped up to catch at the last minute and didn't miss a beat. I wish we could have gotten more hits, but this is one of the better teams we will play this year. And now at least, we have a starting point."

Despite it being their first game of the season, the North Stars got off to a solid start, retiring the side in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the first, leadoff man Kelden Sullivan ripped a ball to the outfield, but was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. It was the North Stars' first hit of the night and it would be their last until the bottom of the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Outlaws started to get things going offensively, getting two hits and a run in the top of the second and adding another run in the top of the third. The real trouble for Havre came in the top of the fourth, when the Outlaws had five consecutive batters reach base, which led the three Great Falls runs, making the deficit 5-0.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the seventh, when Garden reached base on a walk. Then after a steal and some savvy baserunning, Garden crossed home plate to get the North Stars on the board with the score 5-1.

Garden, who took over in relief for starting pitcher Brenden Danielson in the fourth inning, kept the Outlaws at bay until the top of the ninth, when Great Falls used three hits to score three insurance runs, which made the score 8-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs in the final inning, Sullivan got his second hit of the game for the North Stars, keeping the game alive momentarily before getting picked off at first for the final out.

Sullivan got the only hits of the day for the North Stars, but Garden had a walk, a stolen base and a run, while Tony Antley, Danielson and Mosbrucker also drew walks to reach base. Danielson got the loss for Havre after giving up five runs in just over three innings, while Garden pitched just more than five innings in relief, surrendering three runs. Garden also finished with four strikeouts.

"I don't think it was bad at all for the first game," Fuzesy said. "We had some really nice defensive plays, Tony Antley did a good job in centerfield and Calvin White made a really nice play at third base. It gives us some things to work on."

The North Stars will be back in action this Sunday, when they will pay a visit to the Tri-County Cardinals in their first Northern A district game of the year. The first pitch will go out at 2 p.m.

Great Falls 8, Havre 1

Great Falls 011 300 003 - 8 12 0

Havre 000 000 100 - 1 2 1

WP - Tyler

LP - Brenden Danielson

Havre batting - Kelden Sullivan 2-4, Brendan Garden 0-2, Kennedy McKay 0-3, Brenden Danielson 0-2, Tony Antley 0-2, Gavin Mosbrucker 0-2, Cody Rennick 0-3, Austin Delarosa 0-3, Calvin White 0-1, Brady Ophus 0-2.