By Damion Martindale
The Havre Northstars took on the Great Falls Stallions in doubleheader action at Legion Field Wednesday afternoon.
In game one, the Stallions scored two first-inning runs when Bobby Pfenning doubled in Travis Langen. Pfenning then scored on a David Knight wild pitch.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Northstars' Jordan Anderson got things started with a triple. Ricky Brown brought Anderson in to score with an RBI double into right center.
Jared Boyce's single brought Brown in to score, and Garrett Hanson sacrificed in Boyce.
Kyle Sheppard singled to bring in C. J. Reichelt, who reached on an error, and Dan Danielson singled in Dave Heberly, who reached on a walk. After one complete inning, the Northstar led, 5-2.
The Stallions cut into the Northstars' lead when Pfenning sacrificed in Pete Thares.
The Northstars rebuilt their lead in the bottom half of the second inning. Scoring seven runs on four hits, helped out by four Stallion errors, the Northstars gained a 12-3 lead after three innings.
The Stallions attempted to keep the 10-run rule as far away from them as possible by scoring three fifth-inning runs to close the gap, 12-6.
In the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Northstars showed why they are the defending state A champions. The Northstars led off with Anderson, who singled, followed by a Brown double.
Reichelt singled in Anderson, followed by Hanson's RBI single, bringing Brown in to score. Reichelt scored off the bat of Sheppard.
Danielson gave the Northstars the 10-run difference, bringing Sheppard home with a single for the 16-6 victory.
In the second half of the doubleheader, Northstar pitching tamed the Stallion bats.
The Northstars got on the board first when, with the bases loaded, Jay Rucinsky hit a triple deep into the outfield.
Anderson sacrificed in Rucinsky from third, followed by a Brown single. Hanson scored Brown and, after two complete innings, the Northstars led, 5-0.
The Stallions scored on two Northstars' errors and cut the lead to 5-1.
The Northstars added four more runs to their lead in the third inning to go up on the Stallions, 9-1.
In the fourth inning, Northstar pitcher Danielson continued to roll. Danielson gave up only three hits, one run, and struck out three Stallions through four innings.
During the bottom of the fourth inning Brown continued his personal thrashing of the Stallions. With an RBI double, Brown completed his two-game set going 6-for-7 with three RBI.
At the end of four innings, the Northstars led the Stallions by 10 runs, 12-1, but still needed to hold them off in the top of the fifth.
Danielson gave up one run to the Stallions in the top of the fifth, but that would not be enough as the Northstars 10-runned the Stallions, 12-2.
Game one
Stallions
210 03 06 06 2
Northstars
570 04 15 16 5
WP Knight
LP Woodall
Stallions Langen 2-2, Pfenning 1-3, Talley 1-3, Miller 1-2, Thares 1-2.
Northstars Anderson 3-3, Brown 2-3, Boyce 3-4, Reichelt 1-3, Hanson 1-3, Heberly 1-2, Sheppard 2-3, Danielson 2-3.
Game two
Stallions
001 01 05 02 3
Northstars
054 3x 13 12 1
WP Danielson
LP Miller
Stallions Pfenning 1-2, Talley 1-3, Haugen 1-2, Miller 1-2, Cook 1-2.
Northstars Rucinsky 2-3, Anderson 2-4, Brown 4-4, Boyce 1-3, Heberly 1-3, Sheppard 2-3, Knight 1-2.
