BELGRADE The Havre Northstars kept their state championship hopes alive by winning two games Monday at Medina Field in Belgrade.
The Havre Northstars, who have had to battle back through the loser's bracket, easily defeated the Wolf Point Yellowjackets in the morning game 14-4. The Northstars, playing in their second game of the day, were forced to battle back and forth until they were finally able to come away with the 10-8 victory over Beartooth.
The Northstars, down 2-0 in the bottom of the third, came back and sent 12 men to the plate, scoring eight runs.
Dan Wirtzberger put Havre on the scoreboard with a bases loaded single and Jared Boyce followed with an RBI groundout to tie the game at two.
Kyle Sheppard followed with a two run double to right field and would score one batter later on a double by Dusty Heath.
Mike Kellam singled to right later in the inning, driving in Heath. Kellam scored Havre's eighth run on a wild pitch two batters later.
The Yellowjackets would bounce back and score two runs in the top of the fourth, but Havre proved they were still the team to beat by scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Havre only had three hits in the inning, but capitalized on three Wolf Point errors to take a commanding eight-run lead.
David Knight and Heath each had RBI doubles in the inning. Knight, who scored on Heath's double, drove in Sheppard, who reached earlier on an error.
Knight was 2-for-3 for Havre with an RBI and two runs scored and Garrett Hanson was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Wirtzberger, Heath and Kellam each added 2-for-4 games for the Northstars.
Pitcher Doug Ireland held the Yellowjackets to only five hits in the game.
The Northstars, perhaps a little weary after the first game, defeated the Beartooth Bighorns in a seesaw battle 10-8.
The Bighorns tied the game at five in the top of the fifth, but Havre battled back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning and two more runs in the seventh to knock Beartooth out of the tournament.
The Bighorns pounded out 13 hits against pitcher Eric Lipp, but committed six costly errors in the losing effort.
Kellam continued to swing a hot bat with a two-out double in the seventh. C.J. Reichelt followed with an RBI triple, driving in the eventual game-winning run.
Reichelt would also score in the inning on an error by Tom Martin.
Havre took the early lead by scoring four runs in the second inning on three hits and two Beartooth errors.
Knight led off with a double to center field and advanced to third on a single by Hanson. After Hanson stole second, Kellam hit a two RBI single, plating both Knight and Hanson.
Kellam moved to third on an error by Derek McGowan and scored on an overthrow to second on an attempted steal by Heath. Heath would move to third on the play and score one batter later on a Wirtzberger fly out.
The Northstars also scored one run in the third and three more in the fifth to account for their ten runs.
Knight went 3-for-5 with three runs scored for Havre. Hanson added a 3-for-4 effort with an RBI and two runs scored.
Kellam also carried a hot bat, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Wirtzberger also tossed in two hits for Havre.
The Bighorns were led by Justin Kline, who was 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Joesy Exstrom and Garrett Scott each added two hits for Beartooth.
