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Havre's Brandon Smith dives past a Great Falls' catcher during an American Legion baseball game between the North Stars and Stallions Wednesday night at Legion Field on Havre. Smith was safe on the play and the North Stars won 16-3 in seven innings. Havre is back at home on May 20 to host the Great Falls Electrics.
A long layoff from game action had little effect on the Havre American Legion baseball club's batting.
On Wednesday night at Legion Field, the North Stars thrashed the Great Falls Stallions for the third time this season, this time beating the Stallions 16-3, in what turned out to be a seven-inning Northern District affair.
The North Stars came into Wednesday night's game having not played since April 22, when they swept a double header with the Stallions in Great Falls.
And Havre picked up right where it left off last month.
The North Stars got to Great Falls' starting pitcher Mark Judice right away, as Mark Vukasin and Thurman Holdsclaw each drove in runs in the bottom of the first inning, staking North Star starter Spencer Morkrid to an early 3-0 lead. The rally got started by Justin Jensen, who led off the first inning with one of his four hits on the night. Jensen, who went 4-for-4, with two RBIs and four runs scored, was the first to cross the plate in the first inning.
The North Stars tacked on two more in the third inning as Brandon Smith tripled and Mark Vukasin, who also went 4-for-4 with a whopping six RBIs and two extra-base hits, also scored to put Havre ahead 5-0.
Havre then put the Stallions on their heels, chasing Judice from the game with a big fourth inning. Smith, Gareth Bernard, Vukasin and Thurman Holdsclaw all tripled in the inning, and Havre found itself with 10-2 lead. A sixth-run sixth inning then sent the Stallions home two innings early as Havre belted out 14 total hits, five of the extra-base variety, and took advantage of eight Great Falls' errors.
Smith added three hits to the parade, while Holdsclaw had two as well. Together, the pair drove on four runs. Dane Linquist also got a hit for the North Stars.
On the mound, Morkird went six innings, allowing eight hits and two runs for the win. He struck out two. Jace Kato came on in relief and also pitched well for the North Stars, who improved to 3-1 on the young season.
The North Stars will be back in action on Sunday when they visit Great Falls for a pair of Northern District games against the Great Falls Electrics. The North Stars also play the Electrics the following Sunday in Havre.
North Stars 16, GF Stallions 3 (7 inn)
GF Stallion 000 201 0 — 3 12 8
Havre 302 524 — 16 14 1
WP – Spencer Morkrid, LP – M. Judice
Batting
Havre — Justin Jensen 4-4 (2 RBI), Gareth Bernard 1-3, Brandon Smith 3-5 (2 RBI), Mark Vukasin 4-4 (6 RBI), Thurman Holdsclaw 2-4 (2 RBI), David Denny 0-3, Dane Linquist 1-3 (1 RBI), Tyrell Pierce 0-4, Chris Vukasin 0-4, Chance Pitkanen 0-1, Spencer Morkird 0-1, Ned Malone 0-1.
2B – Jensen
3B – Smith 2, Vukasin 1, Holdsclaw 1.
Havre's Thurman Holdsclaw (right) slides safely into third base during Wednesday night's American Legion baseball game in Havre.
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