Rain interrupts legion baseball in Havre

The Havre Northstars American Legion baseball team was hoping it would get a chance to play four games over the weekend in a jamboree it was hosting at Legion Field.

Of course, the Northstars weren’t alone, as there were 10 games scheduled to be played throughout Saturday and Sunday as seven different teams were set to take part in the two-day competition.

Unfortunately, the weather wouldn’t cooperate, as rainstorms limited play Saturday to just a few games, while Sunday got canceled altogether thanks to the blizzard that dumped snow on Havre early Sunday morning.

Yet, before the unpredictable Montana spring weather put a damper on things, the Northstars got a baseball game in Saturday morning against the Montana Regulators. The two teams played five innings and when it was over, the Northstars notched their first win of the season, defeating the Regulators 8-4.

The Northstars got off to an ideal start as starting pitcher Tyrel Kjersem opened the game by striking out two in the top of the first, holding the Regulators scoreless. When Havre came to bat, veteran Ethan Roberts opened the game with a single and quickly moved into scoring position after a stolen base. Quinn Reno then singled to score Roberts. Reno soon crossed the plate, too, scoring on an error by the Regulators, which gave Havre a 2-0 lead.

The Regulators were still in search of their first out when Tony Antley came to the plate and belted a single into the outfield. Eli Cloninger ended up being the first out in the next at-bat, but that was only because he laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving both Antley and Austin Delarosa into scoring position. Hunter Lovenguth got Delarosa home on a sacrifice fly for the second out and Antley reached on a passed ball giving Havre a 4-0 lead after one.

In the second, the Northstars extended their lead to 6-0, when both Roberts and Caden Jenkins scored on a single to center by Delarosa. In the third, Havre continued to kill the Regulators with small ball. Lovenguth and Carson Lunak opened the inning with base hits and both eventually found their way home. Roberts singled to score Lunak and Jenkins later scored on a passed ball, giving Kjersem an 8-1 advantage.

Despite giving up three runs in the top of the fifth inning, Kjersem did more than enough to get the win. He finished the game with seven strikeouts while walking three batters and giving up four runs, just two of them earned. He threw 102 pitches and allowed just five hits to get the decision. Bridger Staples came on in relief and managed to get two outs to help close it out.

Roberts led the way at the plate for Havre in the win, getting two hits, scoring twice and notching an RBI. Lovenguth matched Roberts with two hits and also had an RBI. Delarosa also had a solid showing, getting a hit, a run and two RBIs, while both Reno and Antley contributed with a run, a hit and an RBI. Jenkins scored twice in the game for the Norhstars; Lunak pitched in with a hit and a run.

Havre (1-1) was supposed to face the Billings Expos Saturday night, however, the game was rained out. The Northstars were actually scheduled to face the Expos again Sunday, as well as facing Malta, but manager Patch Wirtzberger said all the games were canceled due to rain.

“We got through two games,” Wirtzberger said. “Billings and Kalispell played after ours. The Havre All-Stars played four innings before their game was stopped and our second game was rained out.”

The Northstars travel to Great Falls to take on the AA Chargers Sunday.

Havre Norhtstars 8, Montana Regulators 4

MT - 001 03 - 4 5 3

Havre 422 0x - 8 8 5

WP - Tyrel Kjersem

LP - Derick C

Havre - Ethan Roberts 2-3, Quinn Reno 1-2, Austin Delarosa 1-3, Tony Antley 1-2, Eli Cloninger 0-1, Ethan Carlson 0-3, Hunter Lovenguth 2-3 Carson Lunak 1-2, Caden Jenkins 0-1.