Montana's best baseball teams battle it out at Legion Field

Over the long weekend, eight teams from across the state battled it out in the State A tournament at Legion Field. From Thursday to Sunday, the teams played 13 games of baseball to see who would still be playing in the championship game today. At the end of Sunday night, the Gallatin Valley Outlaws and Glacier Twins were the last two teams left in the tournament.

Gallatin Valley will head into today's championship game still undefeated. On Sunday afternoon, they defeated the Great Falls Chargers, 12-2, in six innings. The Outlaws got it going early as they score three runs in the bottom of the first to get a 3-1 lead. After the Chargers made it 3-2, the Outlaws scored another three runs in the bottom of the third to take control of the game. With the win, the Outlaws stand 4-0 in the tournament and they only need one more win for the state title.

"We just stuck to the plan. Our kids have a lot of heart, they've been here before and they don't get too up and too down," said Gallatin Valley head coach Dwayne Scott on how the Outlaws went undefeated over the weekend.

The Outlaws only went into Sunday's game undefeated because they came from behind against the Glacier Twins Saturday night. Gallatin Valley trailed 5-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh against the Twins. The Outlaws got the bases loaded before back-to-back singles tied the game. A sacrifice fly from Bo Hays then got Isaac Richardson home for the winning score.

On their way to the championship game, Gallatin Valley also defeated the Mission Valley Mariners, 8-4, Friday afternoon. The Outlaws also needed a comeback in this game as they trailed 4-2 heading into the sixth inning. In the top of the sixth, the Outlaws took advantage of several errors and big hits to score six runs to take control of the game.

Great Falls made it to Sunday's game after winning a pair of games in the loser's bracket. After they lost on Thursday to the Mission Valley Mariners, the Chargers defeated the Glendive Blue Devils, 12-5, in an elimination game Friday morning. Saturday afternoon, the Chargers then defeated the Laurel Dodgers, 10-0, to stay alive in the tournament.

On Sunday afternoon, the Glacier Twins qualified for today's championship game by defeating the Belgrade Bandits, 2-1. Belgrade took the lead in the top of the first thanks to a sacrifice fly from Kash Fike. Glacier responded in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly from Zach Veneman to get Mason Peters home to tie the game. Jacob Polumbus then grounded out into a fielder's choice to get another runner home for the 2-1 lead.

Over the next six innings, neither team could get another runner home. In the top of the seventh with two outs, Glacier pitcher Stevyn Andrachick got the final Belgrade batter to strike out swinging. After their loss to Gallatin Valley on Saturday night, their win over the Bandits was a welcome sight for Glacier head coach Kevin Slaybaugh

"It's kind of depressing to lose a walkoff game like we did, but we didn't play as well as we could play," Slaybaugh said. "Today we just cleaned it up a little bit."

Before their loss to the Outlaws Saturday night, the Twins had been undefeated in the tournament. After they defeated the Havre Northstars Thursday night, the Twins then defeated the Laurel Dodgers, 8-3, Friday night. Belgrade made it to Sunday's game after they defeated the Mission Valley Mariners, 3-2, in an elimination game Saturday afternoon.

Today's championship game should be exciting as it will be a rematch of one of the most exciting games in the tournament so far. If the Outlaws defeat the Twins to open the day, the Outlaws will secure the state title. If the Twins win, they will force a winner-take-all game that will start 45 minutes after the first game. Whatever happens today, baseball fans should have plenty to cheer about at Legion Field.

Great Falls 12, Glendive 5

GFC 0 0 0 3 7 2 0 - 12 5 2

GLE 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 - 5 9 5

Great Falls batting - Seamus Sullivan 0-5, Joshua Stimac 1-5, Mason Davis 1-5, Lane Seim 0-3, Scotty Klinker 1-3, Josiah Mazaira 0-1, Austin Armstrong 0-2, Nate Redenbaugh 1-2, AJ Sloan 0-2, Logan Sloan 1-2.

Glendive batting - Austin Berry 0-4, Casey Rounseville 2-4, Matt Dufner 1-3, Rhett Hoffer 2-2, Riley Basta 1-3, Parker Buckley 1-4, Brodie Echert 0-4, Orion LaPierre 0-3, Derek Reynolds 1-1, Jacob Burman 1-2.

Gallatin Valley 8, Mission Valley 4

GV 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 - 8 10 0

MV 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 8 4

Gallatin Valley batting - Brody Jones 1-5, Isaac Richardson 2-4, Cyrus Richardson 1-4, Brody Ayers 1-4, Bo Hays 2-3, Josh Wisecarver 1-4, Reid Woodward 1-3, Trevor Doud 1-3, Patrick Dietz 0-3.

Mission Valley batting - Xavier Fisher 1-3, Alex Muzquiz 1-4, Dawson DuMont 2-4, Espn Fisher 3-4, Eric Dolence 0-2, Dylan Davis 0-3, Bryson Fisher 0-1, Daniel Kelsch 1-2, James Bennett 0-2, Ethan McCauley 0-2.

Glacier 8, Laurel 3

LAU 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 3 5 2

GLC 3 0 1 3 1 0 X - 8 13 3

Laurel batting - Jaxson Wittmayer 1-4, Evan Caton 0-3, Richie Cortese 1-4, Ian Bauer 1-3, Ricky Temporal 2-3, Braeden Foos 0-3, Reece Dolechek 0-2, JD Ketterling 0-1, Maverick Hoppman 0-3.

Glacier batting - Mason Peters 4-4, Stevyn Andrachick 2-3, Zach Veneman 1-4, Jacob Polumbus 1-3, Michael Glass 2-3, Daniel Dunn 2-3, George Robbins 0-4, Hayden Meehan 1-3, Taylor Bryan 0-3.

Belgrade 3, Mission Valley 2

BLG 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 - 3 5 1

MVM 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 - 2 7 2

Belgrade batting - Lane Neil 1-3, Dyson Kinnaman 0-3, Kash Fike 0-3, Coby Richards 1-3, Connor Reid 1-3, Brody Jacksha 0-2, Cooper Vanluchene 1-3, Keaton Carter 0-2, Aidan Kulbeck 1-3.

Mission Valley batting - Xavier Fisher 2-4, Alex Muzquiz 1-3, Dawson DuMont 0-3, Espn Fisher 0-2, Eric Dolence 1-3, Dylan Davis 2-3, Daniel Kelsch 1-3, Ethan McCauley 0-1, Darian Williams 0-2, Bryson Fisher 0-2.

Great Falls 10, Laurel 0

GFC 1 3 0 0 2 4 X - 10 8 0

LAU 0 0 0 0 0 0 X - 0 3 6

Great Falls batting - Seamus Sullivan 1-2, Joshua Stimac 1-3, Mason Davis 3-4, Lane Seim 1-3, Scotty Klinker 0-3, Ian Anderson 2-4, Nate Redenbaugh 0-2, Logan Sloan 0-3, Austin Armstrong 0-1.

Laurel batting - Jaxson Wittmayer 0-2, Evan Caton 1-3, Ian Bauer 1-2, Ricky Temporal 0-3, Landen Peak 0-1, JD Ketterling 0-1, Reece Dolechek 0-1, Maverick Hoppman 0-2, Richie Cortese 1-3, Tanner Knaub 0-1.

Gallatin Valley 6, Glacier 5

GT 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 - 5 5 0

GV 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 - 6 5 3

Glacier batting - Mason Peters 0-3, Stevyn Andrachick 1-4, Zach Veneman 1-4, Jacob Polumbus 0-3, Michael Glass 1-3, Daniel Dunn 1-2, George Robbins 1-3, Hayden Meehan 0-2, Taylor Bryan 0-3.

Gallatin Valley batting - Brady Jones 0-3, Isaac Richardson 0-2, Cyrus Richardson 1-2, Brody Ayers 2-4, Bo Hays 0-3, Josh Wisecarver 1-3, Patrick Dietz 1-2, Brandon Beedie 0-2, Trevor Doud 0-1.

Glacier 2, Belgrade 1

BLG 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 2

GLC 2 0 0 0 0 0 X - 2 2 3

Belgrade batting - Lane Neil 1-1, Keaton Carter 1-2, Coby Richards 0-3, Dyson Kinnaman 0-1, Peyton Burman 0-2, Brody Jacksha 0-3, Cooper Vanluchene 0-2, Aidan Kulbeck 1-1, Connor Reid 0-2.

Glacier batting - Mason Peters 1-3, Stevyn Andrachick 1-2, Zach Veneman 0-2, Jacob Polumbus 0-3, Michael Glass 0-2, Daniel Dunn 0-1, George Robbins 0-2, Hayden Meehan 0-2, Taylor Bryan 0-2.

Gallatin Valley 12, Great Falls 2

GF 1 1 0 0 0 0 X - 2 7 2

GV 3 0 3 4 0 2 X - 12 11 3

Great Falls batting - Seamus Sullivan 0-4, Joshua Stimac 0-2, Mason Davis 1-3, Lane Seim 0-3, Scotty Klinker 1-3, Ian Anderson 0-3, Nate Redenbaugh 1-3, AJ Sloan 2-3, Austin Armstrong 2-3.

Gallatin Valley batting - Brady Jones 0-3, Isaac Richardson 3-4, Cyrus Richardson 3-5, Brody Ayers 0-2, Bo Hays 2-3, Josh Wisecarver 1-2, Patrick Dietz 0-3, Reid Woodward 1-3, Trevor Doud 1-1.