Glacier Twins find a groove

The Glacier Twins have found their groove midway though the American Legion baseball season thanks to sharp fielding and smart hitting.

The Twins entered last weekend’s play undefeated in the conference. They were put to the test Friday against a solid Kalispell Lakers A team, but a big seventh inning at the plate pushed the Twins to their ninth league win.

Hugh Ramlow and Austin Robins combined on the mound for the 6-4 win. Robins struck out a game-best nine batters. Robert Simmons led the way at the plate with a pair of hits, while Jayce Fagerland tallied two RBIs.

On Saturday, the Twins split a pair of conference games at the Bitterroot Red Sox. A four-run second inning was all the Twins needed in the opener as they hung on for a 4-2 victory.

Pitcher Brandon Maassen helped his cause on the mound with a pair of RBIs at the plate. The Red Sox routed the Twins in the second game, 11-0.

Last week, the Twins won a tournament in Williston, N.D., with a 7-6 win over Miles City in the championship game. The Twins battled in the field in the final frame to get the victory.

With no outs, Robins knocked down a blazing shot up the middle and made the throw to first for an out. Miles City had a runner on base when Fagerland soared into the air to snag a line drive for the second out. Then with the tying run on base, Fagerland sealed the victory with a barehanded play to Peter Seymour at first for the final out.

“Fagerland played a heck of a tournament,” Twins coach Bob Rupp said.

The coach also commended the consistent pitching.

“Our pitchers had some really good outings in Williston,” he said. “We’re hitting the ball when we need to, and we’ve cut way back on errors.”

The Twins will host the Ed Gallo Tournament at Memorial Field in Whitefish on June 27-30.