Twins prepare for district tourney run
It’s full speed ahead for the Glacier Twins, who are gearing up for the District Tournament this week after sweeping a full plate of games last week.
The Twins capped off the regular season schedule with two blowout wins against the Kalispell Lakers A over the weekend.
“We’re feeling pretty good. We’re playing really good ball offensively, not so much defensively but it’s been a long grind,” head coach Scott Murray said of his team’s play as it nears the end of the season.
On Saturday the Twins blanked the Lakers 10-0 in Kalispell behind Coby Clark-Dickenson’s four-hit shutout.
Glacier was fighting to get out of a scoreless tie early on when they exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth. They added four more in the seventh to secure the blowout.
The Twins went for 15 runs behind Greyson Bistodeau’s four and two RBIs.
The following day the Twins finished the job against the Lakers with another dominant 14-2 win.
The Twins went down two runs in the top of the first but drove in five runs in the bottom of the inning to get the rout started.
Tyler Murphy got the win on the mound for the Twins, striking out 10 in seven innings with just one walk.
Jack Schwaiger and Gunner Marsh both went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs.
Earlier in the week the Twins took down the Missoula Mavericks and Libby Loggers in back-to-back doubleheaders.
Bistodeau racked up five hits, two runs and two RBIs in Thursday’s match up with the Loggers. Glacier went for 16 hits in the first game and nine in the second.
Skyler Warner and Matt Morrison were the winning pitchers for the Twins.
The competition ramps up Thursday as the Twins (36-14) get started in the Western District Class A Tournament in Whitefish.
Glacier, a two seed, will face the seventh seed Mission Valley Mariners at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field.
“They’re scrappers, a tough team,” Murray said. “We’ll have to play our best all through this tournament to come out on top where we want to be.”
Along with the Twins, the tournament will feature the Bitterroot Bucs, the Bitterroot Red Sox, the Libby Loggers, the Cranbrook Bandits, the Missoula Mavericks and the Kalispell Lakers.
Three Forks hosts the State A Legion Tournament beginning July 27.
Murray said his team is going to need to be firing on all cylinders through the tournament to advance to state.
“The teams, when you put them down on paper, it could be anybody’s tournament. We understand that, we have to play well.”
“The boys are excited. We’ve just got to get out there and get the job done.”
Kalispell A 200 000 0 — 2 4 6
Glacier A 532 112 x — 14 14 3
WP—Tyler Murphy; LP—Logan Siblerud.
KALISPELL — Tyler Kitch 1-3, Taylor Morton 2-2, Clayton Jaques 0-3, Nathan Vanderbeek 0-3, Siblerud 0-1, Evan Todd 0-3, Jonathan Craver 0-3, Grant Marsh 0-1, Nate Kelly 0-2, Ryan McDonald 0-1, Brandon Jordan 1-2.
GLACIER — Greyson Bistodeau 2-3, Zach Veneman 0-0, Jack Schwaiger 2-4, Gunner Marsh 2-4, Derek Kastella 1-5, Tyler Murphy 2-4, Matt Morrison 1-3, Forrest Kobelt 0-0, Quintin Schriver 0-3, Nathan Hader 3-4, Skyler Warner 1-3, Brandon Thomas 0-1.
2B—Hader; RBIs—Schwaiger (2), Gu. Marsh (2), Kastella (2), Morrison (2), Warner.
Glacier 000 060 4 — 10 15 3
Kalispell 000 000 0 — 0 4 1
WP: Coby Clark-Dickenson LP: Clayton Jaques
GLACIER TWINS A — Greyson Bistodeau 4-5, Tom Hellwig 3-4, Ryan Veneman 1-1, Coby Clark-Dickenson 0-5, Derick Kastella 1-5, Tyler Murphy 1-3, Gunner Marsh 1-2, Dan Seymour 2-3, Terek Bistodeau 2-4
KALISPELL LAKERS A — Tyler Kitch 0-3, Cole Crosby 1-4, Taylor Morton 0-3, Nate Vanderbeek 0-3, Logan Siblerud 1-3, Jonathan Craver 0-3, Evan Todd 1-1, Clayton Jaques 0-1, Grant Marsh 0-3, Brandon Jordan 1-3
2B: Hellwig 2, Seymour2. RBI: G. Bistodeau 2, Hellwig, Veneman, Kastella, Marsh, Seymour, T. Bistodeau 2.
Glacier 400 210 2 — 9 16 3
Libby 021 010 0 — 4 6 2
WP: Skyler Warner LP: Brady Bateman
GLACIER TWINS A — Greyson Bistodeau 3-5, Tom Hellwig 3-5, Ryan Veneman 2-4, Coby Clark-Dickenson 1-4, Derick Kastella 1-2, Tyler Murphy 3-4, Dan Seymour 0-4, Terek Bistodeau 0-4, Gunner Marsh 2-2, Jack Schwaiger 1-2
LIBBY LOGGERS A — Tim Carvey 1-3, Jesse Dunham 0-3, Brady Bateman 1-3, Shayne Walker 1-4, Brayden Thom 0-4, Seth Bateman 2-4, Raul Rodriguez 0-2, Ty Bateman 1-3, Moxley Roesler-Bagalke 0-2
2B: G. Bistodeau, Hellwig 2, Kastella, Murphy 2. Walker. RBI: Hellwig 2, Veneman, Clark-Dickenson, Murphy 2, Marsh 2. Carvey, Rodriguez, T. Bateman.
Glacier 120 021 0 — 6 9 0
Libby 022 010 0 — 5 8 1
WP: Matt Morrison LP: Jesse Dunham
GLACIER TWINS A — Greyson Bistodeau 2-4, Tom Hellwig 0-3, Ryan Veneman 2-4, Coby Clark-Dickenson 2-3, Derick Kastella 2-4, Tyler Murphy 0-3, Dan Seymour 0-3, Terek Bistodeau 0-3, Gunner Marsh 1-2
LIBBY LOGGERS A — Tim Carvey 1-4, Jesse Dunham 1-4, Brady Bateman 1-2, Shayne Walker 1-3, Brayden Thom 0-2, Seth Bateman 1-2, Raul Rodriguez 2-3, Ty Bateman 1-3, Moxley Roesler-Bagalke 0-3
2B: G. Bistodeau 2, Veneman. Walker, T. Bateman. RBI: G. Bistodeau 2, Hellwig, Kastella 3. Thom, S. Bateman 2, T. Bateman 2.