Local travel baseball program sees success in competitive tournaments
Badrock Baseball 14U wins the Father's Day Tournament in Helena over the weekend. Pictured with dads and grandpas, from left to right, are players Carter Godsey, Will Sisson, Talus Piatowski, Bear Parker, Drew Queen, Cullen Wallace, Jett Pitts, Jory Hill and Ashtyn Mintz. (Provided photo)
The Badrock 14U baseball team won the Mother’s Day Tournament in Helena last month and also are now champions of the Father’s Day Tournament, which was played on Sunday in Helena.
In the tournament, Badrock 14U came out of pool play as the No. 1 seed after beating Flathead 12-3 and blanking the Great Falls Outlaws 8-0. The team then won a tough game over Glendive’s East Side Elite with a come-from-behind 8-6 win.
Badrock then would face a formidable Helena All Stars. Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Talus Piatowski delivered a huge blow to Helena with an opposite-field grand slam home run in dramatic fashion. Carter Godsey came in for relief and the win after 1.2 innings from Piatowski.
The win advanced Badrock to the championship game against the Idaho Falls Banditz. Jett Pitts took the mound for Badrock and was a dominant force, but Pitts was backed by great offensive firepower thanks to a timely six-run inning in the fifth. The go-ahead inning was led by Pitts, Ashtyn Mintz, Will Sisson and Piatowski, each hitting RBIs in the frame. This was the firepower needed by Badrock to come away with their second tournament championship.
Badrock totaled nine hits in the championship game to win 9-1 over the Banditz. Piatowski, Pitts and Drew Queen all had multiple hits for Badrock.
Badrock will have this weekend off before the Firecracker Tournament in Kalispell and then a four-day trip to Spokane, playing four games at the home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs with one day of instruction from the coaching staff of the Bulldogs.
Badrock AA
Badrock AA, ages 16-18, traveled to Lewistown over the weekend to compete in the 36th annual Harold Gjerde Memorial Tournament. Badrock AA faced the host Lewistown Red Birds on Thursday night. Badrock got on the board in the second inning after an error that scored two runs. Forest Zelmer led things off on the hill for Badrock AA. The ace allowed two hits and one run over three and a third innings, striking out five. Mack McGlaughlin went 3 for 4 at the plate to lead the offense for Badrock. Christian Schwaderer came in for relief, keeping the Red Birds at bay before an impressive closing appearance by Jacob Polumbus throwing nothing but gas, tipping at 88 mph, and getting the save with a 5-2 victory over Lewistown.
Friday morning Badrock AA was feeling confident going against the Bitterroot Bucs with Polumbus on the bump for Badrock as he toed the rubber. The right-hander lasted five innings allowing four hits and six runs while striking out seven. Polumbus’ gritty performance kept Badrock tied through five innings before Rowan Burow came in for relief and Bitterroot went ahead for good winning 9-5.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Badrock AA lost in blowout fashion to the Gallatin Valley Outlaws, 19-0. The next day, Badrock got an unbelievable complete game out of McGlaughlin against the Havre Northstars. McGlaughlin pounded the zone all game long keeping Badrock in the game. In the seventh inning, Badrock was one hit away from tying the game but fell short losing, 7-5.
Coaches say that overall this was a great learning experience for a younger Badrock AA team. The team will head to Spokane this week to play two games at Gonzaga and two games at Whitworth College with one day of instruction from the Gonzaga coaching staff. Badrock Baseball is a combination of Columbia Falls and Whitefish players.