Season ends for Lewistown Redbirds
The season-saving rally was on, but for the Lewistown Redbirds, the hole proved to be too deep.
The Redbirds scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the winning run standing on first base, but the Medicine Hat Knights were able to hold on for the 12-10 Northern District A Baseball Tournament victory at Centene Stadium, eliminating Lewistown and ending its season.
The Vauxhall Spurs cruised past the Knights 14-4 in a seven-inning title game and will represent the North in the state A tourney next week along with the host Great Falls Chargers A.
Falling behind 7-0 after the first inning and 8-0 after the top of the fifth, the Redbirds ripped off six runs in the bottom of the fifth to come within two runs at 8-6 before surging again in the ninth down 12-7, but fell just short.
Both Redbird losses in the tourney came at the hands of Medicine Hat, which stormed out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning of the contest against Lewistown on Friday before hanging on for the 9-7 win.
Lewistown manager Scott Sparks was understandably disappointed with the season coming to an end, but was proud of his team’s ability to keep clawing back.
“They’ve got a lot of heart and a lot of fight,” Sparks said. “I’m proud of the way they battled back and hung around, but both times against a team like Med Hat, you can’t spot a team a lead like that and expect to come back. We were one swing away in the ninth and that’s all you can ask for. They competed but we just fell into too big of a hole early.”
All-State performer Tyler Lee capped a fine performance in the tournament, finishing 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Lee batted an impressive .619 and drove in 11 runs in four games at districts, while also providing two solid outings on the hill as a starter in Thursday’s first-round win and as a reliever Saturday.
“He’s a great leader … he’s a gamer,” Sparks said of Lee. “Whenever you need him to step up he usually does. He had a heck of a tournament. He played his best baseball this last month.”
Andrew Lalum, also an All-Stater for Lewistown, ended the season with a 3 for 5 showing in the box, while Hunter Schell knocked in a pair of runs as well.
Jace Davis, the lone Redbird in his final year of eligibility for the squad, finished 1 for 2 with a sacrifice fly RBI in the ninth inning in his final game for Lewistown.
Sparks said Davis provided a quiet leadership in his time as a Redbird.
“(Jace) is a genuinely nice kid,” Sparks said. “He comes to work every day and never gives you any problems. He’s one of the best kids I’ve ever coached.”
While the loss stings, Sparks said, returning all but one player for next season, including All-Staters Lee and Lalum, an All-Northern District performer in Hunter Schell, and leadoff man and centerfielder Eric Knox, is an exciting prospect.
“We’ve got a good nucleus coming back and I’m excited about the future but I’m disappointed it ended this way,” Sparks said. “The goal coming in was to make it to the state tournament… so we’ve got to work hard in the offseason and hopefully have a chance to get there next season.”
Joining Vauxhall and the Chargers A at the state tournament at Centene starting on Thursday will be the Western A champion Bitterroot Red Sox and runner-up Glacier Twins, the Southern title winning Livingston Braves and second place Belgrade Bandits along with the Billings Cardinals and Laurel Dodgers out of the East.
See Page 2S for full tournament schedule.