The Billings Scarlets put together a 4-run seventh inning to rally past the Kalispell Lakers in the Class AA legion baseball championship on Sunday.
The Lakers’ second-place finish at the state tournament is the team’s best since 1978, when Kalispell won the state championship.
Kalispell jumped ahead 5-1 after two innings but failed to score again as the Scarlets’ bats came alive.
Patrick O’Connell had two hits and three RBI for Kalispell. Andrew Schleusner had two RBI.
The Lakers advanced to the championship game after defeating Lethbridge 4-0. In that game, Dawson Smith pitched a complete game shutout.
Billings 010 010 400 — 6 12 1
Kalispell 320 000 000 — 5 6 1
Jake McGovern, Gordon Sveinson (7) and Lukas Funyak. Drew Scherrer, Sam Elliott (7) and Andrew Schleusner.
BILLINGS — Riley Bruns 3-5, Caje Golden 0-4, Gordon Sveinson 1-5, Jake McGovern 2-4, Jake Tallman 2-3, Lukas Funyak 2-5, Ben Tallman 1-4, Cole Kramer 1-3, Jackson Cobb 0-4.
KALISPELL — Tiler Whiteaker 1-2, Jake Halland 1-4, Patrick O’Connell 2-4, Andrew Schleusner 1-4, Leif Ericksen 0-3, Hayden Schlepp 0-3, Spencer Pisk 0-1, Micah Benson 0-3, Eric Seaman 1-4, Jayson Combs 0-4.
2B— Tallman, Bruns. Schleusner, O’Connell. RBIs—McGovern, J. Tallman, Funyak, B. Tallman 2. O’Connell 3, Schleusner 2.