HAMILTON — It wasn't a great day to be a top-seeded high school baseball team in Montana. Just don't tell that to Belgrade.
Photos: Billings Central, Billings West win first-round games at state baseball tournament
Three division champions stumbled on Day 1 of the state tournament on what was at times a damp Thursday at Vester Wilson Field, with the Panthers as the lone exception.
Billings Central, the No. 3 seed from the Eastern division, topped North champion Columbia Falls 6-2 in the opening game. Matteo Harris came through both on the mound and at the plate to help send the Rams to the semifinals.
CENTRAL AND WEST HIGHLIGHTS:
Billings West, the No. 2 team out of the East, took care of South No. 1 Frenchtown 11-4 to set up a matchup in the semis with the Rams. The Golden Bears staked starter Carson Steinmetz to a three-run lead in the opening frame and poured it on from there as wet conditions intensified later in the afternoon.
Homestanding Hamilton, the No. 2 seed from the South, got a brilliant complete-game effort from Cash Lawrence to shut out the East's No. 1, Billings Skyview, 1-0 and earn their own semifinal spot.
Belgrade, champion of the Central division, was the only No. 1 to advance to the semis on Thursday, thanks to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Missoula Big Sky, the South's No. 3 seed. The Panthers forged a semifinal meeting with Hamilton on tap for Friday.
First round scores:
- Game 1: Billings Central 6, Columbia Falls 2
- Game 2: Billings West 11, Frenchtown 4
- Game 3: Hamilton 1, Billings Skyview 0
- Game 4: Belgrade 5, Missoula Big Sky 4
Rams win opener over Wildcats
In its first season of varsity baseball, Billings Central advanced to the state semifinals thanks to a strong pitching (and hitting) effort from Harris.
The sophomore had thrown limited innings all season but was called on to start the opener here, and he set the tone with 4 2/3 innings of three-hit ball. Though he walked four and didn't have any strikeouts, Harris was effective in helping Central pitchers strand 11 Columbia Falls runners on base.
The Rams led 1-0 after the first inning but stretched the advantage on freshman Jayden Ott's two-strike, two-out, two-RBI single in the third against Wildcats starter Jett Pitts. Harris, who drove in three runs of his own, ripped an RBI double down the left field line in the sixth as the Rams took a 6-2 lead.
Stat line: Harris went 3 for 4 at the plate, collecting half of Central's hit total. Howie Martin drew three walks and scored twice, while Paxton Prill also scored two runs. Reggie Sapa hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice in the third for C-Falls. Teammate Jaxson Cadwell came in on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the fourth.
Quotable: "Getting ahead in the count was a big thing, and we talked about that with my coaches. I tried my best to stay ahead. My curveball was on and off. The changeup wasn't really there. But my fastball was definitely there. I was locating it pretty well." - Rams P Matteo Harris
Big innings propel Golden Bears
There's no better friend to a starting pitcher than an early inning lead, and that's what Billings West gave Steinmetz with three quick runs against Frenchtown highlighted by Payton Cicero's two-run double with two outs in the top of the first.
West, also in its inaugural season, added five in the sixth, as Chase Wise, Colton Bush, Brady Randall, Gavin Schwend and Bridger Leland all delivered run-scoring singles to give the Bears an 11-2 advantage.
Menwhile, Steinmetz pitched five innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out five and survived four walks, allowing just one hit.
Stat line: West collected 15 hits, 12 of which were singles. Cicero, Randall and Schwend also had doubles. Randall finished 2 for 5 with three runs scored, and Schwend and Grayson Baumann each hit safely three times. Jordan Warner, Gabe Gibbs and Joseph Alexander had hits for the Broncs.
Quotable: "(Getting a lead) is very big because it takes all the pressure off of you to not have to hold them as much. You can just go out there, relax and do your thing on the mound and not have to worry about anything." - Bears P Carson Steinmetz
HAMILTON AND BELGRADE HIGHLIGHTS:
Lawrence, defense the difference for Hamilton
For as effective as Lawrence was for the Broncs — he allowed just one hit — Billings Skyview starter Trevor Gollick and reliever Anthony Ferguson did their part to keep Hamilton at bay as well.
As the clouds and rain finally broke, the game's only run was scored on an RBI double to deep center field off the bat of Hunter Harness. That was all the support Lawrence needed in this gem. The junior righty fanned nine and walked two to earn the shutout.
He had some defensive help, as Harness threw out the Falcons' Brody Christianson at second base from deep left (on Skyview's only hit) and also got two key double plays, including a lineout/throwout from second baseman Boedy Tadvick to end the game.
Stat line: Lawrence, Gollick and Ferguson combined to allow just four hits, four walks and no earned runs. Harness had two of the Broncs' four hits, with Jude Widmer and Tyce O'Connell knocking the others.
Quotable: "When Cash (Lawrence) comes out, we know he's going to give us the best he's got every day on the mound. There's no one I trust more in the state than Cash to be out there with the (ball) in his hands." - Broncs OF Hunter Harness
Dunning the muscle in Belgrade comeback
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, it looked fairly bleak for Belgrade. But that's when the Panthers began to chip away at Missoula Big Sky pitcher Ethan Paugh, who'd otherwise been stellar.
Cade Thomas blooped an RBI single to shallow right to get Panthers on the board, and they cut the deficit to 4-3 after Ryas Olson dropped a run-scoring single and when Thomas scored on a wild pitch. The big blow, though, was Max Dunning's homer that tied it in the bottom of the sixth, a towering solo shot to left field.
Then in the seventh, Belgrade got the winning run when Dunning was hit on the foot with the bases loaded. The Panthers manufactured the run with three hit-batsmen, a sacrifice bunt from Olson and another wild pitch.
State line: Dunning finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs — of the tying and game-winning variety — and also scored a run. Olson had two hits for the Panthers. Landin Ramsay and Henry Wilson combined for four of Big Sky's seven hits.
Quotable: "I was just taking deep breaths, thinking 'hit it up the middle.' (The home run) was a big moment. I needed to just do my job." - Panthers OF Max Dunning
Friday's matchups:
- Columbia Falls vs. Frenchtown, loser out, 10 a.m.
- Billings Skyview vs. Missoula Big Sky, loser out, 12:30 p.m.
- Billings Central vs. Billings West, semifinal, 4 p.m.
- Hamilton vs. Belgrade, semifinal, 6:30 p.m.
