Peak Sand and Gravel Lakers claim Big Bucks championship
(Courtesy photo) Pictured front row, from left to right: Mikey Riley, Wes Holland, Caleb Edlund, Nick Holland, Jacob Cometto, Alex Christensen and Thomas Riley. Back row: Coach Brian Riley, Tristan Authier, Preston Pettit, coach Ken Oler, Tyrone Larson, Sydney Bottomley, Joey Oler, Trevor Brackett, Garrett Connolly, Billy Brackett and coach Shane Brackett. Not pictured: Austin Greene, Aiden Ackerman, Tyler Lehman, Kade MacDonald and Tyler Shaffer. The team is holding the $500 winner’s check, which helped offset some of the expenses of the three day tourney.
LIBBY, Mont. — Tyrone Larson and Sydney Bottomley combined on a four-hitter and Caleb Edlund led a balanced lineup offensively in the championship game, as the Peak Sand and Gravel U19 American Legion team from North Idaho won the Big Bucks Baseball Tournament recently in Libby, Montana.
The Lakers advanced to the Championship round against the Northern Lakes Mountaineers from Lakeland and Timberlake after a 10-3 win against the Cranbrook Bandits and 10-0 blanking of the Mission Valley Mariners 10-0, and giving up the fewest runs allowed against the Bitterroot Bucs and host Libby Loggers.
In the championship, Larson helped lead Sandpoint to a 12-8 win by pitching 4-2/3 innings and striking out seven, before Bottomley was credited with the save after pitching 2-1/3 innings and allowing just one walk.
“Great pitching wins games. Tyrone and Sydney both did an exceptional job of hitting their spots, mixing their pitches and attacking the zone,” said coach Ken Oler. “Defensively we had a rough first couple of innings but the players stayed positive with each other, settled in and got a job done. We have been talking a lot about playing with a clear mind and just trusting our instincts this season.”
A pick throw from catcher and team captain Nick Holland to first baseman Garrett Connolly for the second out in the bottom of the 7th was one of many solid plays over the three-day tourney.
Big at-bats by Thomas Riley, Larson, Billy Brackett, Holland, Joey Oler and Jacob Cometto, along with well executed bunts by Preston Pettit and Riley to move runners, set up a big base-clearing triple from Caleb Edlund as the team plated 12 runs.
“We introduced some new hitting drills and concepts into our workouts earlier this season and the work has been paying off for us at the plate in a major way,” claimed Oler, whose team pounded out 13 hits in the final game. “Top to bottom we are executing the bunt at will and spraying line drives in all directions. Add in smart base running and you have a combination of weapons that is really hard to defend against.”
The team’s next home action is July 6, with a doubleheaders at War Memorial Field.
Lakers hits: Pettit, Larson 2, Oler, Brackett 2, Holland 2, Edlund 2, Riley, Cometto 2. 2B — Cometto, Riley, Brackett, Holland. 3B — Edlund.