Knights can look back to first win in seven tries over Vauxhall as definitive game

By Sean Rooney on July 26, 2017.

If they wind up as the first Medicine Hat team to win an American Legion State tournament, the K of C Knights may well look back to Saturday night’s game at their North District championships in Havre as the turning point.

It was their second must-win game of the double knockout event, and they’d need another Sunday to reach the final and be one of two teams headed to the Montana-Alberta State A finals the following week.

More notably, it was against the Vauxhall Spurs, a team that gave them fits all summer.

“All year we were preaching when we lost to them the first few times, they can’t beat us again,” said Knights coach Lane Aman. “We lost to them two more times and we thought well, the next time we see them there’s no way they can beat us again. And (then) they beat us in Kalispell.

“So we had the same mentality, we’ll see them at district tournament and finally get them there.”

The Hat squad found a way in the most important of the seven times they faced Vauxhall. Dylan Koenig threw 120 pitches, getting all but the last out in an effort Aman said was “the best game I’ve ever seen him throw.” All but one batter had a hit; Wyatt Bergen laced two doubles but his most important at-bat was a single that was part of a six-run fifth.

The 11-7 final score was more about determination than anything else.

“We had so much confidence, getting back on the bus after that game the boys were going wild,” said Aman. “Going into that Lethbridge game the next morning, we just knew we were going to take that one.”

They did, 7-1. A 12-5 loss to Lewistown in the district final followed, but their ticket to Three Forks, Mont. was already booked.

Sure, there was the 13-game winning streak, including a home tournament title and solidifying a decent seed for districts. But consider that in their 32-17 overall record, these Knights lost six of them to one team. They head to the next double knockout event knowing they can beat anyone.

Aman gave his team Monday and Tuesday off, no big deal given they played six games in the previous four days.

State begins with a 9 a.m. Thursday contest against Miles City, which went just 13-11 in conference play but managed to with the East District over Billings’ Cardinals (15-9).

Other teams include the 20-2 Bitterroot Red Sox, who beat Kalispell’s Lakers (11-11) in the West final, and the 27-1 Belgrade Bandits, who won the South over the Gallatin Valley Outlaws (19-9).

Unlike districts, only one team advances past the State level. Northwest Regionals begin in Eugene, Ore. Aug. 4.

Share this story: