NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs pitcher Ayden Andersen releases a pitch in the first inning of a 15-0 loss Thursday to the Bozeman Bucks at the Montana/Alberta AA State Tournament held at Athletic Park.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs lost Thursday in their second game of the locally-held American Legion AA State Tournament. The 15-0 loss to the Bozeman Bucks eliminates the host Monarchs from the tournament.
The Monarchs entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed, losing 7-2 Wednesday to the No. 1 seed Helena Senators, setting up Thursday’s must-win matchup with the Bucks. A quiet first inning carried a 0-0 score into the second frame where Bozeman opened up the game.
The Bucks scored five runs in the second with a two-run single with the bases loaded and a three-run triple a batter later. They added three runs in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair on an errant throw on a bunt and another tally on a groundout.
Bozeman’s offence rounded out with a seven-run fourth inning, putting them ahead 15-0 for the five-inning mercy win. The Monarchs were held hitless in the loss.
“Any team can do that on any day really, there’s a lot of good teams here in the tournament,” Monarchs’ assistant coach Cam Rittinger said. “So if you’re not playing at your best and at the top level, then you’re going to get your butt kicked.”
Ayden Andersen started the game, working 1.2 innings with a strikeout and five runs against. Ryler Straarup threw 1.2 frames, allowing four runs while striking out two.
Cade Moch, Nixon Kunkel and Wade Davies each worked in the fourth inning.
The Monarchs were one of two teams eliminated on Thursday, the second day of the Alberta/Montana state tournament, with the No. 7 Great Falls Chargers drubbed after a 4-1 loss to the Kalispell Lakers.
They will continue to play host to the tournament over the next three days with the winner crowned on Sunday, capturing the State championship and also earning a spot in the Northwest Regionals held in Billings, Mont. With the first two days of play and the summer season behind them, Rittinger hopes there is a takeaway from the year for both returning and graduating players.
“To compete at this level, you gotta grind, you have to work in the offseason, get bigger, stronger, faster, whatever that looks like for each individual,” Rittinger said. “Hopefully this is just a little bit of a taste for some of the younger guys that next year, we’re not going to be hosting so you’re going to have to compete for your spot and you’re going to need to bring your ‘A’ game.”
State tournament Thursday results
The No. 6 seed Kalispell Lakers beat the Great Falls Chargers (No. 7) 4-1 in the first game Thursday, eliminating the Chargers from the tournament.
The Missoula Mavericks (No. 2) handed the Billings Scarlets (No. 3) their first loss of the tournament, with a 1-0 win. The Mavericks’ lone run came on an RBI single in the second inning.
The Helena Senators (No. 1) remain undefeated through two days of play with a seventh inning, bases-loaded walk-off walk to beat the Billings Royals (No. 4) 5-4.
