It's been awhile...

Well, it's been nearly a year since I've written anything for Behind the Plate.


To me, the game of baseball is the epitome of the Fourth of July holiday, however it's going to be at least one more day before a baseball post.


In the 341 days since that last blog post, my life has taken on a dramatic change and my focus shifted away from my writing and to the consequences from my actions July 30, 2016 in which I, as an intoxicated driver, caused a three-car accident. An accident that involved my 11-month old daughter. An accident that has resulted in me not having a relationship with my children since that day. It's something I live with everyday and every day work closer towards the goal of having them back in my life.


That day was a culmination of a 13-plus year battle with an illusion that I did not have a problem. There were signs. Plenty of them over that 13 year period in fact with each one more glaring the last. I couldn't find the right job. Or the right girl. Or enough money. If anyone had my life they'd drink too.

Those were the things that I told myself to justify what became around-the-clock drinking by the end of it. I was always looking for change and I was pretty dang good at finding it.


But the one constant in all of that was my passion for sports and writing and the ability to put them together. And then I lost that too. The one thing that I knew for sure in my life that I absolutely loved I was told I couldn't do because I had became so undependable as a part-time employee.


I don't know what the future holds for my writing, this blog or anything for that matter and I'm OK with that. I do know that I have missed writing about sports -- baseball most notably -- and that I am excited to restart this endeavor.


I want to thank the countless amounts of people that have stood beside me this past year and the support that I have received in so many ways. I am grateful for a few good friends that have pushed me to get back into writing.


Tomorrow marks five years to the day that I started this blog. The vision I had for this site to be the premier spot for all things Montana baseball related hasn't changed but the person behind that vision has and I'm looking forward to some positive changes in the near future.

2016 Montana American Legion Baseball State A Tournament: First Round recap

The 2016 Montana American Legion Baseball State A Tournament got under way Thursday at Centene Stadium in Great Falls.

Here are the opening day recaps. I will have hitting leaders posted later this afternoon after day two wraps up following the Glacier-Livingston 4 p.m. game.

Vauxhall 4, Belgrade 3

Jalen Lane threw a complete game, striking out five and scattering 7 hits as Vauxhall won the opening game of the 2016 State A American Legion Baseball Tournament, 4-3, at Centene Stadium in Great Falls on Thursday.

Lane was aided by two hits from Jayden Bexte and RBI’s from Matt Melnychuk, Vance Fode, Kaden Fujita and Bexte.

Connor Clay was three for four with a pair of runs scored for Belgrade, which will play Billings at 10 a.m. Friday morning.

 Glacier 8, Laurel 2

The Glacier Twins got RBIs from each of their top five hitters in the order as they upset Laurel in the first-round of the State A Tournament Thursday at Centene Stadium in Great Falls.

James Sampson-Keck led the way, going 4 for 5 with an RBI while Tristin Steinwand, Colten Parker and Vinny Smith added RBI’s for the Twins.

Parker, Steinwand and Ryan Veneman all had two hits apiece for Glacier, who will play Livingston at 4 p.m. Friday.

Laurel’s Mason O’Donnell and Carson Hoke combined to go 8 for 10 in the top two spots of the order but the other seven Dodgers combined for just three hits in 23 at bats.

Bitterroot 4, Billings Cardinals 2

Justin Horvath was 2 for 3 and Joe Johnson and Kyle Norman drove in a run apiece as Bitterroot held off upset-minded Billings in the opening round of the State A Tournament Thursday in Great Falls, 4-2.

The Red Sox needed three eighth-inning runs to break a 1-1 tie to advance to Friday’s matchup with Vauxhall at 1 p.m.

Dylan Johnson was 2 for 3 for the Cardinals and drove in both runs for the Eastern A runner-ups. Johnson also walked once.

Billings will face Belgrade at 10 a.m. Friday morning.

Former Mustang proposes following Saturday night win

Bryson Smith proposes to his girlfriend following Saturday 

night's game in Pensacola (photo courtesy www.milb.com)

Bryson Smith went 0 for 2 with a walk in Pensacola’s (Southern League, AA) 5-4 win over the Birmingham Baron’s in Pensacola, Fla. Saturday night.

However, it’s what the center fielder did following the Blue Wahoos’ come-from-behind win did that may alleviate some stress and help get the Reds’ prospect on track for the remainder of the season.

The former Billings Mustang fan-favorite proposed to his long-time girlfriend at his center field position following the game.

She of course, said ‘yes.’

Smith told Tyler Maun of www.milb.com that he’s been working to plan the proposal since February but couldn’t find the right time with spring training and regular season play.

"I walked over to her and tried to get her on the field and she was like, 'No, I'm not getting on the field. What's wrong? Why do I need to get on the field?' I'm like, 'Oh, God, nothing's panning out,'" he said. "Finally, I got her out on the field and that whole speech I had prepared, I couldn't tell you if I said one word of it. I went with the flow of it. Thank God, I wasn't mic'd up because there's no telling what I said." -- Bryson Smith, following proposal to girlfriend, to Tyler Maun (MILB.com)

Bryson Smith is forced out at second
base in this 2011 Billings Gazette
photo.

With the Mustangs in 2011, Smith clubbed five home runs in just 19 games during a season in which the team record the North Division’s best record, 44-32, but missed the playoffs. Smith missed the clubs' final week of the season with a concussion.

During his stint with the Mustangs, Smith hit .362 and struck out just nine times in 87 plate appearances.

Smith began this season at AAA Louisville but was sent down to AA Pensacola earlier this month. In 28 games this season he’s hitting .223 with eight RBIs and has struck out 19 times in 103 plate

appearances.

Class A District Tournaments: Friday Update

The 2015 Class A American Legion baseball season is quickly winding down as all four districts opened post season play this morning across Montana.

Throughout the weekend, Behind The Plate will be posting updates and results from all four tournaments so be sure to check back often!


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 Update: 4:30 p.m. (Friday)

Scores have been updated. Game recaps will come later this evening.
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Update: 8:45 p.m.

Medicine Hat 8, Great Falls 7

Steven Clarke hit a ninth-inning, walk-off single to lead the Knights past Great Falls in a Northern A District Tournament game on Thursday.

Brendan Kuhn scored the game winning run for Medicine Hat, which scored twice in the ninth for the come-from-behind victory.

Nathan Stark threw two scoreless innings of relief, striking out four and allowing just one hit, to earn the win for the Knights.

Bitterroot Red Sox 7, Kalispell 0

Ladd Grenfell allowed one hit over four innings and struck out seven to earn the win as Bitterroot shutout Kalispell 7-0 in the Southern A District Tournament on Thursday.

Jonathan Ringer went 2 for 2, driving in two runs and scoring four more while Zach Ringer added two more hits and scored another pair of runs to lead the Red Sox.

Torin Bowden was 2 for 4 for Kalispell

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Update: 8:30 p.m.

Dillon 6, Butte 3

Nate Simkins turned in a dominant performance at the plate and on the hill Thursday afternoon to lead the Cubs to a 6-3 win over Butte in the opening round of the Southern A tournament.

Simkins went seven innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four to earn the win for Dillon. He also went four for five at the plate and scored three runs as the Cubs' leadoff hitter.

RJ Fitzgerald drove in two for Dillon and added two hits.

Dillon built a a 6-0 lead before Butte struck for three in the top of the seventh inning on RBI singles by Ryan Schultz and Logan LaFrambois.

Lewistown 12, Miles City 2 (7 innings)

Eric Knox was 3 for 3 with two runs scored and Hunter Schell drove in three runs  to pace the top seeded Redbirds at the Eastern A District Tournament in Glasgow.

Lewistown struck for one run in the first inning and then added five runs in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the fifth to build a 10-2 lead.

Tre Bradley went the distance for the win. The right-hander allowed eight hits and struck out five in seven innings.

Timmy Regan and Torrey Watts combined for five of Miles City's eight hits.

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Update: 8:15 p.m.

Glendive 6, Billings Blue Jays 3
The Blue Devils used a three run seventh inning to earn an opening round victory over the Billings Blue Jays on Thursday during day one of the Eastern A District Tournament in Glasgow.

Josh Hoffer hurled a complete game, scattering seven hits and striking out four to put the Blue Devils into a winner's bracket game against Laurel at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Sokoloski had two hits for Glendive to pace the offense while Conner Polkowskei had two hits for the Blue Jays.

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Update: 5:25 p.m.

Laurel 8, Sidney 0
John Preller threw a complete game one-hitter to lead the Laurel Dodgers past Sidney in the opening game of the Eastern A District tournament on Thursday in Glasgow.

Preller struck out eight Patriots and didn't issue a walk to back a strong day by his offense.

Dawson Cortese drove in a pair of runs and Trevor Meier tallied two hits to pace the Dodgers' offense, which had 10 hits over all.

Laurel will play the winner of Thursday's second game between the Billings Blue Jays and Glendive at 3 p.m. on Friday. Sidney will play the loser of that contest at 9 a.m.


Deer Lodge 16, Helena 2
Leadoff hitter Derek Walker went three for five with two RBI's and Dakota Crowe broke the game wide open in the fourth inning with a three-run double as Deer Lodge cruised to a 16-2 opening round victory over Helena during day one of the Southern A District Tournament in Belgrade.

Five of the Wranglers' 15 hits went for extra-bases to back starter Sheldon Danforth, who went the distance.
Danforth scattered seven hits over seven innings.

Ray Moore had a pair of singles and an RBI to pace the Reps.

Bitterroot Bucs 8, Libby 7
Bo Zeiler had two hits and scored a pair of runs to help the Bucs past Libby, 8-7, in the opening round at the Western A District in Polson on Thursday.

Jade Chimo also delivered two hits and Chance Sage knocked in two runs in the one-run victory.

Luke Haggerty was 3 for 4 with two RBI's in the loss.

Glacier 11, Kootenai Valley 0
The defending Class A state champions made quick work of Kootenai Valley in their 2015 postseason debut.

The Twins won 11-0 in seven innings behind a stellar pitching performance from Jesse Walburn and Jayce Fagerland paced the offense with four RBI's.

Walburn struck out eight in five innings of work before giving way to Greyson Bistodeau in relief.

Gagerland had a two run single in the sixth, followed by Vinny Smith's three-run homer later in the inning to blow the game wide open.

Thursday's scores
Eastern A
Laurel 8, Sidney 0
Glendive 6, Billings Blue Jays 3
Lewistown 12, Miles City 2
Glasgow 10, Billings Cardinals 4

Southern A
Deer Lodge 16, Helena 2 (7 innings)
Dillon 6, Butte 3
Livingston 10, Three Forks 8
Belgrade 18, Bozeman (11 innings)

Western A
Bitterroot Bucs 8, Libby 7
Glacier 11, Kootenai Valley 0 (7 innings)
Bitterroot Red Sox 7, Kalispell 0
Missoula 4, Polson 2

Northern A
(Havre received first-round bye)
Vauxhall 14, Fort Macleod 3 (7 innings)
Medicine Hat 8, Great Falls 7
Lethbride 14, Tri County 5

Friday
Eastern A
Billings Blue Jays 14, Sidney 12 (loser out)
Miles City vs. Billings Cardinals, 1 p.m. (loser out)
Laurel vs. Glendive, 4 p.m.
Lewistown vs. Glasgow, 7 p.m.

Southern AHelena 11, Butte 1 (loser out)
Three Forks 13, Bozeman 3 (7 innings) (loser out)
Deer Lodge vs. Dillon, 4 p.m.
Livingston vs. Belgrade, 7 p.m.

Western A
Libby vs. Kootenai Valley, 9 a.m.(loser out)
Kalispell vs. Polson, noon (loser out)
Glacier vs. Bitterroot Bucs, 3 p.m.
Bitterroot Red Sox vs. Missoula, 6 p.m.

Northern A
Tri-County 7, Great Falls 6 (loser out)
Havre vs. Vauxhall, 3 p.m.
Medicine Hat vs. Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Montana natives making mark at Washington State

Washington State left-hander, Joe Pistorese, delivers a pitch during the Cougars game on Friday night in Pullman, Wash. against the Cal Bears.

A pair of former Montana American Legion standouts are making their names known while playing key roles on the Washington State University baseball team.

Kalispell native, Joe Pistorese, hurled a complete-game gem on Friday night against the Cal Bears as he shut them out 3-0, allowing just five hits and striking out five as well.

Pistorese, who was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 44th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft in 2011 but opted to play collegiately instead, earned notoriety during his final two seasons with the Kalispell Lakers with a perfect game -- one of four no-hitters he has thrown -- as well as striking out 21 hitters in a game during the 2011 State AA Montana-Alberta American Legion Baseball tournament.

Pistorese improved to 2-1 in eight starts this season and recorded the first complete-game shutout of a conference opponent for the Cougars since Kyle Kawabata did it against Washington on April 15, 1995.

“I’d like to say I don’t think about it, but I was definitely hunting it out,” Pistorese told the Spokesman-Review on Friday night. "I think I got to the seventh – in the fifth inning I was just going to take it one inning at a time -- but by the time the seventh rolled around I wanted it.”

While Pistorese has been opening eyes on the mound, Missoula native Ben Roberts has been doing it with his bat for the Cougars.

Roberts, who was selected in the seventh-round of the 2011 draft, is hitting .333 and has driven in 12 runs in 22 games. He was 1-4 on Friday night as the designated hitter.

Roberts is also 4 for 4 in the stolen base department and has committed just two errors in the Cougars outfield.

Washington State (13-13, 4-3 6th place Pac 12) concludes their three-game series against Cal with games Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

The ultimate perfect game

Every player who has stepped on a baseball diamond has had at least one common dream: To throw a perfect game or no-hitter.

Nobody could have dreamt what a Long Island high school pitcher did on Tuesday afternoon in his first varsity start.

Michael Delio, a junior at Carle Place High School, became a star overnight by striking out all 21 hitters he faced while lead his team to a 15-0 non-conference win over Hempstead.

"I have had dreams of throwing no-hitters and perfect games, but nothing like this," he told Newsday. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Delio, who was on his school's junior varsity team the past two seasons, features a knuckle-curve along with his fastball in the mid-80s.

"I just stayed focused," Delio said. "I wanted to locate my pitches, get my curveball down and just play baseball."

Delio's accomplishment got me thinking about what my greatest achievement was on the base paths and I'm reminded of a perfect three-inning stretch when I was on the hill for my local A & W team in Laurel when I was nine or ten.

Although I did receive the game ball, it wasn't a sign of things to come as my pitching career was short-lived, largely based on my second time through that lineup.

What is your greatest baseball memory? Accomplishment?

It's time for volunteers to step up

There comes a time in life where we as adults need to put our priorities in order.

Unfortunately, a lot of times we fail to do so and in the matter of the Laurel Little League, failing to do so as put a real strain on one of the more successful little league programs in the state.

As I wrote in today's Laurel Outlook, the Laurel Little League program is in dire need of help from volunteers to coach to field repairs/improvements to help organizing fundraisers for those improvements.

League secretary Corey McIlvain said it best when I met with him on Monday afternoon.

"For me it comes down to priorities. If you have to put something off for a weekend or two to help out than so be it. Kids are kids for only so long and then they grow up and move on. This is the time of their lives that you get to help make an impact and help them grow."

I have spent the past seven years volunteering my time every fall to coach either Mighty Might Football or Little Guy Football and it's the most rewarding feeling I could have ever imagined -- and that's without children in the program -- and I will most definitely be finding time to help out the Laurel Little League program as much as I can.

And I challenge at least ONE parent/guardian of each of the nearly 700 players signed up this year to do the same.




Note: There will be a board meeting open to the public at the Old Middle School in Laurel, Mont. on Sunday, April 6 at 7 p.m.