Friday, July 29, 2016

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.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

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.