Great Falls, MT – Facing a must-win situation to remain in the winner’s bracket of the 2026 American Legion Class A North District Tournament, the Havre Northstars answered the challenge Friday afternoon, defeating the Tri-County Cardinals 11-7 to advance to the tournament semifinals.
The two teams traded momentum throughout the first half of the contest before Havre broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning and added insurance in the sixth to secure the victory.
Tri-County struck first in the top of the second inning with an inside-the-park home run, but the Northstars responded immediately. Kody Standiford drove home the tying run with an RBI groundout in the bottom half of the inning.
The back-and-forth battle continued over the next two innings. The Cardinals regained the lead in the third before Havre answered to move back in front. Tri-County again surged ahead in the fourth, only to see the Northstars even the score once more when Cooper Walton lined an RBI double.
Havre finally gained some separation in the bottom of the fifth. Quinn Elliot delivered an RBI double to right field before Hayden Berreth added a sacrifice fly. Brayden McLain capped the rally with an RBI single to center, giving the Northstars a three-run advantage.
The Northstars continued to build on their lead in the sixth inning. Archer Sawdey joined in on the fun with a solo inside-the-park home run before Standiford added another run with an RBI double, extending Havre’s cushion to help put the game out of reach.
Standiford also starred on the mound, earning the win after pitching 6 2/3 innings. He allowed eight hits and seven runs, five of them earned, while striking out six. With one out remaining, Teegan Solomon came on in relief and needed just four pitches to record a game-ending strikeout and seal the Northstars’ victory.
With the win, Havre advances to the Class A North District Tournament semifinals, where the Northstars will face the winner of the Lethbridge Miners and Great Falls Chargers matchup on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Stay with New Media Broadcasters Sports throughout the weekend for continued coverage of the Havre Northstars and the American Legion Class A North District Tournament.
