Evan Suarez – Havre, MT – Trying to ride their winning streak into the weekend, the Havre Northstars faced the Fort McLeod Royals in a doubleheader on Saturday.
In their first game of two, the Northstars fell just short of the Royals in a high scoring affair 18-19 despite outhitting them 19-15.
Archer Sawdey led Havre with 5 RBIs in the game on three hits. The game started close with the Royals putting up a run in the top of the first inning, which was quickly answered by the Northstars in the bottom half.
The second inning went scoreless, and then the Royals put up an 11 spot in the top of the third and didn’t look back from there. Tyson Brandon, Archer Sawdey, Quinn Elliot, Kody Standiford, Connor Essert, Brayden McLain, and Michael Thompson all collected multiple hits for the Northstars in the game.
In their second game the Northstars looked to turn things around and get their name in the win column, and they did. They outlasted the Royals 9-6 in this contest.
It was the Royals who went up 3-0 in the second, and then Havre tied the game at 5 in the fifth. Kody Standiford was able to pitch a shutout top half of the sixth, and then Teegan Solomon was able to break up the tie in the bottom half of the inning giving Havre the lead.
Standiford earned the win for the Northstars throwing nearly a complete game at 6 2/3 innings, allowing only six hits and six runs (only four which were earned) and striking out eight. Teegan Solomon was called upon to get the last out in the top of the seventh and slammed the door.
The Northstars look to stay hot in their next doubleheader on Tuesday when they travel to Lethbridge to take on the Lakers where first pitch is set for 2 p.m.
