Service was the first Alaska team in 41 years to win two games at the Northwest Regional. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
A roller-coaster first inning left the Service Cougars pondering what-if scenarios in its 12-1 loss to Billings, Montana at Dehler Park at the American Legion baseball Northwest Regional.
The Alaskans were on the short end of two close calls – a two-out, two-strike ball that prolonged the inning for Billings and led to three runs in the top half while a called third strike ended a bases-loaded threat for the Cougars in the bottom half.
The game was 3-1 at that point and maybe things would have turned out differently. But after the second and third innings, it was clear this wasn’t going to be Service’s day.
Meanwhile, Billings looked comfortable on its hometown field at Dehler Park, busting out 10 hits in five innings and getting a strong start from Nolan Berkram to win the Day 4 elimination game.
Billings’ third baseman Nathan McDonald went 3-for-4 with a home run and triple as the Scarlets had four players with two RBIs, rapped out four extra-base hits and advanced to Sunday with a berth to the Legion World Series on the line.
On Friday, a 58-win Eugene team ended the Cougars’ 20-game winning streak. On Saturday, a 61-win team from Montana ended their season.
Service (31-7) couldn’t muster much against Berkram, who wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and got a 6-4-3 double play in the second after allowing the first two runners to reach base. He needed just five pitches to get out of the third and cruised the rest of the way.
The Cougars came in hitting .321 and averaging 7.0 runs per game in the regional but managed just two hits off Berkram. They did draw four walks and Kolby Jensen’s free pass with the bases loaded led to the team’s only run as Service pulled within 3-1.
Center fielder Andrew Hickman made five putouts against Billings. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Six of the first nine Alaska batters reached base, resulting in just one run. Service never seriously threatened after that.
The first inning left the Cougars thinking woulda, coulda, shoulda. With two outs, the Billings’ three-hole hitter reached on an infield single before the next cleanup hitter walked on a borderline strike that would have ended the inning.
Visibly frustrated, Hunter Christian took a lap around the mound to gather himself as the pitching coach came out for a visit.
Christian thought he struck out the next batter as well, but it wasn’t the case as the Billings batter singled on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead. Then Jakob Wilcox ripped an opposite-field double into the right-field corner to make it 2-0. After an error, it was 3-0.
Service scratched out a run in the bottom of the first after Chase Mascelli singled followed by walks to Jake Rafferty, Christian and Jensen. But Berkram got out of the bases-loaded jam with a called third strike.
In the second, McDonald tattooed a high fastball over the left-field wall for a solo home run and 4-1 lead. Service has bounced back all tournament and looked to be in good position after Trey Maltby got hit by a pitch and Landon Martindale drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the second.
That brought up superstar Rilen Niclai, who came to the plate ranked second in the tournament with six hits in 12 at-bats. The situation called for a sacrifice bunt, but not with a slugger like Niclai, who homered and doubled on Day 1 and doubled again on Day 2.
You let a guy like that swing away, with two runners on base down 4-1. It was the biggest moment of the game for Service, but Berkram won the battle by getting Niclai to roll over on a groundball that resulted in a double play.
Service beat five Lower 48 teams this season, including two at the Northwest Regional. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Mascelli was rung up to end the inning, the third Service batter to go down looking in the first two innings.
Billings struck for another run in the third after a batter was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a balk and scored on an error. In the bottom half, Berkram retired the side on five pitches, including a comebacker that deflected off his glove right to the shortstop who threw out Andrew Hickman at first.
Service made a call to the bullpen to start the fourth inning and McDonald greeted the reliever with a triple for this second extra-base knock of the game. Things just got worse from there for the Alaskans.
The Cougars came into Saturday on the heels of making history after becoming the first Alaska team to start 2-0 at the Northwest Regional since we’ve been sending teams in 1954. They finished with a 2-2 record, matching Juneau’s mark in 1983 for the most wins by a team from The Last Frontier.
Service got to the regional after winning its first state title since 2001.
Billings 311 34 – 12 10 0
Service 100 00 – 1 2 3
Billings – Berkram and Pinter. Service – Christian, Trevor Maltby (4), Lennox (4), Dalton (5) and Martindale. W – Berkram. L – Christian. SO – Berkram 4, Lennox 1. LOB – Billings 7, Service 5. 2B – Wilcox (B), Vatnsdal (B). 3B – McDonald (B). HR – McDonald (B). RBI – McDonald (B) 2, Collins (B) 2, Randall (B) 2, Wilcox (B) 2, Jensen (S) 1, Collis (B) 1, Brosseau (B) 1.
