THREE FORKS – The Red Sox lost a few stars and a head coach, but remained the best team in Class A. The boys from the Bitterroot won their third consecutive state championship, topping Belgrade 4-2 on Monday afternoon.
The Red Sox scored one run in each of the first four innings to build a lead and then had to hold off the final Bandits rally in the top of the seventh to finish off the championship.
Belgrade entered the final inning trailing 4-1, but loaded the bases with two outs on a walk and when two batters where hit by pitches. Tyler Nixon’s wild streak continued when he walked Aidan White to bring in a Bandits run, making the score 4-2. But he responded to finish the complete game, getting Riley Burman to pop out to second baseman William Rothie to end the game.
The Red Sox took the lead in the bottom of the first when Rothie scored on an error. They added another in the second on an RBI single by Garrick Richardson. Belgrade cut the lead in half in the top of the third. Trey Mounts led off with a triple, and then scored on an error one batter later, but the Bandits stranded runners on the corners in the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Nixon helped himself by leading off with a double. Matthew Brown later grounded into a double play that allowed Nixon to score from third. Bitterroot tallied its final run in the bottom of the fourth on a single by Tanner Goligoski, scoring Richardson.
Nixon allowed only five hits in the complete game. Even with his wild stretch in the seventh, the Red Sox ace threw 72 of his 110 pitches for strikes.
The Red Sox finished a perfect 5-0 at the tournament, although they never made it easy. Bitterroot slipped past the hosting Gallatin Valley Outlaws 4-3 in the opening round, doubled up the Billings Cardinals 10-5 in the second round on Friday, and shut out Belgrade 4-0 on Saturday.
Then on Sunday, they trailed Medicine Hat 6-0 and 7-2 before storming back to win 8-7. The perfect stretch meant Belgrade had to beat the Red Sox twice on Monday to win the double-elimination tournament, but Bitterroot ended the drama on its first try.
The Red Sox played this season under new head coach Jason Goligoski. Rich Poliquin led the team to their first two state titles, but left this offseason to take over the Bozeman Bucks program that finished second in the Class AA state tournament.
“I’m excited for the boys. That’s the big thing,” Goligoski said after the championship. “You coach, you do this, it’s about the kids. And to have them experience this – some of these kids not only once, twice, but for the third time – it’s very special. Not many people get to go through and enjoy what these kids (did). For a lot of them, this will be the thing they look back in their life and one of the better accomplishments they’ll ever have. So for the boys, I’m excited for them.”
The Red Sox now have a chance for another three-peat later in the week. Bitterroot travels to the Class A Northwest Regional Tournament in Eugene, Oregon. The Montana champs have also won that tournament the past two years. They’ll open the eight-team bracket against the Oregon state champs at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time Friday afternoon.
To find complete results of the Class A American Legion state tournament, click here.
