Miners sweep Helena Reps in cold, windy twin bill

Butte first baseman Aidan Lee, left, puts his arm around pitcher Kenley Leary after he escaped a jam in the sixth inning of the first game of a doubleheader with the Helena Reps Tuesday night at 3 Legends Stadium. (Bill Foley photo)

The Butte Miners outlasted the bitter cold and the Helena Reps Tuesday night.

Butte beat Helena 7-2 before coming back for a dramatic 9-8 walk-off victory in the South A doubleheader on an extremely windy Miners Field at 3 Legends Stadium.

Kenley struck out seven, while Cayde Stajcar, Eric “Chooch” Hart and Rye Doherty tripled to lead the Miners in the opener. Egan Lester beat out a double play to allow Anthony Knott score the winning run in the night cap.

The sweep ran Butte’s winning streak to 11 games. The Miners (15-5 overall, 6-0 conference) have won 15 of their last 16 games.

Butte will look to stay hot — figuratively speaking on this cold night — when they play host to the Anaconda A’s in a 5:30 p.m. conference twin bill Wednesday at 3 Legends Stadium.

Miner Quinn Cox gets ready for a pitch. (Bill Foley photo)

Butte reliever Trey Hansen delivers a pitch. (Bill Foley photo)

Miner Sean Ossello puts the ball in play. (Bill Foley photo)

Butte's Rye Doherty cruises into third base for a Game 1 triple. (Bill Foley photo)

Miner Eric Hart watches a base hit fall in the outfield. (Bill Foley photo)

Miners Egan Lester, left, and George Riojas find the camera between innings. (Bill Foley photo)

Butte's Cayde Stajcar waits for a pitch. (Bill Foley photo)

Game 1
Butte Miners 7, Helena Reps 2 (Boxscore)
Leary battled in the cold to roll his record to 4-0. He pitched six innings, striking out seven and working around seven walks.

He held the Reps to just two hits over 106 pitches.

Leading 4-2, Leary finished his strong performance by getting Seth Nielsen to fly out to Lester in left inning to end the sixth inning with the tying runs on base.

Butte broke the game open with a three spot in the bottom of the inning RBI triples by Stajcar and Doherty. Trey Hansen relieved Leary and got the final three outs, the first on a spectacular catch by Lester.

Hart, Doherty and Quinn Cox each had a two-hit game in the win. Lester, Aidan Lee and Sean Ossello singled in the win. Lee, Doherty, Zach Tierney and Knott worked walks in the win.

Taylor Kopp hit a triple and a single to lead the Reps. Lance Bratlien pitched five innings and gave up just two earned runs in the hard-luck loss.

Game 2
Butte Miners 9, Helena Reps 8 (Boxscore)
The only time the Miners led in Game 2 was when they were celebrating their win.

Helena jumped out leads of 6-0 and 8-5 before the Miners battled back for the walk off. Butte scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Evan Starr doubled with one out to get the rally started. He gave way to Ossello as a pinch runner, and Knott drew a walk.

Ethan “Easy” Cunningham reached on an error that scored Ossello to tie the game. Leary reached on an error to load the bases, and Lester hit a ground out to Nielsen at short.

Leary was out at second, but Knott’s run counted with Lester making it to first.

The rally made a winner out of Hansen, whop struck out four in three shutout innings of relief. He gave up just one hit.

Hart hit another triple, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Knott, Lee and Lester singled. Lester drove in two runs, including the game winner. Tierney and Knott each worked two walks.

Lance Bratlien hit a double and a single, while Brayden Beatty and Kopp hit two singles. Colt Tietje drove in three runs. Kopp knocked in two.