Muckers, Red Sox split Father’s Day double dip

Butte Muckers leadoff hitter Tocher Lee goes "up top" to with teammate Will Stepan (12) after Lee scored in the first inning of Game 1 Sunday at 3 Legends Stadium. (Bill Foley photo)

The Butte Muckers and Bitterroot Red Sox split an American Legion baseball doubleheader Sunday on a rainy Miners Field at 3 Legends Stadium.

Butte won the opener 12-1 before the Red Sox stormed back to win the second game 15-4. Both games were called after five innings by the 10-run rule.

The Muckers (6-12) will play at Gallatin Valley’s tournament, which starts Friday in Three Forks.

Butte starter Zach O'Connell delivers a pitch. (Bill Foley photo)

Mucker Trey Hansen runs to third. (Bill Foley photo)

Butte shortstop Derek Dunmire tags out Bitterroot's Vins Boss, who was trying to steal second during the first inning of Game 1. Boss was the second would-be base stealer thrown out by catcher Karsen McEwen in the inning. (Bill Foley photo)

Red Sox first baseman Atticus Sothwell reaches to tag out Butte's Colby Gordon after catching a high throw. (Bill Foley photo)

Game 1
Butte Muckers 12, Bitterroot Red Sox 1 (Stats)
The Muckers jumped on the Red Sox with five runs in the first inning. Butte put the game away with three in the third and four in the fourth.

Zach O’Connell pitched the distance, scattering three hits for the win. He struck out four, walked five and the one run was unearned.

Garrett Sharp, who got the party started with a two-run single in the first, went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Gavin Trudgeon, who went 1 for 2 with a walk, also drove in three and scored three times.

Derek Dunmire tripled, while Tocher Lee, Colby Gordon and Karsen McEwen each hit a single. Trey Hanson walked twice and scored three runs. McEwen, Butte’s catcher, threw out two would-be base stealers in the first inning.

Vins Boss hit two singles to lead the Red Sox. Nick Pierce hit one.

Game 2
Bitterroot Red Sox 15, Butte Muckers 4 (Stats)
The Red Sox scored 10 runs in the fifth inning to break open a 5-4 game.

Atticus Southwell doubled, and McCoy Townsend and Owen Marston each hit two singles for the Red Sox, who took advantage of six Mucker errors in Game 2. Nick Pierce, Harley Fogel, Angeles Hernandez and Euja McNair-Neal singled in the win.

Pierce, Hernandez, Marston and McNair-Neal each drove in two runs, and Fogel pitched the distance for the win. He struc o ut eight and worked around six walks.

O’Connell hit a double and a single to lead the Miners. Sharp and Tyler Duffy singled. Hansen worked a pair of walks, while Will Stepan, Jacob Tauscher, Duffy and O’Connell each worked one.