North Stars host Electrics Thursday

The beginning of Northern District play was not welcoming to the Havre North Stars American Legion baseball team this season. But with a lot more at bats, innings, and games now behind the North Stars, a second shot at a conference rival could mean more favorable results.

In early May, the North Stars opened up district play with two games against the hosting Great Falls Electrics. But still working out many of the programs kinks, the North Stars suffered two losses, 9-3, and 11-1. Thursday the North Stars will get a second crack at the Electrics. Hosting a doubleheader at Legion Field in Havre, the North Stars will look to avenge their losses starting at 5 p.m.

“We have improved a ton,” North Star head coach Danny Wirtzberger said. “And I think the Electrics are going to see that right away. They have improved a ton too, but they are young, and I wouldn’t put us too far away from them. I am excited to show them how we have changed over the last two months.”

But with as much improving the North Stars have done this season, the Electrics are still one of the top teams in district.

Great Falls had recorded double-digit wins before the month of June had even started, while also having suffered just a handful of losses this season. The Electrics utilize a talented and deep roster to compete with teams, but also have a pitching staff that can shut down the opposition. Starting pitchers like Blake Nicholson and Quest Fellows challenge batting orders, but also throw a lot of strikes, and allow batters to put the ball in play. This could benefit the North Stars, as their showings at the plate have improved all season long, and have shown a lot of aggressive at bats in recent outings.

Thurman Holdsclaw and Gavin Gunderson have shown a lot of consistency at the plate, and Spencer Ross, David Denny, Travis Roth and Tyrell Pierce have also come around. Top to bottom, the North stars will have to have a good outing to get past the Electrics, but if the North Stars can take advantage of the thrown strikes and put the ball in play, the Electrics defense has also shown a tendency to make errors.

What the North Stars can’t afford to do is to have a sluggish start.

The Electrics can score runs in bunches, and the North Stars don’t want to play catchup, especially due to a slow start by the pitching staff. Pierce has quickly grown into one of the top aces for the North Stars and could play a key role in getting at least one win.

But the Great Falls lineup is stacked with hitters. Erik Willis and Matt Garcia have proven they have homerun power multiple times this season, while the rest of the lineup is no stranger to getting on base, either. Quest Fellows has a very dangerous bat, while batters in Justin Burtsfield, Dallas Farren, Brandon Mountan, and Josh Ashworth will also make for tough outings for Havre.

Mistakes are always magnified in district play, but the Havre error count has gone down since early season games. Errors will be a factor for both squads, but if the North Stars want to neutralize the Electrics, they have to do everything they have been doing right in recent weeks, and do them well. The focus has been aggressive at bats, looking to hit the ball and not just get lucky or earn walks. Havre has also focused on not giving up that one big inning in the midst of a tight game, as well as getting long and productive outings by the pitching staff.

“Pretty much every win we get from here on out,” Wirtzberger said. “We are going to have to get great pitching Tyrell (Pierce) and Gavin Gunderson, Dane Warp and Gavin Gunderson. We have to have great pitching, but we also have to hit at least .300 or better, hit .400 with runners in scoring position, and really, just play our best game of the season every night. I think we are capable of that, but that just shows where we are at with the rest of the conference right now. We have to play pretty well to win games.”

It will be a tough home stand for the North Stars, beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday night at Legion Field in Havre. Game two of the doubleheader will begin 30 minutes after game one ends, tentatively at 7:30 p.m.