Belgrade, Laurel advance to state championship

While the Havre Northstars American Legion baseball club saw its trip to the Class A State Tournament end on Thursday, there were plenty of exciting baseball games throughout the weekend in Laurel. By Sunday afternoon, the tournament came down to the Belgrade Bandits and the Laurel Dodgers for a spot in the Northwest Regional Tournament.

Both the Bandits and the Dodgers had to battle throughout the weekend to reach the championship game. On Wednesday afternoon, the Belgrade Bandits opened the tournament with a 7-3 victory over the Mission Valley Mariners. Then on Thursday afternoon, the Bandits kept rolling with a 3-2 win over the Laurel Dodgers.

The Bandits continued to play well on Friday night with a 10-4 win over the Billings Blue Jays. But on Saturday night, the Bandits suffered a 10-2 loss to the Glacier Twins. Despite the loss, the Bandits earned a bye to the championship game late on Sunday.

The Laurel Dodgers began their journey on Wednesday night with a 9-6 win over the Lethbridge Miners. But after a 3-2 loss to the Belgrade Bandits on Thursday night, the Dodgers had to play in elimination games the rest of the way.

On Friday afternoon, Laurel stayed alive in the tournament with a 7-5 win over the Butte Miners. Then on Saturday afternoon, the Dodgers defeated the Billings Blue Jays 6-2. In another elimination game Sunday afternoon, Laurel defeated Glacier, 3-2, to advance to the state championship game.

The Belgrade Bandits and the Laurel Dodgers played in the state championship late on Sunday in Laurel. The winner advanced to the Northwest Regional Tournament, which will be hosted by the Havre Northstars at Legion Field starting Aug. 4.