BILLINGS — For the first time in 62 years, a team from Montana will play in the American Legion World Series.
The Billings Scarlets defeated the Eugene (Oregon) Challengers twice — first by a 5-4 score in extra innings, then by a 7-0 margin in the second game — in the championship games of the American Legion Baseball Northwest Region 7 Tournament on Sunday at Dehler Park, winning the Northwest Region title for the first time in team history.
The Billings Scarlets celebrate winning the American Legion Baseball Northwest Region 7 Tournament over the Eugene (Ore.) Challengers on Sunday at Dehler Park. The Scarlets defeated Eugene 5-4 and 7-0 to become Montana’s first team to qualify for the American Legion World Series since 1962.
It is the first time since Billings Post 4 qualified in 1962 that a Montana team has advanced to the Legion World Series.
With the victory, the Scarlets advance to the Legion World Series, which is to be held Aug. 15-20 in Shelby, North Carolina, as the Northwest’s representative. They will face Wilmington, Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Region champion, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, with the game able to be streamed live on ESPN3.com.
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Billings had to win five games in four days to move on to Shelby after losing in its tournament opener Wednesday against Fort Collins (Colorado). They additionally had to defeat Oregon twice as it had not been defeated in the tournament prior to Sunday.
Scarlets infielder Nate McDonald, a Billings West grad and a current baseball player at Montana State Billings, was named the tournament’s MVP. He batted .409 (9 for 22) with two home runs, two triples, one double, five RBIs and 10 runs.
This story will be updated.
Email Briar Napier at briar.napier@406mtsports.com or follow him on Twitter/X at @BriarNapier
