MEDICINE HAT, Alberta — The pitching was sharp and the seventh-inning rally almost happened, but the Kalispell Lakers dropped their opening game at the Montana/Alberta AA Legion tournament Wednesday, 2-1 to the Billings Scarlets.

The Scarlets (32-13) moved on to Friday’s 4 p.m. game, against the winner between the Great Falls Chargers and Missoula Mavericks. The Mavericks-Chargers loser is who the Lakers (37-20) will face at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The Scarlets turned two walks and RBI singles from Tyrelle Johnson and Cody Callis into a 2-0 lead in the second inning, and that was enough support for pitchers Zach McDonald and Luke Stryker.

McDonald went six innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. The Lakers got their run off him in the fifth: Andre Cephers hit a double — though Hunt

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