Montague played Division 2 No. 3-ranked Spring Lake very tough Tuesday in a district tune-up doubleheader, but came up on the short end of 2-0 and 3-2 scores.
Both games were played in five innings.
The Wildcats (19-10) outhit Spring Lake 4-3 in both games, but the Lakers took advantage of two Montague errors in the third inning of game one to score both the game's runs. Kellan Francis got two of Montague's four hits, and Bryton Belinger pitched a very good game, allowing no earned runs on three hits and striking out four.
Francis singled and got into scoring position in the final inning of game two, but Spring Lake was able to wriggle out of trouble and hang on for the win.
The Lakers scored the winning run in the top of the fifth inning with a walk, stolen base and RBI single after Montague previously answered single runs in the first and fourth frames with one of its own. Both the Wildcats' runs came in on Spring Lake errors.
Francis again got two of the Wildcats' four hits. Connor McKeown pitched well, allowing no earned runs on three hits and striking out five in four innings. Eli Petersen also pitched an inning, allowed an unearned run and struck out three in a hitless frame.
