In a rematch of Game 11, where the Bees gave the Bears their only loss of the tournament 13-5, the Bears will be looking to "win the one that counts" and take home the 2007 NWCART Championship.  But don't expect the Bees to make things easy for the Bears.  After stumbling in yesterday's game against Oregon, the Bees have something to prove and are just as determined to bring home the hardware.

With the clouds breaking up and the sun peeking through, we are about set for the final game of this tourney, and both teams are ready to put it all on the line. 

The Bears will be the visiting team and Nate Crane will take the mound as the starter. It's Trent Alleman leading off in CF, Tanner Saxton at SS, Keith Cook at 3rd, Nate Crane pitching, Rob Smith catching, Corby Dixon at 2nd, Bailey Thomas in left, Cameron Crane at 1st and Spencer Smedley in right.  For the Bees it's Rob Garrett on the mound.  Batting first is 2nd baseman Derek Leishman, followed by Kyler Webb, LF, Justin Crosbie, 3B, Danny Smith, RF, Tyson Thompson, SS, Brandon Whitley, DH, Taylor Larson, 1B, Matt McArthur catching, and Zach Lindley, CF.

And we are under way!  Trent Alleman led off for the Bears and Garrett recorded his first strikeout of the game.  Tanner Saxton grounded out to 3rd.  Keith Cook drew a walk and Nate Crane then flied out to centerfield to end the half inning.  Derek Leishman led off for the Bees in the bottom of the 1st and grounded out to 3rd.  Kyler Webb drew a walk and Justin Crosbie flied out to left field.  Danny Smith walked and with two runners on base, Tyson Thompson was then hit by the pitcher and that loaded the bases for Brandon Whitley, the designated hitter.  Whitley flied out to right field and the Bees left 3 stranded for the inning.  After 1 it remains 0-0.

Rob Smith put the Bears on the board with a lead-off solo homer over the left field wall to start the 2nd inning. It was just the spark the Bears needed as Corby Dixon then singled to right and Bailey Thomas moved him over to 2nd on a bunt that got Thomas to first when the throw to 2nd popped out of the glove of the fielder covering. Cameron Crane singled to load the bases.  Spencer Smedley flied out to right.  Alleman then drove in a run with a single and the Bears scored again on a wild pitch.  The Bees got the final two outs on base running errors by the Bears, but the Bears break out on top 2-0.  In the bottom of the 2nd, Taylor Larson grounded out, Matt McArthur singled, Zach Lindley popped out to the pitcher and Derek Leishman grounded out to 2nd. After two complete innings, Bears lead 2-0.

In the top of the 3rd, Tanner Saxton flied out to right and Keith Cook then doubled down the right field line.  Nate Crane bounced one to the center field wall for a stand-up double and RBI with Cook scoring.  Rob Smith earned a walk on four straight balls and then both runners moved up on a wild pitch.  Corby Dixon lined out to center field.  Bailey Thomas flied out to deep left centerfield for the third out, but the Bears pick up one more run and now lead 3-0.  In the bottom of the 3rd, Kyler Webb grounded out to 2nd, Justin grounded out to short and Danny Smith flied out to right.  With 3 complete, Bears lead 3-0.

Cameron Crane reached 1st on a "hit by pitch" to start the 4th inning. Spencer Smedley attained first on a fielders choice that put Crane out.  Smedley then stole 2nd base.  Trent Alleman popped out to the 2nd baseman.  Tanner Saxton then drove one into left center field to score Smedley and put the Bears up by four.  Keith Cook struck out looking for the third out, but the Bears added a run to go up 4-0.  In the bottom of the 4th, Tyson Thompson drilled one into the right field gap for a stand-up double to get the Bees going.  Brandon Whitley popped out to the 1st baseman who made a good catch next to the fence past the 3rd base dugout.  Taylor Larson then hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Thompson for the Bees first run of the game.  Matt McArthur doubled then the play of the game started with Zach Lindley hitting a line drive to center fielder Trent Alleman.  Alleman fielded the ball on one hop and fired the ball all the way home where Rob Smith was set to receive the throw, but was three feet up the line.  McArthur, who was trying to score from 2nd, slid into Smith a split second before he actually received the ball, but Smith held his ground and his concentration, receiving the ball and then making the tag. The Bees pick up one and after 4 complete innings its Bears up 4-1.

In the top of the 5th, the Bears go quietly and leave one runner stranded.  The Bees, whose bats had finally gotten hot in the previous inning, brought lead-off hitter Derek Leishman to the plate but he flied out to center field. Then Kyler Webb popped out to the 3rd baseman for the 2nd out.  Justin Crosbie singled up the middle for the Bees first baserunner of the inning.  Danny Smith singled to put two runners on, but Tyson Thompson flied out to centerfield for the 3rd out and two more runners are left stranded for the Bees.  After 5 complete innings, Bears still lead 4-1.

The Bees made a pitching change in the top of the 6th and brought Tyson Thompson to the mound.  Cameron Crane flied out to right and Spencer Smedley grounded out to third.  Trent Alleman reached first on a single and Tanner Saxton drove the ball into the outfield to move Alleman to 3rd.  Saxton advanced to 2nd on a passed ball and with two runners in scoring position, Keith Cook flied out to right field to end the half inning. In the bottom of the 6th Brad Munns popped out to 2nd, then Taylor Larson singled to right.  Matt McArthur struck out and Zach Lindley then singled to put two runners on base.  Lead-off hitter Derek Leishman hit the ball to short but Lindley was forced out at 2nd to end the inning.  After 6 complete innings played, Bears maintain their lead, 4-1.

In the top of the 7th, Nate Crane led off and flied out to right field.  Rob Smith reached on a infield single and went all the way to 3rd on a passed ball.  Corby Dixon then singled and drove in Smith for another Bear run.  Bailey Thomas failed in two attempts to bunt Dixon over to 2nd, so Dixon stole 2nd on his own to get into scoring position.  Thomas then drove a grounder into left field that scored a speedy Dixon.  Crane popped out and Thomas stole 2nd, then Spencer Smedley struck out swinging to end the inning.  The Bears put up two more runs and now lead 6-1.  In the bottom of the 7th the Bees rally and score 3 runs off hits by Webb, Crosbie, Smith, and Thompson.  After 7 it's Bears 6-4.

In the top of the 8th the Bears fail to score.  In the bottom of the inning the Bees lead off with three straight singles off the bats of McArthur, Lindley and Jason Saunders.  The Bears then make a pitching change and bring Cameron Crane to the mound.  With bases loaded and no outs, Crane is in a bit of a tight spot.  Kyler Webb then strikes out looking at a pitch that just caught the outside corner.  Justin Crosbie flied out to left field but Matt McArthur scored from third on the sac fly.  Danny Smith then grounded out and the inning was over but the lead was down to one, Bears 6, Bees 5.

Danny Smith took the mound for the Bees in the top of the 9th.  Rob Smith flied out to center field.  Corby Dixon struck out swinging and Bailey Thomas struck out looking as the Bears fail to score and the Bees come to their last at bat down by one. Tyson Thompson flied out to left field, Brad Munns popped out to 1st and the game ended with Taylor Larson flying out to left. 

The Bear Lake Bears win by a final score of 6-5. The Bears Tanner Saxton went 3 for 5 on the day and Rob Smith and Corby Dixon were each 2 for 4 with Smith hitting the big homerun in the 2nd.  For the Bees, Matt McArthur was 3 for 4 and Justin Crosbie, Danny Smith and Tyson Thompson were each 2 for 4.

The Bears  scored 6 runs on 12 hits with 2 errors.  The Bees score 5 runs on 13 hits with 1 error.

Trent Alleman led off for the Bears and reached first after being hit by Pilots pitcher Charlie Sebrell.  Tanner Saxton then reached first on a bunt when Sebrell slipped on the wet grass and the hurried throw pulled 1st baseman Gaviglio off the bag.  Keith Cook then grounded one past 2nd baseman Hayden Miller who made a diving attempt, with Alleman scoring the first run.  Nate Crane then drove in Saxton and Cook was out at 2nd on the fielders choice. Rob Smith flied out to right field but scored Crane on the sacrifice. Corby Dixon reached 1st on a slow roller but then Bailey Thomas grounded out to 3rd to end the inning.  Bears break out on top 3-0. 

In the bottom of the 1st Ian Kendall flied out to left fielder Nate Crane, but then Lewis Sebrell reached first with a grounder past the shortstop.  Garrett Tygerson grounded out to the third baseman and Owen Baldrica drew a walk.  Sam Gaviglio popped out to the 3rd baseman and the 1st inning was completed with the Bears still in the lead.

The Bears go quickly in the 2nd. Cameron Crane started out the inning by lining out to the 1st baseman Gaviglio.  Jordan Crane struck out and Trent Alleman popped out to the 2nd baseman.  The Pilots get things going with Luke Jannusch reaching first on a throwing error by 3rd baseman Keith Cook. Hayden Miller then popped out and Danny Meza grounded out.  Max Gordon drew a walk to put runners at 1st and 2nd.  Lead off hitter Ian Kendall bounced one to Keith Cook who made a running catch and quick throw, leaving the Pilots with 2 runners stranded and the Bears still on top after 2 complete innings, 3-0.

In the top of the 3rd Saxton grounded out, Cook singled to right, Nate Crane flied out to right and Smith grounded out to 3rd.  The Pilots Lewis Sebrell reached 1st when he hit a blooper into the Bermuda Triangle between 1st, 2nd and RF, but was tagged out in a rundown off an excellent move to 1st by pitcher Cameron Crane.  Tygerson struck out, Baldrica walked, then Gaviglio flied out to right. After 3 complete, Bears remain up 3-0.

In the 4th, Corby Dixon walked and advanced to 2nd on a sac. bunt by Bailey Thomas.  Cameron Crane grounded out but advanced Dixon to 3rd.  Jordan Crane then struck out leaving Dixon stranded at third.  In the bottom of the 4th, Luke Jannusch worked it to a full count but then C. Crane struck him out on a change-up.  Hayden Miller singled down the 3rd base line but Cook made a diving stop to hold Miller to a single.  Miller stole 2nd base and DH Danny Meza then hit one to deep centerfield, advancing to 2nd and putting Miller on 3rd. Max Gordon grounded out to short and Meza made an error running the bases and got thrown out trying to return to 2nd base.  After 4 complete, still 3-0 Bears.

Alleman flied out to center to start the inning.  Saxton shot one over the 3rd base bag for a double, then Cook nailed one up the middle to score Saxton and reach 2nd on the throw to the plate.  Nate Crane was hit by the pitcher and with runners at 1st and 2nd, Rob Smith flied out to right field.  Ian Kendall flied out to center and the Bears leave 2 stranded but pick up a run and lead 4-0 after 4 1/2 innings.

In the bottom of the 5th, Kendall and Lewis Sebrell grounded out to the shortstop and Tygerson then reached on an infield single.  Baldrica was then robbed of a hit by 3rd baseman Keith Cook who made a diving catch over the 3rd base line to end the inning and keep the Pilots scoreless.  We've gone 5 complete innings and the Bears are still on top, 4-0.

Bailey Thomas led off the 6th with a single, then stole 2nd base. Cameron Crane grounded out but Thomas went to 3rd.  Jordan Crane then struck out.  Trent Alleman drove one up the middle for a single and a RBI, scoring Thomas.  Tanner Saxton flied out to deep shortstop for the third out but the Bears picked up another run, stretching their lead to 5.  In the bottom of the 6th, Sam Gaviglio started things off by hitting a chopper to short and beating out the throw.  Luke Jannusch hit one down the left field line putting runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs.  With the Pilots in their best position of the day to score, Hayden Miller laid down a bunt but the Bears got the lead runner at third. Then Danny Meza drove one off the centerfield wall for a double and 2 RBI's, finally putting the Pilots some runs on the board.  Max Gordon singled and Ian Kendall one-bounced the ball to right centerfield, making it to third and scoring 2 runs. Lewis Sebrell singled and drove in Kendall. Tygerson popped out to 2nd.  Baldrica flied out to end the inning but the Pilots scored 5 and tied the game up.  After 6 complete innings we have a ball game, 5-5.

In the top of the 7th, Keith Cook reached on an error by the shortstop.  Nate Crane popped out to 1st base. Rob Smith reached on a single.  Corby Dixon loaded the bases with a walk, then Bailey Thomas executed the suicide squeeze to perfection, scoring Cook. The throw to first was wild and Smith raced home to score on a close play at the plate. The Pilots pulled starting pitcher Charlie Sebrell and Lucas Stone took the mound.  Cameron Crane doubled to left field and drove in 2 more runs. Jordan Crane singled and Stone got the quick hook.  Garrett Tygerson then took the mound for the Pilots.  With runners on the corners and just 1 out, the Bears sub in Morris Bunn to run for Jordan Crane but he gets thrown out stealing 2nd.  Trent Alleman struck out to end the inning, but the Bears put up 4 big runs to regain the lead, 9-5.  In the bottom of the 7th, Gaviglio beat out an infield single to start the inning.  Jannusch popped out.  Substitute hitters Nicholas Hall and Tyler Killeen popped out and grounded out respectively to end the inning. 

Top of the 8th, Tanner Saxton singled, and scored on Keith Cook's double to right field.  Nate Crane struck out.  Rob Smith popped out to the second baseman.  Corby Dixon drew a walk.  Bailey Thomas grounded out for the 3rd out, but the Bears pick up one more run and now lead 10-5.  In the bottom of the inning, with opportunites getting short, Max Gordon led off with a single to get things going.  Ian Kendall, at the top of the Pilots batting order, went down swinging for the 1st out.  Lewis Sebrell singled into right field to put two runners on the bases, and Garrett Tygerson, in what could be his last bat of the tournament, went down swinging for the 2nd out.  Owen Baldrica got two quick strikes then Bears pitcher Cameron Crane attempted to pick off Gordon and threw the ball into center field, allowing Gordon to go to third and Sebrell to 2nd.  Baldrica worked the count to full, fouled one down the line, and loaded the bases with a walk.  Sam Gaviglio, the Pilots star of the previous day, took two called strikes then struck out swinging to end the rally and put all the pressure on the boys coming to bat in the 9th. After 8 complete, Bears up by 5, 10-5.

Top of the 9th, Cameron Crane struck out but made it to first on the wild pitch.  Morris Bunn sacrificed Crane over to 2nd for the 1st out.  Trent Alleman walked on four straight balls from Tygerson.  Tanner Saxton then hit one to 3rd baseman Luke Jannusch who tagged 3rd base and fired it to 1st for the double play.  Bears held scoreless in top of 9th.

With the Pilots down to their last at bat, Luke Jannusch led off with a single down the right field line.  Casey Skolnik grounded out to third but Jannusch advanced to 2nd.  Jamie Amrhein then struck out looking and the Pilots were down to their last out.  Max Gordon singled to put runners on the corners.  Ian Kendall flied out to right field to end the game and the "Giant Killers", the Bear Lake Bears from Montpelier, Idaho are headed to the Championship Game by a final score of 10-5.

The Bears scored 10 runs on 14 hits with 1 error.  The Pilots scored 5 runs on 16 hits with 1 error.  Cameron Crane went the distance for the Bears giving up 4 walks and striking out 6. Tanner Saxton was 3 for 6 at the plate with a double and 3 runs.  Keith Cook was 4 for 5 with a double and 2 runs.  Bailey Thomas was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.  For the Pilots, Lewis Sebrell led the way going 4 for 5 at the plate, Gaviglio and Jannusch were each 2 for 5.  The Pilots left 13 runners stranded in the game.

In today's semi-final game the Bear Lake Bears from Idaho will battle with the Ashland Pilots from Oregon.  It's "do or die" time for both teams who enter the game with 3-1 records.  The winner gets a shot at the Box Elder Bees from Utah who also have a 3-1 record but get the bye into the Championship Game because they were the last team to be undefeated.  Should be an exciting game and we are set to start fairly close to the scheduled time of 12:00 noon here in Anchorage.

 As has been the case over the last few days we have cloudy skies with occasional showers.  Zach Basch with the Anchorage Bucs organization has been in charge of the groundskeeping and has done an outstanding job keeping us on schedule and the field in great condition.

In today's game the Bears will be the visiting team and the Pilots will be the home team.  Set to start on the mound for the Bears is Cameron Crane.  Taking the hill for the Pilots is Charlie Sebrell. The Bears will be going with the following line-up and batting order: Trent Alleman at 1st base, Tanner Saxton at short, Keith Cook at 3rd base, Nate Crane in left field, Rob Smith behind the plate,  Corby Dixon at 2nd, Bailey Thomas in center field, Cameron Crane pitching and Jordan Crane in right field.

The Pilots will counter with Ian Kendall in left, Lewis Sebrell catching, Garrett Tygerson in right, Owen Baldrica at short, Sam Gaviglio at 1st, Luke Jannusch at 3rd, Hayden Miller at 2nd, Danny Meza as the DH and Max Gordon in center.

After four, sometimes grueling, days of baseball we are down to three teams.  The Box Elder Bees from Brigham City, Utah are in the Championship Game, and await the winner of what is now the semifinal game.  Utah reached the Big Game by solid victories over the Fairbanks Blue 49'ers, 12-6, the Mission Valley Mariners from Polson, Montana, 7-3, and the Bear Lake Bears from Montpelier, Idaho, 13-5.  As a team that seemed destined to go all the way and had seemingly gotten better every game, they suddenly went flat against a once-beaten team from Ashland, Oregon, the Pilots, and took a good old fashioned whuppin', 11-0.  But by virtue of the peculiarities of tournament play, they are still in the Driver's Seat and have a chance to figure out what happened against Oregon while they wait for Oregon and Idaho to beat each other up.

The gritty team from Ashland, Oregon has battled back from a Day One defeat at the hands of the Mariners from Montana,... well actually at the hands of one big dude known as "Moose" to his friends, Brandon Thompson to everybody else. The Pilots rebounded against the 49'ers, 21-3, then took out Washington, 8-4, before sidetracking the Bees. 

Their opponent at noon today is none other than the Bears from Idaho.  The Bears warmed up on South Anchorage Wolverines, 18-0, then had a great game to beat Washington 9-7.  Suffered their first defeat in the game with Utah 13-5, then walloped a good Wyoming team, the Wheatland Lobos, 21-8. 

There is absolutely no way anyone can predict what will happen in today's games.  I can't wait to find out!