HELENA — Don’t bother Helena Senators righty Eli Peterson before an outing.

He’s likely jamming out to rap music and certainly focusing on the job ahead.

Saturday, that goal was pitching Helena into the Keith Sell Tournament Championship Game where a fourth-straight title defense could begin and the Laurel Dodgers await.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Sunday at Kindrick Legion Field.

Peterson walked three, but struck out a season-high eight batters (four looking) across 6.1 innings as the Senators rolled 8-2 over Mount Vernon.

Up over 44 innings pitched as a first-year Senator, Peterson owns a 1.90 ERA (second-best on team, minimum 20 IP) and a sub-.200 batting average against.

“I think my focus pregame is mostly working,” Peterson said. “I listen to my music, I try to center myself away from people. Focus on the task at hand.”

While he’s still playing basketball (Helena High), Peterson shifted focus a bit more to the diamond this season, prioritizing off-season workouts and lifting regimens.

“It fits me best, I guess,” Peterson said. “I tried basketball. Baseball is kinda my thing, I think. I’m enjoying it.”

Helena Senators RHP Eli Peterson struck out a season-high eight batters in 6.1 innings of work in an 8-2 victory over Mount Vernon during Keith Sell Tournament pool play on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Kindrick Legion Field.

Senators head coach Jon Burnett knew baseball was Peterson’s niche since his Class B days.

June 16, in Billings, Peterson reinforced that on one of the biggest stages in Montana American Legion Baseball, spinning a complete game two-hitter against the previously three-loss Scarlets.

“I talked to him the night before [that game] and tried to get him to understand how good he is,” Burnett said.

“I think that’s the first time he's really started to realize how good he is.”

Ineligible to pitch Sunday in the tournament championship (pitch count), Peterson will be relegated to cheering on rotation-mate Will Lyng.

Flirting with Helena’s single-season ERA record, Lyng heads a trio of hurlers poised to lead the Senators back to the mountaintop.

Combined, Lyng, Peterson, and Tyler Beaver sport a 1.75 ERA (40 ER in 159.1 IP).

Nineteen of Helena’s 24 victories are split between them.

“It’s pretty elite,” Peterson said. “Those two are great…

“They throw a lot of strikes and they have great off-speed. I think we’re one of the top trios in the state. I think we can compete with anyone.”

The Helena Senators will play for a fourth consecutive Keith Sell Tournament Championship on Sunday evening against Laurel. Helena won games against Mount Vernon and Calgary to punch their ticket. Pictured: Tycen Mooney celebrates with a teammate.

Laurel (17-13), undefeated in pool play, reached the championship by run-ruling the Calgary Bison 10-0 on Saturday morning.

Beau Mares tossed a four-inning no-hitter (four walks, HBP, three strikeouts) and Reece Dolechek and Nick Schneider each drove in a pair of runs.

Laurel rides a 10-game win streak into Sunday, while Helena has won 15 of its last 18 overall.

Laurel Dodgers right-hander Beau Mares tossed a four-inning no-hitter, with four walks and three strikeouts, in a 10-0 run-ruling of the Calgary Bison during Keith Sell Tournament pool play on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Kindrick Legion Field.

“We’re excited to play in front of our hometown fans,” Burnett said.

“Laurel has had a great tournament and looked really good, so we’re excited to play somebody new and have a good game.”

Helena Senators shortstop Bohden Bahnmiller collected three more hits Saturday.

He is 18 for his last 37 (.486) at the plate.

First baseman Carter Perlinski carries a modest four-game hit streak into the championship.

He is slugging .815 (two doubles, a triple, three home runs) in his last 10 games.

Walker DesRosier (.394), Brayden Beatty (.391), Sam Ark (.389), Matt Golemon (.333), Perlinski (.333) and Colt Tietje (.320) are all averaging better than .300 since June 20 (10 games).

Helena Senators outfielder Walker DesRosier finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored in an 8-2 victory over Mount Vernon during Keith Sell Tournament pool play on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Kindrick Legion Field. DesRosier was 1-for-3 in the nightcap against Calgary.

No. 7 CPBA Bison vs. Helena Reps; 9 a.m.

No. 5 Butte Miners (see below) vs. No. 6 Calgary Cardinals; 11:45 a.m.

No. 3 Mount Vernon River Dogs vs. No. 4 Lethbridge Elks; 2:30 p.m.

No. 1 Helena Senators vs. No. 2 Laurel Dodgers; 5:15 p.m. (championship)

Lucas Harris-Huerta took his first cuts Saturday in the brown turf adjacent to Kindrick Legion Field’s batter’s boxes, staring down a tied game and the winning run at first.

The Butte High junior, a first-year Miner, didn’t expect to play, but a two-out rally to avoid a winless Keith Sell Tournament pool play record changed Harris-Huerta’s role from cheerleader to hero.

The Butte Miners walked off Calgary on a Lucas Harris-Huerta seventh-inning single Saturday, June 29, 2024, during Keith Sell Tournament pool play at Kindrick Legion Field.

“Just gotta come through for the boys,” Harris-Huerta remembers thinking at the dish.

“Do what I can to get the win.”

Gavin Trudgeon swiped second three pitches into Harris-Huerta’s at-bat, popping up at third following a wild pitch three offerings later.

The next pitch, Harris-Huerta lined a 2-2 fastball over the second baseman’s head, snapping Butte’s five-game losing streak.

Harris-Huerta was mobbed by his teammates on the green synthetic turf behind first base.

“Amazing,” Harris-Huerta said. “No better feeling in the world right there.”

“He’s just clutch,” Butte head coach Jim LeProwse said. “He doesn’t get rattled…

“I got a few guys that I could’ve put up in that situation that I’d have been comfortable with, but he’s one of the guys that’s real self-confident. I knew he was the right guy for that situation.”

Playing without high school Gatorade Player of the Year Cayde Stajcar (travel team), the Miners collected 11 hits. Ethan Cunningham and Zack O’Connell enjoyed two-hit contests.

Butte Miners outfielder Anthony Knott finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in a 9-8 walk-off victory over Calgary during Keith Sell Tournament pool play on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Kindrick Legion Field.

O’Connell supplied a two-out seventh-inning RBI single to help set up Harris-Huerta’s heroics.

“That was a great way to end [the losing streak],” LeProwse said.

“Bunch of guys stepped up, came off the bench, and made plays for us.”

Butte Miners infielder Derek Dunmire doubled and scored a run in a 9-8 walk-off victory over Calgary during Keith Sell Tournament pool play on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Kindrick Legion Field in Helena.