Loggers control non-conf action

After pulling out a win against AA Glacier at home last week (3-0), Libby stopped Corvallis in its tracks last Saturday at the Butte tourney, breaking their eight game winning streak and upping their losses to two, and raising the Loggers’ overall record to 16-3.

Late in the game in Logger-like fashion, Laice Dedrick had the winning run against Corvallis, due in part to Megan Wedel’s bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“Laice Dedrick had a great weekend for us, defensively and to bat,” said Libby coach Dean Thompson. “She was named our player of the week.”

The 3-2 victory for the Loggers occurred just one day after Corvallis defeated the unbeaten Eastern A leader Belgrade at the LaVerne Combo Invitational.

Of the six hits Logger pitcher Brooke Hageness allowed in the game, Corvallis’ Amber Bradshaw nabbed two with an RBI.

Hageness had two singles to add to Dedrick’s double - all that Blue Devils two-time all-state pitcher Kasie Conder gave up (14-2).

“We played well. We had good defense and Brooke pitched a great game. Things kind of fell our way,” said Thompson. “They have one of the best pitchers in the state.”

Switching styles, Libby pulled out a 10-0 first inning lead against Park County High School (Livingston), allowing a few JV players to see some play time for the win, 15-7.

Nickole Lapka went 3-for-3, Dedrick 2-for-3, and Shelby Barton had her first homerun of her career to clinch the game, which ended in five innings due to a time limit.

Against Billings Central the day before, Dedrick went 2-for-3, while Lapka went 3-for-4 with a homerun and a double.

Libby broke the deadlock at the top of the seventh inning when Hageness pitched a scoreless seventh inning after a single run in the bottom of the sixth tied the game at 4.

The Loggers belted out four runs to win it, 8-4.

Against Butte Central, Hageness allowed just two hits, while catcher Barton had two successful throw downs, to take the win, 5-0.

Dedrick and Megan Wedel each lead Libby, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

“With good defense and the way we’re playing, we can lay down the bunts and hopefully our defense can score well enough that we don’t let anyone score against us,” said Thompson.

Against AA Glacier, after going five innings scoreless on both sides, Libby rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring three runs and defeating AA Glacier 3-0 Tuesday, May 6, in Libby.

Pitcher Brooke Hageness allowed just five hits, striking out seven and walking one.

“As good as our defense was, Brooke pitched real well,” said Libby coach, Dean Thompson. “We just were trying to be overaggressive.”

Glacier’s pitcher, Jesse Compton, kept the Loggers at bay with three up, three down in the first, second, third and fifth inning.

The Loggers came close to scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Hageness was called out in a slide to third base, which would have left the bases loaded.

Although the call was hotly contested, it stuck and Libby left the inning scoreless with a third out the next play.

Compton had four strikeouts, two walks, allowing just two hits - until the sixth inning, when Libby belted out three.

“We finally got that one inning and a couple of breaks,” said Thompson. “We got that walk and a couple of great bunts. We played the odds of moving people around.”

In the sixth inning, a sacrificial bunt by Shelby Barton allowed Hageness, on first base, the opportunity to round second base and sneak to third under the noses of the disoriented Wolfpack.

Third base was not Hageness’ friend, however, when she was tagged out a play later as she faked towards home.

“She just got caught off a little bit,” said Thompson. “But Megan Wedel came through with that hit and Jordan Refsland got another base shot.”

Wedel and Refsland had the only two RBIs of the game, while Dedrick went 2-3.

Duking it out for the number one slot in the conference, Libby will play a make-up game in Polson, today (May 7), repeating the matchup at home, Friday, May 9.

Libby 3, Glacier 0

Glacier 000 000 0 — 0 5 1

Libby 000 003 x — 3 6 2

Jesse Compton and Brittany Franklin; Brooke Hageness and Shelby Barton; W — Hageness (11-20; L — Compton.

Libby (12-3) — Hageness 0-2, Barton 1-2, Laice Dedrick 2-3, Alysha Martin 1-2, Megan Wedel 1-3, Jordan Refsland 1-3, Emily Monroe 0-3, Kimi Klin 0-3, Holly Cirian 0-2.

RBIs—Wedel, Refsland.

Libby 5, Butte Central 0

Libby 003 101 0 - 5 8 1

Bu. Central 000 000 0 - 0 2 7

Brooke Hageness and Shelby Barton; Kelli O’Leary and Brooke Pokorny. W - Hageness. L - O’Leary (10-8).

Hageness 0-2, Barton 2-3, Nickole Lapka 1-3, Laice Dedrick 2-4, Alysha Martin 0-4, Megan Wedel 2-4, Jordan Refsland 0-3, Emily Monroe 0-3, Holly Cirian 1-4.

Libby 8, Billings Central 4

Libby 103 000 4 - 8 8 6

Central 000 121 0 - 4 3 3

Brooke Hageness and Shelby Barton. Ashley Corcoran and Brynn Burke. W - Hageness. L - Corcoran.

Hagenes 1-4, Shelby Barton 0-4, Nickole Lapka 3-4, Laice Dedrick 2-3, Alysha Martin 1-4, Negan Wedel 0-4, Jordan Refsland 1-3, Emily Monroe 0-4, Holly Cirian 0-4.

Libby 3, Corvallis 2

Corvallis 010 100 0 - 2 6 0

Libby 000 101 1 - 3 4 3

Kasie Conder and Kori Conder. Brooke Hageness and Shelby Barton. W - Hageness. L - Ka. Conder (14-2).

Hageness 2-3, Barton 0-1, Nicki Lapka 0-3, Laice Dedrick 1-3, Alysha Martin 0-2, Megan Wedel 0-2, Jordan Refsland 1-2, Kimmi Klin 0-2, Holly Cirina 0-1.

2B - Dedrick. RBIs - Bradshaw, Dedrick, Wedel.

Libby 15, Livingston 7

Livingston 011 06 - 7 8 9

Libby (10)13 1x - 15 10 3

Katie Polsak and Emily Miller. Brooke Hageness, Taylor Armstrong (3) and Shelby Barton, Kimmy Klin (3). W - Hageness. L - Polsak.

Brooke Hageness 1-2, Taylor Armstrong 0-1, Shelby Barton 1-3, Emily Monroe 0-1, Nicky Lapka 3-3, Amber Grubham 1-1, Laice Dedrick 2-3, Kat Wilson 0-1, Alysha Martin 0-3, Crystal Shriner 0-1, Megan Wedel 1-2, LaRona Luscher 0-1, Jordan Refsland 0-3, Taylor Barton 0-0, Kimmy Klin 0-3, Holly Cirian 1-2.

2B - Davaz, Lapka, Cirian. HR - Barton. RBIs - Pederson 2, Stanke, Dedrick, Wedel, S. Barton, Refsland, Cirian.