Loggers settle for conference runner-up

Following the disappointment of watching a shot at the conference championship slip away, the Libby American Legion baseball team finished strong in a Tuesday doubleheader against Kootenai Valley.

The Eureka ballclub survived an extra-inning battle to clinch the Western-North Conference title, 3-1, in the twinbill’s opener at Lee Gehring Field. In the nightcap, the Loggers rolled, 13-8.

“We were all disappointed but it was a lighter atmosphere,” Libby coach Kelly Morford said about the second game. “We wanted to win these games to win the conference but it’s not an end-all for us.”

In the opener, the Rangers and Loggers were knotted in a 1-1 tie through the regulation seven innings.

“It was a war of attrition. Nobody could get it going offensively,” Morford said. “The first team that made a mistake defensively was going to win. Both pitchers pitched great.”

Eureka’s Ryan Holder and Libby’s Colt Cannon kept opposing batters in check inning after inning. Libby had a mere three hits in the contest while Cannon tossed a six-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks.

“His last four starts, he’s been the ace we’ve asked him to be,” Morford said.

In the top of the eighth, however, Eureka got something going with a little help from the Logger defense.

Following a groundout to shortstop, the Rangers’ Holder got aboard with a double that dropped just inside the left-field line. Colin Gillard followed with an infield grounder but instead of going for the sure out at first, Libby’s shortstop threw to third in an attempt to catch Holder.

The ball hit Holder in the back and both he and Gillard were safely aboard. Pitcher Colt Cannon still had a chance to escape the inning but miscommunication in foul territory proved to be a setback.

Colin Chupp appeared to be the second out when he popped up. But the ball dropped in between Libby’s first baseman and catcher to keep Chupp’s at-bat alive. He hit a sharp infield grounder and the Loggers’ second baseman went home to try to nail Holder at the plate. The throw was on the mark but Libby’s catcher couldn’t hang on and Holder put Eureka up, 2-1.

Following a strikeout, the Rangers pushed another run across on a single to right field by Alex Lesowski. The inning ended when Lesowski was then caught in a rundown between first and second but the damage had been done.

In the bottom of the eighth, Libby got its first batter aboard when Chris Herbig was hit by a pitch. Kootenai Valley brought in Josh Soderling to pitch and he ended the game with three straight strikeouts.

Adam Stapley, Dustin Morningstar and Cannon had the lone hits for the Loggers.

In the second game, Eureka shot out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and one had to wonder if the Loggers had lost their fight with the game’s importance minimized. Libby countered with two in the first and then took a 7-3 lead in the second. Eureka starter Bryton Guckenberg battled walk problems and wild pitches to help the Loggers. Herbig had an RBI single to center and Libby’s patience at the plate resulted in five walks in the third inning – two of those by Lesowski who had entered the game in relief.

The Rangers battled back to 7-6 in the top of the third but a five-spot by the Loggers in the fourth pretty much provided the knockout blow. Stapley had an RBI single to left, Eric Riddle laced an RBI double to right and Herbig crushed a two-RBI triple to account for four of the five runs – the other scored on a wild pitch. Herbig tried to stretch his triple into an inside-the-park homer but Eureka’s relay was on the mark and they got him at the plate.

Cannon went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks to see his hitting streak end at 15 games. Cannon connected on a line drive in the fifth inning but it shot right into the glove of Eureka’s right fielder.

Herbig ended up 3-for-4 with that three-bagger and three RBIs. On the mound, he went six innings for the victory. Riddle made an appearance in the seventh to finish out the game. Zach Watson had a pair of hits offensively.

The Loggers (8-4 in conference, 20-18 overall) will now play out their revised regular-season record before getting into Western District play July 23-27 at Whitefish. Based on how the standings are shaping up down south, it appears that second-seeded Libby will play either the Missoula Mavericks or the Bitterroot Bucs in the opening round.

The Loggers were scheduled to play a single game on Wednesday evening (after presstime) against Mission Valley. Libby then heads up to Canada this weekend for games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While on the trip, the Loggers will catch the Chuckwagon Races at the Calgary Stampede.

On July 18, Libby and Kootenai Valley scheduled a doubleheader up in Eureka (1 p.m. start time). The games will serve as a tune-up for districts.