Loggers hoping for another playoff run
Steve Newman/Tobacco Valley News Libby shortstop Chris Herbig puts the tag on Eureka’s Colin Gillard on a pickoff play to retire the side in the first inning of Saturday’s opening game.
The Libby Loggers American Legion baseball team opens district tournament action on Thursday in Whitefish with a first-round game against the Bitterroot Bucs.
Libby heads into the game with a 26-21 overall record and will be hoping to make another playoff run. Last year, the Loggers advanced all the way to the state playoffs.
The tournament then continues into Friday and Saturday. The Kootenai Valley Rangers (North) and Bitterroot Red Sox (South) are the No. 1 seeds.
The Loggers tuned up for the tournament with four games to end the regular season. Libby annihilated Cranbrook British Columbia during the team’s final home appearance last Wednesday by the scores of 10-0 and 16-4.
In the opener, Colt Cannon tossed a two-hitter and surpassed the 100-strikeout plateau for the season. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate. Clay Smith and Dustin Morningstar each added two hits.
In the nightcap, Libby erupted for seven runs in the first to put away Cranbrook early. Morningstar opened the game with a triple and later had a two-RBI single in the same inning. Derek Willis had a two-RBI double in the fourth. Chris Herbig was the winning pitcher on a six-hitter.
Libby split two games with Kootenai Valley in Eureka on Saturday, dropping the first, 6-5, before taking the second, 5-1.
Down 5-3 in the opener, Libby tied the game in the seventh by taking advantage of three walks and an error. Micah Germany tied the game on the front end of a double steal.
But in the bottom half, Eureka won it on a two-out bases-loaded single that snuck through the infield on a tough bounce.
Herbig got the loss in relief. Morningstar started and allowed eight hits and two earned runs while striking out three.
Coker led at the plate by going 1-for-4 with an RBI double.
Libby took the second game with five runs over the first two innings. Tate Wilson cranked a two-run shot to straightaway center field to put Libby up 3-0 in the second. Herbig and Cannon had RBI singles in the same inning.
Cannon went 2-for-4 while Herbig and Wilson each finished 1-for-3.
Eric Riddle, 3-0 on the season, sparkled on the mound with a complete-game two-hitter.