Loggers go two for five at Firecracker tourney

The Libby Loggers played in the Firecracker Tournament in Polson during the Fourth of July weekend. The Loggers won two of five games, despite strong offensive performances.

“In the Big Buck$ Tournament we pitched and played defense well and struggled to score runs,” Loggers manager Kelly Morford said. “It was a different story this weekend in Polson as we scored a ton of runs, but had trouble in the pitching and fielding department. There was an average of over 20 runs scored per game we played in.”

The manager said that he hopes the offensive output sticks around, but hopes the solid pitching and defense returns.

“I would much rather see us play a 3-1 ballgame as opposed to a 15-14 game, but at least we are scoring runs,” he said. “If we can keep this offensive streak going and get back to getting some better pitching and defense, we will be where we want to be.”

The Loggers won their first game Thursday afternoon by defeating the Cranbrook Bandits, 8-4. They lost the second game of the day to the Helena Reps, 13-8. The Loggers couldn’t overcome a six-run fourth inning by the Reps.

Trace Tamarro launched a grand slam in the third inning. Oliver Grupenhoff and Jared Winslow both had two-hit performances. Grupehnoff drove in a pair of runs to go with his two hits.

The Loggers played their third game of the tournament Friday, July 3, against the Dillon Cubs. Heading to the top of the seventh inning the Loggers were trailing 6-8 and needed a big inning. The team responded by pushing across seven runs to take the lead. Grupenhoff recorded two strikeouts and worked a perfect seventh inning to secure the Loggers’ victory.

The Loggers first through fourth hitters combined to go 6-11 at the plate. Morford likes the way the top of the lineup is performing.

“The top of our lineup is really on fire and when the bottom half of our order gets on base, we are going to pile on the runs,” he said.  “Luke Haggerty is swinging the bat as well as he has all year and Oliver Grupenhoff, Jared Winslow and Trace Tamarro are continuing to come through in those RBI situations.”

The Loggers lost their second game on Friday to the Deer Lodge Wranglers, 12-10. After a seven run second inning the Loggers managed just three runs the rest of the game.

Winslow had another three-hit performance with a double and one run batted in. Erik Lauer recorded three hits and drove in two runs.

The Loggers played the Wranglers in what was another high scoring affair to finish the tournament on Sunday. Despite scoring 13 runs in the final three frames, the Loggers couldn’t overcome the Wranglers’ 10 run third inning, as they fell to the Wranglers again, 15-14.

Tamarro hit his second home run of the weekend when he launched a three-run homerun in the fourth inning.

Grupenhoff recorded three hits and drove in four runs. Winslow had a three-run double and scored four runs.

Morford said that these tournaments have been taxing on his pitching staff.

“Our pitching staff is not real deep and these five game tournaments are tough on us, especially since we have conference games coming up on Tuesday,” he said. “We had to ask guys that haven’t really thrown all year, like Oliver Grupenhoff and Taylor Wisdom to step up and give us some innings on the hill. I was proud of how they responded to the challenge. I just wish we would have supported them better with our defense.”

The Loggers have played 13 games in the past two weeks and have another busy week ahead of them.

“We have another busy week coming up with a conference game in Glacier and then we are off to Lewiston where we have five more games,” Morford said. “It has been a tough stretch of games, but hopefully we will come out on the other side as a better and more experienced team. The district tournament will be here in a few weeks and we will need to be playing our best ball at that time.”

Box Score July 2

Loggers: 004 202 8 8 4

Reps: 232 60 13 13 1

Loggers Batting

HR: Trace Tamarro

Grand Slam: Tamarro

TB: Mason Chapel 2, Luke Haggerty, Tamarro 4, Jared Winslow 2, Oliver Grupenhoff 2

RBI: Haggerty, Tamarro 4, Grupenhoff 2, Collin Johnson

Reps Batting

TB: Eamonn Byrne, Talon Burchard 3, Colin Sassano 2, Ray Moore Jr 2, Robert McCarvel 2, Andrew Rosston 2, Caleb Jackson

RBI: Burchard, Sassano 2, Moore Jr 2, McCarvel, Rosston, Ryan Arnston, Jackson 2, Tanner McMahon

Box Score July 3

Loggers: 300 0217 13 10 4

Cubs: 200 0510 8 11 3

Loggers Batting

2B: Luke Haggerty, Trace Tamarro, Jared Winslow, Oliver Grupenhoff

TB: Haggerty 2, Braydan Thom, Erik Lauer, Tamarro 2, Winslow 4, Grupenhoff 2, Collin Johnson 2,

RBI: Mason Chapel, Haggerty, Thom, Lauer 2, Tamarro 3, Winslow, 3, Grupenhoff 2

Cubs Batting

2B; Nate Simkins, Mark Waldrup

TB: Smikins 2, RJ Fitgerald, Logan Wilson 2, Gabe Hupp 4, Kohltin Starkel, Waldrup 3,

RBI: Simkins 2, Hupp 2, Starkel, Nick Huber

Box Score July 3

Loggers: 070 102 10 11 2

Wranglers: 012 36 12 9 4

Loggers Batting

2B; Luke Haggerty, Trace Tamarro, Jared Winslow, Oliver Grupenhoff

TB: Mason Chapel, Haggerty 2, Braydan Thom, Erik Lauer 3, Tamarro 2, Winslow 4, Grupenhoff 2

RBI: Chapel, Thom, Luaer 2, Taylor Wisdom, Tamarro, Winslow, Grupenhoff

Wranglers

2B: Logan Danforth, Sheldon Danforth, Porter Struble

3B: Dakota Crowe

HR: Taylor Stone

TB: Danforth 3, Kaehl Lowry, Danforth 3, Crowe 4, Stone 4, Porter Struble 2

RBI: Danforth, Lowry, Danforth 2, Crowe 3, Stone 2, Struble 2

Box Score July 5

Loggers: 102 74 14 12 6

Wranglers: 0010 05 15 10 3

Loggers Batting

2B: Erik Lauer, Jared Winslow, Oliver Grupenhoff

3B: Luke Haggerty

HR: Trace Tamarro

TB: Mason Chapel, Haggerty 3, Braydan Thom, Lauer 2, Taylor Wisdom, Tamarro 4, Winslow 2, Grupenhoff 4, Collin Johnson, Quincy Grupenhoff

RBI: Lauer 2, Tamarro 3, Winslow 3, Grupenhoff 4, Johnson

Wranglers Batting

2B: Taylor Stone

3B: Kaehl Lowry

TB: Logan Danforth, Lowry 5, Chase Steyh, Sheldon Danforth, Derek Walker, Stone 3, Porter Struble

RBI; Danforth 2, Lowry 3, Steyh, Dakota Crowe, Evan Starr 2, Stone, Struble 2, Michael Hiesdorf