Loggers' season comes to a close
<p>Kylie Richter/ Lake County Leader Jared Winslow throws a pitch during the Libby Loggers' game against the Bitterroot Bucs on Thursday morning at the Western "A" District tournament in Polson.</p>
<p>Kylie Richter/ Lake County Leader Erik Lauer, left, gives Trace Tammaro, right, a high five after Tammaro scored a run in the Loggers' game against the Bitterroot Bucs on Thursday in Polson.</p>
The Libby Loggers’ regular season came to an end last week and they are currently playing in Polson at the district tournament.
The Loggers lost the first game of the district tournament Thursday morning to the Bitterroot Bucs, 8-7. The Loggers were up 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, but could not hold onto the lead.
They will play again on Friday, July 24, against the Kootenai Valley Rangers. The Loggers and Rangers squared off against each other four times this season and the Loggers won all four games.
The Loggers had their ups and downs throughout the regular season and finished with an 18-26 record.
The Loggers started the season by going 3-10 during the month of May and at one point lost seven straight games.
They responded by winning 10 games in June, including a five game winning streak, the longest winning streak of the season. At one point they won nine of 11 games.
The Loggers won the Big Buck$ Tournament in June that was held in Libby at Lee Gehring field.
The next week they won two of five games at the Polson Firecracker Tournament.
The Loggers didn’t finish the season as strong as they had hoped, losing four straight to finish the regular season. During that four game stretch they were outscored 49-5.
Jared Winslow led the team in batting average, with a .426 mark. That .426 batting average was good for eighth best in Legion A. The Loggers shortstop and pitcher recorded 60 hits, including 13 doubles, a pair of home runs, 50 runs scored and 39 runs batted in. He also led the team in stolen bases with 27. Winslow also struck out just four times in 170 plate appearances.
Loggers catcher, Oliver Grupenhoff led the team in doubles with 22 and runs batted in with 49. Grupenhoff also hit three home runs and finished with a .408 batting average.
Trace Tamarro led the team in home runs with five long balls. His five home runs was tied for fourth best in Legion A. He drove in 25 runs, scored 20 runs and finished the season with a .362 batting average.
Luke Haggerty led the team in triples with three. He also had eight doubles, scored 46 runs and finished the season with a .284 batting average.
Collin Johnson scored 37 runs and finished the season with a .289 batting average. Johnson also swiped 23 bases.
Erik Lauer drove in 26 runs and scored 14 runs. Mason Chapel scored 16 runs and drove in 11 runs.
On the mound, Braydan Thom logged the most innings pitched. Thom pitched 61.1 innings and finished with a 2-4 record, and a 4.76 earned run average.
Winslow led the team in earned run average with a 1.21 mark. His 1.21 earned run average was third best in Legion A. He started five games and finished with a 3-1 record. In 23 innings pitched Winslow recorded 43 strikeouts.
Three players tied for the team lead in wins. Winslow, Haggerty, Collin Johnson all picked up three wins on the season.
Haggerty went 3-4 and Johnson went 3-3 with a 4.95 earned run average.
Tamarro went 2-1 on the mound with a 4.09 earned run average.
At shortstop, Winslow recorded 98 assists and 109 putouts. He also started 13 double plays with a .924 fielding percentage.
Grupenhoff recorded 19 assists and 164 putouts. Tamarro recorded 137 putouts and had .967 fielding percentage.
It was the final season in a Logger uniform for Winslow, Grupenhoff and Haggerty.