Libby picks up first conference win of season

The Libby Loggers picked up their first conference win of the young baseball season Friday against the Kootenai Valley Rangers, 8-3, before splitting a Sunday double-header against Cranbrook.

Libby’s boys jumped out to an early lead in Friday’s road game in Eureka, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. They stretched the lead to 2-0 with a second run in the top of the third, while holding the home team scoreless.

The Rangers got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, driving one run across the plate, and then jumped into the lead with a two-run sixth inning. The Loggers were not to be denied, though, as they piled on five runs in the eighth and another in the ninth to seal the 8-3 victory.

Team manager Kelly Morford was happy with the team’s performance, and singled out the efforts of pitcher Dylon Lane.

“It was great to pick up our first conference win,” Morford said. “Dylon Lane had a great performance on the hill. He allowed a few hits but they were scattered and he didn’t get himself into trouble by walking people. After the eighth inning it was borderline as to whether his pitch count  would allow him to go back out and finish the game, but he came off and pretty much told me he was going back out and getting that complete game. As a coach, you love that attitude. We ran him back out there and he sealed the deal for us.”

The Loggers opened the double-header against visiting Cranbrook with the same energy, ripping off two runs in each of the first two innings. They added another in each of the third and fourth, and four more in the fifth to take a 10-0 victory after five. 

Collin Johnson held the mound for Libby in the game and came away with the win.

“That was Collin’s first outing on the hill and it was obviously a good way to start,” Morford said. “For him to come out and command the zone and mix up his pitches like he did, it was really impressive.”

The Loggers didn’t fare as well in the bottom half of the double-header, however, and found themselves on the losing side of the scoreboard, 9-3.

Oliver Gruppenhoff took to the mound for Libby and gave up four runs in the first inning to put the Loggers into a hole from which they just couldn’t recover.

Libby managed to cross the plate once in each of the second and third innings, but Cranbrook managed five runs in the top of the third to push the game out of reach. 

Morford said the final game of the weekend was disappointing, but overall he’s happy with the direction of his team.

“Between Eureka and Cranbrook, we played two pretty solid games and then took a step back in the last game against Cranbrook,” he said. “It was disappointing, but at the same time the big picture shows that we are moving in the right direction. They are starting to get more comfortable out there and we are seeing a lot of good things. We just need more consistency and that will come as we move along.”

Libby vs. Kootenai Valley, May 29, 2015

Libby:  101 000 051   8 12  2

Kootenai Valley:  000 012 000  3 8 5

Libby vs. Cranbrook, game 1, May 31, 2015

Cranbrook:  000 00   0 3 1

Libby:  221 14   10 6 0

Libby vs. Cranbrook, game 2, May 31, 2015

Cranbrook:  405 000 0  9 9 2

Libby: 011 000 1  3 6 3