Loggers claim Big Buck$ championship
The Libby Loggers won the Big Buck$ Tournament this weekend. The Loggers beat the Strathmore Reds 3-1 in the championship game Sunday at Lee Gehring Field.
The Loggers have now won six of their last seven games.
“Coming into this week we felt like we hadn’t really hit our stride yet,” Loggers manager Kelly Morford said. “With seven games in seven days at home, it presented a great opportunity to get things going. Needless to say by winning six of those seven games and winning the tournament, the team responded well. It is fun to win any tournament, but it is extra special to be able to take home the crown at the one we host.”
Loggers starting catcher Oliver Grupenhoff set the tone for the championship game by gunning down a Reds base runner attempting to steal second in the top of the first inning.
The Loggers recorded three doubles in the first inning to push across three runs. That’s all the run support Loggers starting pitcher Braydan Thom would need. He scattered eight hits in 6.1 innings pitched.
The bottom of the first started with a scary sight as Loggers leadoff man, Collin Johnson was plunked in the head with a pitch. Johnson would stay in the game.
Luke Haggerty followed it with a double that bounced off the right field wall. Jared Winslow followed Haggerty’s double with a two-run double of his own. Winslow finished the day 2-2 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in. He also turned a double play by himself in the fourth inning. “Jared Winslow has been really solid at shortstop making the routing plays and adding in some great plays,” Morford said. “It seems like he elevated his play and the rest of the infield followed suit. We have seen great efforts from everyone at every position in the infield.”
Erik Lauer hit the Loggers third double of the inning that drove in Winslow.
Loggers’ first baseman Trace Tamarro snagged a bunt attempt in the bottom of the seventh inning with runners on second and first and no outs that spoiled any attempt of a Reds rally. Tamarro secured the Loggers tournament win by recording the final two outs in relief of Thom.
Morford contributes the team’s recent success to solid defense. “If you look at our scores over the last week, we haven’t allowed more than six runs in a game and most games we gave up three runs or less. “I feel like our defense has really turned the corner lately,” he said. “Our outfield group had some growing pains due to lack of experience, but it has been a lot of fun to see how far they have come to this point. Luke Haggerty has always been a solid anchor for us and now guys like Taylor Wisdom and Mason Chapel are gaining some experience and confidence.”
The Loggers got the tournament started Thursday, June 25 with a 7-0 victory over the Moscow Blue Devils. The Blue Devils had no answer for Loggers starting pitcher, Winslow. Winslow pitched four innings and recorded nine strikeouts.
The Loggers followed their victory on Thursday evening with a 6-1 victory over the Tri-County Cardinals Friday, June 26. Oliver Grupenhoff hit a pair of doubles and drove in three of the six Logger runs. Trace Tamarro had a three hit night and pitched two scoreless innings. Luke Haggerty recorded two hits and drove in one run. Haggerty pitched five innings and gave up just two hits and one unearned run.
The Loggers suffered their only loss over the weekend Saturday, June 27 against the Spanaway Lake Monsters. The Lake Monsters defeated the Loggers 6-3. Collin Johnson pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs and recorded three strikeouts.
It took a total team effort for the Loggers to capture and for Morford that was the most rewarding part. “I told the guys after the tournament that the best part of our weekend was that it was an entire team effort,” Morford said. “It is fun to win, but it is more fun and satisfying when everyone on the roster contributes.”
The manager admitted to being worried about the limited number of players on the roster, but was happy with the way the results of the pitching staff. “With a limited number of players, you always have concerns about having enough pitching to make it through a stretch like that, but our pitching staff really carried us through the week,” Morford said.
Morford thinks that this is just the beginning what could be a successful end to the season for the Loggers. “While we are scoring enough runs to win ball games and everyone has been good at various times, I don’t feel like we have reached our potential offensively,” he said. “If we can get everyone clicking at once and keep our good pitching and defense going, we will have a chance to make some noise when the chips are down at the end of the season.”
Box Score 6/28
Strathmore Reds: 000 0010 1 8 1
Libby Loggers: 300 000 3 6 2
Reds Batting
TB: Jayse Wilson2, Logan Crooks 2, Garrett Hagel, Mitch Popeil 2, Curtis Boyd
Loggers Batting
2B: Luke Haggerty, Erik Lauer, Jared Winslow 2,
TB: Haggerty 2, Braydan Thom, Erik Lauer 2, Jared Winslow 4, Quincy Grupenhoff
RBI: Lauer, Winslow 2
Box Score 6/27
Spanaway Lake Monsters: 000 2121 6 8 1
Libby Loggers: 110 0100 3 4 2
Lake Monsters Batting
2B; Dominic Harris, Jacob Perdue
TB: Nick White, Nick Misley, Kodjo Awadjie, Cameron Cooke 2, Harris 2, Perdue 2, Brendon Floyd
RBI: White, Erik Udstuen, Floyd 2
Loggers Batting:
TB: Taylor Wisdom, Jared Winslow 2, Collin Johnson
RBI: Trace Tamarro, Winslow
Box Score 6/26
Tri-County Cardinals: 000 0010 1 2 2
Libby Loggers: 002 004 6 9 1
Cardinals Batting
TB: James Konen, Trey Stone
Loggers Batting
2B: Trace Tamarro, Jared Winslow, Oliver Grupenhoff 2
TB: Luke Haggerty 2, Braydan Thom, Tamarro 4, Winslow 2, Grupenhoff 4
RBI: Haggerty, Erik Lauer, Grupenhoff 3
Box Score 6/25
Moscow Blue Devils: 000 0000 0 8 3
Libby Loggers: 000 052 7 7 2
Blue Devils Batting
2B; Eric Redinger
TB: Duke Richardson, Chad Robertson, Devin Corscallen 2, Taylor Malm 2, Redinger 2, Matt Shears
Loggers Batting
2B: Luke Haggerty, Oliver Grupenhoff
TB: Mason Chapel, Haggerty 2, Braydan Thom, Trace Tamarro, Jared Winslow, Grupenhoff 2, Collin Johnson
RBI: Haggerty, Winslow 2, Grupenhoff, Johnson