Lady Loggers heading to state tournament
<p>Devon Gallagher's grand slam over the left field fence in the bottom of the seventh with one out seals the game 5-1 for the Lady Loggers over Columbia Falls Thursday evening at Remp Field.</p>
<p>Grand slam celebratory hug with Tom and Devon Gallagher. Devon hit the bases-loaded home run in the bottom of the seventh with one out to defeat the Columbia Falls Wildkats 5-1 at Remp Field May 14.</p>
The Lady Loggers softball team is on its way to the state tournament in Anaconda. The girls won back-to-back games against Columbia Falls and Polson last week to cinch their spot.
In Thursday night’s game, the Loggers avenged a loss earlier in the season to Columbia Falls in a nail-biter.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Mahalah Wedel loaded the bases. Abby Ennenga came to the plate and hit a single to score one runner and keep the bases loaded.
Then came Devon.
Libby’s power-slugger Devon Gallagher stepped up with one out and loaded bases to drive a grand-slam over the left field fence, scoring four runs and ending the game.
“It was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of,” said Libby coach Dean Thompson. Columbia Falls beat us by four in our first game, 7-3. We needed to try and beat them by four or more. The girls didn’t know about the score differential, so the home run was huge for us.”
Gallagher stayed true to form in Friday’s game against Polson, driving in two more runs on one-for-three hitting.
The Lady Loggers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the first three innings of play, but Polson battled back on a Haley Fyant double with loaded bases, scoring three runners and cutting the lead to just one.
The Loggers added another run in the fifth before Gallagher made her move. She sent one over the fence in the top of the seventh, driving in one runner plus scoring herself.
Polson started to threaten again in the bottom of the seventh, but Libby’s ace pitcher Hannah England recovered and put the brakes on Polson’s rally.
Libby 004 010 2 7 7 0
Polson 000 300 1 4 6 2
Hannah England Devon Gallagher. Camas Renault Sarah Rausch. W — England. L — Renault.
LIBBY — Madisen Monigold 2-4, Mahalah Wedel 0-3, Abby Ennenga 1-3, Gallagher 1-3, Dayln Germany 2-4, Rachel Rebo 1-3, Staci Regh 0-3, Jordan Turner 0-3, England 0-2.
POLSON — Jaiden Toth 1-4, Kaelen Wall 1-4, Taylor Brackey 0-3, Sarah Rausch 1-2, Kaelyn Smith 0-2, Lydia Dupuis 0-1, Ashley Benson 1-1, Haley Fyant 1-3, Skyla Krantz 0-2, Laurel Bitterman 0-1, Hannah Fryberger 1-3.
2B — Germany; Fyant. HR — Gallagher; Fryberger. RBIs — Ennenga, Germany 2, Rebo, Gallagher 2; Fyant 3, Fryberger.