Lady Loggers end season with run at state

The Lady Loggers ended their 2015 season with an impressive run at the state Class A softball tournament, but in the end fell short in their third game on Friday. They were eliminated by Polson, 5-4.

“We had a great season,” said head coach Dean Thompson. “It’s not where we wanted to finish, but we had a great season.”

The girls found themselves in the loser-out bracket Friday, after they were unable to capitalize on a 10-hit effort and fell to Belgrade, 3-2, in Thursday’s late game.

Libby took a one-run lead in the top of the first, but didn’t hold onto it for long, as ace pitcher Hannah England gave up a home run on her first pitch of the game to Belgrade’s Skyla Neubauer.

England settled in after the homer, though, and struck out nine batters through the next six innings, giving up just one base on a walk and no runs.

In the seventh inning the Lady Loggers put together three consecutive singles, with Mahalah Wedel racking up the RBI to put the girls in the lead with just three Belgrade outs to play.

The Panthers answered, however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the Lady Loggers into the bottom bracket for Friday’s games.

In the first game Friday, the girls found themselves struggling to score against Livingston. After five-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Lady Loggers blew the game open on a three-run homer from Devon Gallagher. Livingston was unable to answer and the Lady Loggers lived to play another game.

The second game of the day put Anaconda on the opposite side of the diamond. The Libby girls dispatched them handily, capitalizing on five errors in the sixth inning to score five runs and keep the season alive. The final was 10-5, with Khalyn Hageness stepping in after two scoreless innings to take the mound from England. Anaconda managed four runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough as Hageness came away with the win for the Loggers.

Libby’s third game Friday ended up being their last of the season, as Polson came back in the fourth and fifth innings to take the victory. The Lady Loggers scored in the first to take the early lead, and again in the top of the fourth to extend it to 2-0.

The Lady Pirates didn’t quit, though, and tied the game up in the bottom of the fourth with two runs of their own. 

Libby took the lead back in the top of the fifth with one run, but then gave up three in the bottom of the inning to seal their victory.

The Lady Loggers ended the season with a 20-7 record.

Thompson said he was proud of the way his team came together and worked hard during the season, especially the seniors.

“This group of seniors will be missed,” he said. “There are seven of them and they were all great leaders for this team. They worked hard and helped the youngers players all season long.”

He singled out the efforts of pitcher Hannah England and hitter Devon Gallagher.

“Hannah has pitched incredibly for us. She had a great year,” he said.

“Devon hit a few more homeruns this weekend,” he said. “She had a tremendous season at bat.”

Even with seven players graduating this year, Thomspon said his team looks strong for next season.

“We won’t be rebuilding,” he said. “We’re coming back with a great junior varsity. They lost only two games this year, plus we have some younger kids coming up from eighth grade, plus Madisen Monigold and Abby Ennenga are both coming back.”