Loggers swept in league opener

The Libby Loggers were swept in their league opener on the road against the Bitterroot Bucs, losing 9-6 and 5-2 in a Sunday afternoon double-header.

Jared Winslow went 2-3, in the first game, but the Loggers still fell to Bitterroot Bucs 9-6 in seven innings. Two of Loggers’ runs were scored thanks to timely hitting by Winslow. He singled in the first inning and doubled in the seventh inning.

Bitterroot’s Bo Zeiler got it done on the rubber on the way to a win. He allowed three runs over six innings. He struck out six, walked two and surrendered five hits.

Bitterroot Bucs’ Zeiler, Jude Chimo, Braxton McCullough and Marcus Zeiler combined for eight hits and three RBIs.

Dylon Lane took the loss for Loggers. He allowed eight runs in 4-1/3 innings, walked three and recorded no strikeouts.

Bitterroot started off in the first, scoring one run on an RBI single by Rees LeSoine. They pushed one run across in each of the second, fourth and sixth. In the second, Bitterroot scored on a fielder’s choice, plating Chance Sage.

The Bucs piled on five more runs in the bottom of the fifth. McCullough kicked things off with a single, scoring Zeiler. That was followed up by Zeiler’s single, scoring Chimo and Sage.

A three-run sixth inning helped bring the Loggers within five. A hit by pitch, an RBI single by Lane, and an RBI single by Erik Lauer triggered Loggers’ comeback, but it was cut short when Zeiler induced an inning-ending fly out from Brandon Sadewasser.

Three runs in the top of the seventh helped the Loggers close the gap to 9-6. A steal of home by Braydan Thom and a two-run double by Winslow gave Loggers life. But, Breaden Loveless got Lauer to strike out to end the game.

In the second game of the afternoon Oliver Grupenhoff did all he could to give Loggers a boost, but it wasn’t enough to get past Bitterroot, as Libby lost 5-2 in seven innings.

Grupenhoff went a perfect 2-2 at the plate for the Loggers, singling in the first and fourth innings.

Bitterroot never relinquished the lead after scoring three runs in the first inning on a groundout by Jake Finley.

After posting one run in the fourth, Bitterroot again scored one in the sixth. In the fourth, they scored on a groundout by Dylan Gavlak, driving in Jude Chimo.

After pushing across two runs in the top of the seventh, the Loggers faced just a three-point deficit. A walk by Taylor Wisdom and a wild pitch sparked Libby’s rally, but the Bucs closed the game out when Bo Zeiler got Mason Chapel to strike out.

Game 1

Loggers 0 0 0 0 0 2 2; 6  7  0

Bucs  1 1 0 1 5 1   ; 9 12 0

Libby batting:

2B: Jared Winslow 

TB: Luke Haggerty 2, Dylon Lane, Erik Lauer, Jared Winslow 3, Collin Johnson 

RBI: Dylon Lane, Erik Lauer, Jared Winslow 2, Oliver Grupenhoff 

Bitterroot batting:

TB: Jake Finley, Bo Zeiler 2, Rees LeSoine 2, Jude Chimo 2, Chance Sage, Braxton McCullough, Marcus Zeiler 3 

RBI: Jake Finley 2, Rees LeSoine, Braxton McCullough, Marcus Zeiler 2 

Game 2

Loggers  0 0 0 0 0 0 2; 2 4 0

Bucs       3 0 0 1 0 1   ; 5 5 0

Libby batting:

TB: Erik Lauer, Jared Winslow, Oliver Grupenhoff 2, RBI: Taylor Wisdom 

Bitterroot batting:

3B: Chance Sage, TB: Shane Thorson, Jude Chimo, Chance Sage 4, Marcus Zeiler, RBI: Jake Finley, Dylan Gavlak.