Everyone wins the weekend baseball "Border War" series
<p>Brandon Laffoon pitching top of fourth inning first of a doubleheader vs. Strathmore Reds Saturday. Alumni game 2016.</p>
<p>Third baseman Will Reichel with the third out top of sixth inning vs. Strathmore Reds Saturday. Second of a double header. Inaugural Border War alumni game. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)</p>
<p>Strathmore Reds alumni coach Darwin Armitage displays the 2016 alumni border war trophy after the Reds swept the Logger Legends in Saturday's doubleheader alumni game.</p>
<p>Loggers Manager Kelly Morford as umpire during Saturday's inaugural Border War alumni doubleheader. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)</p>
<p>Pop-up fly with Logger Legends Jared Winslow, left, Cole Spencer, Eric Riddle, Nate Herbig, Josh Foote, Colton Cannon and Cameron Burke. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)</p>
Alumni games generate more than $500 for baseball team
It was all smiles at Lee Gehring Field last weekend as the Libby Loggers American Legion Baseball team’s alumni game went international. After Saturday’s double-header sweep, a Canadian team took home the cross-border trophy.
Traditionally, the alumni team plays the current Libby Loggers lineup in the annual alumni game. This year, the Logger organization shook it up, inviting the Strathmore Reds to build their own alumni squad to travel to Lee Gehring for the first ever “Border War.”
“Our alumni enjoyed playing a game with another alumni team. That really added another element to it; It was friendly but competitive,” said Logger head coach Kelly Morford, who donned the blues to officiate the friendly weekend games.
The three-game series opened on Friday with an 11-0 win for the Logger team, composed of 14 former Libby players. Saturday was Strathmore’s day on the diamond though, sweeping the afternoon double-header 10-4 and 2-0.
The Border War trophy, Morford said, was donated by the Torgison family, who found the old trophy in their newly-acquired restaurant. Libby baseball organizers tore the name plate from the trophy, replaced it with a stretch of duct tape and, using a marker, relabeled the award the “2016 Border War Trophy.”
“We didn’t know what to expect, this being the first year,” Morford said. “Those Strathmore boys enjoyed playing on the field again. Hopefully we can keep it going next year.”
The alumni game is a fundraiser for the Libby baseball organization. Each player pays $20 to play, while concessions and entry fees are all deposited into the Loggers’ general fund.
Morford said in coming years, he hopes to draw alumni teams from around the area to fill a tournament at Lee Gehring Field.
Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.