Loggers beat Flathead 18-8, shutout C-Falls 3-0
Libby sophomore shortstop Emily Carvey throws to junior McKenzie Proffitt at first for the final out of the first inning against Columbia Falls Saturday at Remp Field. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Columbia Falls’ Alyssa Blankenship comes up short as Libby junior first baseman McKenzie Proffitt gets the catch, after Blankenship grounded out to Libby junior pitcher Keira Ward, final out, top of the third, Saturday at Remp Field. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Libby Junior McKenzie Proffitt catches the throw from sophomore shortstop Emily Carvey for the final out, top of the first inning, Saturday at Remp Field The Loggers kept the Wildkats from a single hit until the third inning. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Libby junior Keira Ward pitches her final strike of the shutout against Columbia Falls, seventh inning, Saturday at Remp Field. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Libby senior Samantha Miller hits a high fly ball toward center field, almost reaching the fence for a base hit against Columbia Falls, bottom of the sixth, Saturday at Remp Field. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Libby junior Keira Ward is safe at first on a bunt that sent sophomore Bethany Thomas home to score the final run for the Loggers, bottom of the fifth, Saturday at Remp Field. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
The Libby High School softball team came out of last week with back-to-back wins against Flathead, 18-8, Thursday and Columbia Falls, 3-0, Saturday.
Libby Head Coach Dean Thompson said that Thursday was the first game the Loggers had all the girls back for, and served as a good lead-in to their conference game Saturday.
“We hit the ball real well against them. Their pitcher, she throws pretty well,” he said.
Senior Linsey Walker got some time in pitching against the Bravettes, allowing only four hits and 5 runs in three innings.
Thompson said that they expect the team to need two pitchers this season, so they are trying to get Walker as much experience as they can.
Junior Keira Ward is bringing a lot of quality to her pitching game for the Loggers, and threw the entire shutout against Columbia Falls Saturday.
Thompson said that Ward did a good job, but that the win was still a team effort.
“Putting a goose egg on the board, that’s a big thing, but, you know what, the defense played incredible behind her,” Thompson said.
Having that defense backing her means Ward can have the confidence to pitch what she needs to.
Senior catcher Sammee Bradeen is no small part of that, as a solid player behind the plate.
“It’s nice having her back there,” Thompson said. “She is a solid player back there, and that’s why she’s going to Jamestown.”
Thompson said that he hopes Ward will bring the kind of pitching throughout the season that she gave the Loggers on Saturday.
“And I think she will. I think she will,” he said.
Ward also brought in the final run for Libby in the bottom of the fifth inning on a bunt.
“And then she lays that bunt down today, oh, that’s a great bunt. Right to first base, she scores the run,” Thompson said.
On a day when the pitchers for both teams were making a hit hard to get, Bradeen also had a great moment, hitting a line drive to leftfield fence.
That hit took Bradeen to second base and sent senior Emily Carvey home.
“On a warm day, I’ll bet ya’ that’s goin’ over, but, you know, I’ll tell you what I tell our girls: ‘We’re not homerun hitters,’” Thompson said. “We’ll take a long single. That’s alright. We base hit, and if it goes over, that’s what’s going to happen.”
On the bases, sophomore Bethany Thomas tore around the diamond, scoring the run off of Ward’s bunt and another in the bottom of the third off of a wild pitch.
Thompson agreed that Thomas brings a lot of speed, and can even be deceptively fast.
But more than that, there is no hesitation from Thomas when she sees her opportunity, whether that’s stealing a base or taking off when she makes contact hitting.
“When she hits, she 100 percent takes off running,” Thompson said.
“She’s doing a good job. Like I said, that’s a real big team effort, and that’s what we preach all year, is, it’s not one person that’s going to win a game, it’s our team,” Thompson said.
The Loggers play next at home, facing Stevensville at 5 p.m. The junior varsity game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
Thursday, April 4
Libby 18, Flathead 8
F 023 03 - R:8 H:8 E:3
L 424 26 - R:18 H:14 E:1
F: Sydney Olson 4-0, 1R; Kayla Kallis 2-0, 1R; Riley Chouinard 3-2, 2R, 2RBI; Ilyssa Centner 3-1; Karissa Comer 1-1, 1R, 1RBI, 2BB; Alyssa Codwalander 3-1, 1R, 2RBI; Macy Craver 2-1, 1R, 1BB, 1K; Kyann Devera 3-1, 1RBI, 1K; Brianna Moralis 3-1, 1RBI, 1K; Alyssa Poe-Hatton 0-0, 1R.
L: Linsey Walker 5-2, 3R, 3RBI; Emily Carvey 2-1, 2R, 2BB, 1K; Sammee Bradeen 2-1, 1BB; Taylor Holm 4-3, 2R, 6RBI; Sheyla Gallagher 3-1, 2R, 2RBI, 1BB; Samantha Miller 3-1, 2RBI; McKenzie Proffitt 4-2, 2R, 1RBI; Bethany Thomas 3-2, 3R, 1K; Amaya Borden 1-0, 1K; Keira Ward 1-1, 2R, 1RBI, 2BB; Ember Rode 0-0, 2R.
Batting: 2B - Miller, Bradeen, Carvey, Holm; Chouinard 2, Codwalander; TB - Miller 2, Bradeen 2, Thomas 2, Proffitt 2, Carvey 2, Walker 2, Gallagher, Ward, Holm 4; SB - Thomas, Carvey, Walker, Ward; Codwalander, Craver
Pitching: W - Walker 3, 70 P, .614 S%, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB; Ward 2, 36 P, .694 S%, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 SO, 1 BB; L - Centner 4.2, 128 P, .531 S%, 14 H, 18 R, 12 ER, 3 SO, 6 BB
Saturday, April 6
Libby 3, Columbia Falls 0
C 000 000 0 - R:0 H:3 E:1
L 002 010 X - R:3 H:5 E:1
C: Kaylee Ashe 3-1, 1K; Alyssa Blankenship 3-0; Trista Cowan 3-0; Rylee Kehr 2-0, 1BB, 1K; Graceanne Savesind 2-0, 1BB; Chloe Kienas 3-0, 1K; Savvy Ellis 3-0, 1K; McKenna Resal 3-1; Isabelle Johnson 3-1.
L: Linsey Walker 3-0, 2K; Emily Carvey 2-0, 1R, 1BB, 1K; Sammee Bradeen 2-1, 1RBI, 1BB; Taylor Holm 3-0, 2K; Sheyla Gallagher 3-0, 1K; Samantha Miller 3-1; MaKenzie Proffitt 3-0, 1K; Bethany Thomas 2-2, 2R; Kira Ward 2-1, 1RBI, 1K.
Batting: 2B - Bradeen; Johnson; TB - Miller, Bradeen 2, Thomas 2, Ward; Ashe, Resal, Johnson 2; SB - Thomas.
Pitching: W - Ward 7, 96 P, .646 S%, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB; L - Ellis 6, 106 P, .651 S%, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 8 SO, 2 BB