Loggers go 2-2 in West A Tournament
Second baseman Alex Svendsbye puts the tag on Cranbrook's Ryley Ducharme for the second out bottom of second inning vs. Bandits Thursday evening. Loggers over Bandits 20-3 in district tournament play. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Center fielder Tripp Zhang snags the third out bottom of sixth inning vs. Bandits July 18. Libby over Cranbrook 20-3. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Shortstop Jeff Offenbecher puts the tag on Greg Rebagliati for the third out bottom of first inning vs. Bandits July 18. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Alex Svendsbye's RBI infield base hit scores Tucker Masters top of second inning vs. Red Sox July 19. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Right fielder Caden Williams with the third out bottom of fifth inning vs. Cranbrook Thursday evening. Loggers over Bandits 20-3. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
The Libby Loggers American Legion baseball team went 2-2 in the West A District Tournament hosted in Libby, taking their final loss during consolation play to the Glacier Twins, 4-1.
Even in their lost games, the Loggers showed marked improvement against the Twins, as well as against the Bitterroot Red Sox, who beat the Loggers 10-2. Both teams have had much more decisive wins against Libby during the regular season.
The Loggers started off the tournament on a very high note, beating the Cranbrook Bandits 20-3.
Tucker Masters and Aydan Williamson led Libby in RBIs during the game against the Bandits Thursday, each sending in four runners. Shayne Walker had three RBIs and Quade Anderson had two. Bringing in single RBIs were Jeffery Offenbecher, Ethan Borden, Donovan Fornall, Alex Svensbye and Tripp Zhang.
Though the Loggers had a solid 9-3 lead heading into the top of the seventh, things fell completely apart for Cranbrook in the top of the inning, as Libby scored 11 more runs for the final 20-3 score.
On Friday, the Loggers faced the Bitterroot Red Sox, a team that beat Libby 14-5 just a little over a month ago.
Their tournament game stayed close early, and Libby led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning. But, the Red Sox hit back in the third, scoring 3 runs in the third and another 3 in the fourth. They capped the game off in the bottom of the sixth with their final 4 runs.
Loggers Head Coach Kelly Morford acknowledged that Libby faired better against the Red Sox than they had previously.
“We hit the ball a lot harder than they did. It was just one of those days when — baseball goes against you sometimes,” Morford said. “I thought we played better than they did, but it sure didn’t show on the scoreboard, and that’s the way baseball goes sometimes.”
Unable to score any more runs after the second inning, the Loggers ultimately fell 10-2 to the Red Sox.
When Libby faced the Missoula Mavericks in consolation play Saturday, they took the lead early, ending the first inning up, 2-1.
Both teams held their opponent through the next three innings, but the Mavericks pushed into the lead in the top of the fifth with 2 runs.
The Loggers responded in the bottom of the sixth inning, retaking the lead.
Moxley Roesler-Begalke scored the first run of the inning after Anderson was walked with the bases loaded, tying the score. On the next at-bat, Walker doubled on a fly ball to right field, sending in Anderson and Zhang.
After playing the Mavericks that afternoon, the Loggers came back Saturday night to face the Glacier Twins.
Libby hasn’t had a win this season against the Twins A team, losing their last games on June 13 11-0 and 13-0.
Yet, the Loggers had a close game against the Twins Saturday night, trailing by a single run until the bottom of the sixth, when the Twins scored the final two runs of the game.
Libby’s only run came in the top of the second when, despite grounding into a double play, Offenbecher gave Caden Williams the opportunity to score.
“We were pretty solid defensively, and that’s hurt us in the past,” Morford said. “We were better, defensively, in the tournament. We just couldn’t seem to get that timely hit, for the most part, in some of those losses.”
Morford said that there’s less room for error at the end of the season. “Everything’s magnified in the district tournament.”
Morford said that the Loggers still played much more competitively against the Twins than might have been expected from the early part of the season.
“I’m really proud of how far the kids came, and the fact that they’re able to be so competitive, and just a fun group to watch play and a fun group to coach,” he said. “I’m just appreciative to be a part of it.”
“I thought we had a great tournament,” Morford said. “It was a lot of fun to play here at home, and it was a great weekend, all-in-all.”
American Legion West A District Tournament
Thursday, July 18
Libby 20, Cranbrook 3
L 130 410 (11) - R:20 H:20 E:0
C 201 000 0 - R:3 H:6 E:6
L: Tripp Zhang 4-1, 2R, 1RBI, 2BB, 1K; Quade Anderson 3-1, 3R, 2RBI; Shayne Walker 6-4, 3R, 3RBI; Caden Williams 4-2, 1R; Ethan Borden 1-1, 1R, 1RBI; Jeffery Offenbecher 5-2, 2R, 1RBI, 2BB, 1K; Aydan Williamson 5-2, 3R, 4RBI, 1BB, 2K; Tucker Masters 3-3, 2R, 4RBI; Trey Thompson 2-0; Donovan Fornall 2-1, 1R, 1RBI; Alex Svensbye 5-3, 2R, 1RBI, 1K.
C: Cameron Reid 3-1, 1R, 1BB; Parker Thomson 3-2, 1R, 1RBI, 1K; Fisher Nelson 1-0, 1K; Quinn Grist 2-0; Carter Marlow 1-0, 2BB; Greg Rebagliati 2-0, 1BB; Carson Meggison 3-0, 2K; Ryley Ducharme 2-1; Hayden Mastel 1-0, 1BB, 1K; Michael Schieman 1-1; Carter White 3-1, 1R.
Batting: 2B - Masters, Walker 3; 3B - Williamson; TB - Masters 4, Offenbecher 2, Borden, Fornall, Anderson, Svensbye 3, Walker 7, Williams 2, Williamson 4, Zhang; Ducharme, Thomson 2, Reid, Schieman, White; SB - Walker; Thomson, Reid 2.
Pitching: W - Moxley Roesler-Begalke 6, 101 P, .545 S%, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 SO, 5 BB; Svensbye 1, 14 P, .500 S%, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB; L - Schroder 1.2, 66 P, .682 S%, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB; Marlow 2, 34 R, .618 S%, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB; Rebagliati 2.1, 49 P, .571 S%, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 1 BB.
Friday, July 19
Bitterroot 10, Libby 2
L 020 000 0 - R:2 H:4 E:3
B 003 304 X - R:10 H:10 E:2
L: Tripp Zhang 3-0, 1BB, 1K; Quade Anderson 4-1, 1K; Shayne Walker 4-0, 1K; Caden Williams 4-0, 1K; Jeffery Offenbecher 2-1, 1R, 1BB, 1K; Aydan Williamson 3-0, 1K; Tucker Masters 1-0, 1R, 1K; Trey Thompson 2-1; Zane Brown 1-0; Alex Svensbye 3-1, 1RBI.
B: Tyler Davis 4-2, 2R, 1RBI, 1BB; Dillon Pilkerton 4-1, 1R, 1K; Tucker Jones 2-1, 1R, 1RBI, 2BB; Mitchell Spinetta 3-1, 1R, 2RBI, 1BB; Nick Draper 2-0, 1R, 1RBI, 2BB; Tyson Rostad 3-1, 1R, 1BB, 2K; Bridon Bowman 4-0, 1RBI; Timothy Hickey 4-2, 1R, 1RBI; Tristan Lewis 4-2, 2R, 1RBI.
Batting: 2B - Davis, Lewis; TB - Pilkerton, Rostad, Davis 3, Jones, Lewis 3, Hickey 2, Spinetta; Offenbecher, Anderson, Svensbye, Thompson.
Pitching: W - Pilkerton 7, 107 P, .589 S%, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB; L - Williams 4.2, 107 P, .561 S%, 7 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 SO, 4 BB; Brown 0.1, 25 P, .480 S%, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 SO, 3 BB; Williamson 1, 16 P, .500 S%, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 0BB.
Saturday, July 20
Libby 6, Missoula 3
M 100 020 0 - R:3 H:8 E:1
L 200 004 X - R:6 H:5 E:2
M: Adam Jones 3-1, 1R, 1BB; Skye Palmer 4-1, 1K; Charles Kirgan 2-1, 1R; Connor Jordan 4-0, 1RBI; Ian Finch 3-2, 1R, 1RBI, 1BB; Marcus Stobb 4-1, 1RBI, 1K; Turner McCullough 3-1, 1K; Cooper Elliott 3-0; Henry Gibbs 3-1.
L: Tripp Zhang 2-1, 1R, 2BB; Quade Anderson 2-0, 2R, 1RBI, 2BB, 1K; Shayne Walker 3-1, 1R, 3RBI, 1BB; Caden Williams 3-0, 1RBI; Jeffery Offenbecher 4-1, 1RBI, 1K; Donovan Fornall 2-0, 2K; Aydan Williamson 1-0, 1BB; Moxley Roesler-Begalke 3-1, 1R, 1K; Trey Thompson 2-1; Alex Svensbye 2-0, 1R, 1BB, 1 K.
Batting: 2B - Walker; Finch; TB - Roesler-Begalke, Offenbecher, Thompson, Walker 2, Zhang; Finch 3, Gibbs, Jones, Kirgan, McCullough, Palmer, Stobb; SB - Roesler-Begalke, Williamson.
Pitching: W - Anderson 6, 88 P, .636 S%, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 SO, 1 BB; Offenbecher 1, 18 P, .500 S%, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 1 BB; L - Kirgan 5.2, 98 P, .633 S%, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 SO, 5 BB; Jones 0.1, 23 P, .609 S%, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 SO, 2 BB.
Glacier 4, Libby 1
L 010 000 0 - R:1 H:3 E:3
G 200 002 X - R:4 H:7 E:0
L: Tripp Zhang 2-0, 1BB, 1K; Quade Anderson 3-0, 1K; Shayne Walker 3-1; Caden Williams 3-1, 1R, 1K; Aydan Williamson 3-1, 1K; Jeffery Offenbecher 2-0, 1BB; Tucker Masters 2-0, 1BB; Moxley Roesler-Begalke 2-0; Donovan Fornall 1-0; Alex Svensbye 2-0, 1K.
G: Jack Schwaiger 4-2, 1RBI; Zachary Veneman 4-1, 1R; Coby Clark-Dickinson 2-2, 1R, 2RBI, 1BB; Austyn Andrachick 3-0; Stevyn Andrachick 1-0, 2BB; Forrest Kobelt 3-0, 1R; Nathan Hader 3-0, 1R, 1K; Jay Tyree 3-2; Jack Price 2-0, 1RBI, 1BB.
Batting: 2B - Walker; HR - Clark-Dickinson; TB - Schwaiger 2, Clark-Dickinson 5, Tyree 2, Veneman; Walker 2, Williams, Williamson; SB - Zhang.
Pitching: W - Hurst 6.2, 86 P, .593 S%, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 SO, 3 BB; Veneman 0.1, 5 P, .600 S%, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 0 BB; L - Walker 6, 98 P, .571 S%, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 SO, 4 BB, 1 HR.