Libby’s late rally falls short in tight loss to Ronan

A valiant comeback effort from the Libby Loggers came up just short on Saturday afternoon, as visiting Ronan used a big second inning and strong pitching to hold on for a 7-5 win in non-conference softball action.

Libby found themselves in an early hole after Ronan struck for six runs in the second inning, capitalizing on timely hits and a pair of Logger errors. Despite the early deficit, Libby stayed composed and chipped away at the lead over the next few frames.

Carmen Kohler pitched the full game for Libby, battling through seven innings while allowing eight hits and four earned runs out of seven total. She struck out seven and walked six in a gritty effort from the circle.

Offensively, the Loggers were paced by Bently Houston, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs. Dakota Allen added a double and went 1-for-4, while Madison Vincent and Rachel Kosters each recorded two hits apiece. 

Libby’s biggest spark came in the bottom of the fourth when Houston’s single brought in two runs. A passed ball and Peyton Waggoner RBI in the sixth brought Libby within three runs, but Ronan’s defense held firm to end the game.

Ronan’s Kaydnce Santos was tough to solve from the circle, racking up 11 strikeouts and allowing just one walk in seven innings of work.

With the loss, Libby dropped to 2-2.

Saturday, April 5

At Libby

RONAN 7, LIBBY 5

Ronan - 0601000 - 7 - 8 - 1

Libby - 0002021 - 5 - 8 - 2

LIBBY HITTING: Madison Vincent 2-4, Weslee MacDonald 0-2, Teighler Park 0-2, Rachel Kosters 2-4, Dakota Allen 1-4, Peyton Waggoner 0-2, Bently Houston 2-3, Carmen Kohler 0-3, Leah Rusdal 0-3, Maddi Willis 1-2, Rossi Baney 0-1; RBI: Waggoner, Houston 2; 2B: Allen, 3B: B Houston

LIBBY PITCHING: Carmen Kohler (7IP, 8H, 7R, 1ER, 6BB, 7SO)