Libby Loggers Legion wins season-opener at Gehring Field

The Libby A Loggers split their season-opening doubleheader with the Fort Macleod Royals out of Canada on Saturday, winning game one 14-4 before dropping game two 16-15. 

According to information in the Daily Inter Lake, Bransen Holzer paced Libby’s offense with four runs driven in and two hits in game one as the Loggers jumped out to an early 6-1 lead after two innings at Lee Gehring Field. Boe Miles’ 3-run double in the bottom of the sixth ended the game on the 10-run rule. 

Aidan Rose took the mound for the Loggers (1-1) and earned the win after allowing two earned runs and fanning seven across five innings. Kale Hall worked a scoreless sixth.

Nixon Strangway took the loss for the Royals (1-1), lasting just two innings, surrendering five earned runs. 

Fort Macleod 16, Libby 15

The Royals jumped out to an early 11-1 lead after two innings before the Loggers responded with eight runs in the third inning in a back-and-forth game two. 

Libby capitalized on their patience at the plate, as they walked 13 times in the game. Ian Thom went 2-for-4 with three RBIs while Aidan Rose and Boe Miles combined to walk five times and score five runs. 

Cashe Kropinak had a game-high four RBIs for Fort Macleod, going 2-for-3 and scoring three runs. Libby scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to trim the deficit to one, before a pop out ended the game.

SUNDAY

Fort Macleod 15, Libby 8 

After losing the first of four games against Libby, the Fort Macleod Royals stormed back to win the next three, concluding with Sunday’s doubleheader. 

In game one, Libby’s pitchers struggled to throw strikes, walking 15 batters, allowed six hits and 13 earned runs. The Loggers held a 7-4 lead heading into the fifth inning before the Royals responded with 11 unanswered runs over the final three frames to pull away.  

Libby (1-3) jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first inning — three runs came around to score on an error before Elijah Foulke singled home a run. They loaded the bases in the fourth inning and scored three runs without recording a hit. 

The Royals (3-1) immediately responded with six runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Zak Wright’s double that drove in two. Young Pine, Kaden Lee and Wright knocked in two runs each, Cashe Kropinak added two hits.  

Fort Macleod 15, Libby 11 

A seven-run fourth inning was the difference in game two as both teams put up double-digit runs and scored in every inning. 

The Royals took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning before Libby responded with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three on errors and the fourth run on Ian Thom’s RBI fielder’s choice. 

Neither team generated much offensive firepower — Fort Macleod was held to four hits, Libby three as patience at the plate was the difference in the game. Five different Loggers pitchers combined to walk 19 batters, compared to the Royals' nine.

The Loggers will host their annual Wood Bat Tournament this weekend at Gehring Field. 

The action begins at 5 p.m. Friday with the Class A Loggers facing the Kalispell Sluggers at 5:30 p.m. Libby’s B team will take on the Central Alberta Wolves at 8 p.m.

At noon Saturday, the Cranbrook Bandits face the Kalispell Sluggers. Kalispell then battles Central Alberta at 2:30 p.m.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, Libby plays Cranbrook and at 7:30 p.m. the Loggers tangle with Central Alberta.

Sunday’s games are at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Game times on Sunday may be flipped to accommodate team travel.

Logger season passes are accepted for entrance. Tournament passes are $25 for a family, $15 for an individual and $10 for a student or senior.

    Libby Loggers Bransen Holzer slides into third base with a 2-run triple in the bottom of the first inning against Fort Macleod Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lee Gehring Field. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
  

    Libby Loggers Brody Gilmore steals second base in the bottom of the first inning with two outs against Fort Macleod Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Lee Gehring Field. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)