Libby Logger baseball
Colton Cannon tries to beat the throw at second base. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Legion baseball off to 2-6 start
by Kootenai Valley Record
May 21, 2008
The Libby Loggers American Legion baseball team went to 2-6 last week with wins against Cranbrook and Eureka.
In their home opener at Lee Gehring Field on Friday, May 9, the Loggers fell to the Glacier Twins AA 4-3. Glacier gained the win with solo home runs in the sixth and eighth innings.
Libby’s Ryan Stapley batted 2-for-3 with an RBI. Nate Peltier was the starting pitcher while Rory Hendrickson suffered the loss in relief.
“It was a great game by both teams,” said Libby coach Kelly Morford. “Those low-scoring, back-and-forth games are fun to play and make teams better down the stretch. It was great to see Nate have such a great start on the mound. Hopefully he can keep that up throughout the year.”
Libby lost both halves of a doubleheader at home the following day against Missoula.
The first game was tied 2-2 in the fourth inning, but Missoula pulled away late for a 7-3 win.
Second baseman Chris Herbig led Libby at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Derek Benefield started on the hill and took the loss.
In the second game, Missoula led 5-3 after five innings but blew up for 13 more in the final innings to win 18-3. Lefthander Dustin Morningstar made his first career start for the Loggers and took the loss. Matt Schad and Royce Hendrickson both had a hit and an RBI.
“That team hit really well,” Morford said. “They will probably be one of the best hitting teams that we end up facing this year.”
Libby split a doubleheader at Cranbrook on Sunday, May 11. The first game was tied 3-3 after four innings, but Cranbrook ran away late for an 11-3 victory. Colton Cannon made his first start of the year and took the loss.
“Colt worked well on the hill,” Morford said. “His fastball had some hop and his curve was sharp. He was just the victim of some bad breaks.”
Libby won the second game 6-2. The Loggers broke open a 1-0 game in the fifth with a five-run inning that was sparked by Rory Hendrickson’s two-run single. Hendrickson and Herbig both had two hits and two RBIs to lead the offensive charge for the Loggers.
Steve Bertelsen pitched a complete game four-hitter. He took a shutout into the seventh before he surrendered two unearned runs.
“Stevie was able to control his fastball and off-speed pitches both in that game,” Morford said. “That was the key to his success, being able to throw any pitch in any count for a strike.”
Libby lost 8-6 to the Kalispell Lakers at Kalispell on Tuesday. The Loggers took a one-run lead in the top of the seventh on a two-run homer to left center by Rory Hendrickson. The Lakers quickly regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Rory Hendrickson started on the hill. Herbig relieved in the seventh and took the loss.
Rory Hendrickson was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, and Nate Peltier added an RBI double.
Back home on Wednesday, the Loggers downed Eureka 10-1. Rory Hendrickson went 3-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers. Cannon and Stapley each had a double and an RBI.
Benefield pitched the complete game, giving up just three hits and striking out 15.
Morford noted that the Loggers were tied or had the lead in six out of the first seven games they played but only had one win to show for it.
“A majority of the innings we have played have been pretty dang good,” he said. “It is just too bad that the few poor ones can spoil the game.”
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Editor’s Note: See the May 19, 2008 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Monday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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