Legion State Game 12: Mission Valley 11, Libby 3

Mission Valley knocked off the Western District Champion Libby Loggers 11-3 behind a stellar pitching performance by Josh Rustad, who was running on just two days rest.

Rustad went the complete game and struck out 13, holding the hard-hitting Loggers to just six hits.

The Mariners jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings, but Libby scored three in the top of the sixth and looked to be coming back. Mission Valley answered in the bottom of the frame, however, with Kevin Hagedorn hitting a two-run homer. Hagedorn added to the lead again in the bottom of the seventh with a single that plated two runs and made it 8-3.

Hagedorn finished the game 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs.

In the bottom of the eighth, Mission Valley got an RBI by Robbie Gauthier and a double by Austin Von Tom that scored two to make it 11-3. The Mariners had seven doubles in the game against Libby.

Micha Germany went 1-for-4 for the Loggers with a double and an RBI.

Mission Valley will play the winner of the Laurel-Great Falls game tomorrow at noon.

Libby - 000 - 003 - 000 - 3
Mission Valley - 022 - 002 - 23x - 11

Libby - 6 hits and 1 error. Mission Valley 13 hits and 1 error.

Mariners hitting - Jack Humphreys 1-3, Justin Evertz 0-4, Chris Clary 3-4, Robbie Gauthier 1-5, Derrick Rathe 2-4, Austin Von Tom 2-4, Kevin Hagedorn 2-3, Dalton Molzhon 1-4, Jake Young 1-4.

Doubles - Clary 2, Gauthier, Rathe 2, Von Tom 2. Home Runs - Hagedorn. RBIs - Gauthier 2, Rathe, Von Tom 2, Hagdorn 4, Young 2.

Mariners pitching (Jack Humphreys catching): Josh Rustad (9 IP, 13K)

Libby hitting - Justin Wicka 0-4, Jared Winslow 1-3, Chris Herbig 3-4, Alex Cislo 0-4, Micha Germany 1-4, Alex Bluhm 0-4, Justyn Mack 1-2, Andrew Haggerty 0-3, Will Reichel 0-3, Matt Willis 0-1, Luke Haggerty 0-1, Gunner Bradeen 0-1.

Doubles - Germany. RBIs - Germany, Bluhm, Mack.

Libby pitching (Micha Germany catching): Jared Winslow (5 IP, 3K), Justyn Mack (1 2/3 IP, 2K), Alex Bluhm (1 1/3 IP, 1K).

Legion State Game 10: Libby 13, Belgrade 7

The Western District hasn't been kind to the Belgrade Bandits. After the Bandits lost to the Mission Valley Mariners last night (from the Western District), they fell today 13-7 to the Libby Loggers in a loser-out contest.

Chris Herbig went the distance for the Loggers, striking out five, while Belgrade had to use five different pitchers.

Libby jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the third, but Belgrade would answer back with four of their own in the bottom of the frame thanks to a double by Brett Franklin with the bases loaded scored three runs. Conner Switzer also bunted to bring in a run.

The Loggers weren't having any of it, however, and in the top of the fourth they scored eight runs off six hits and one Belgrade error. Jared Winslow got the game going with a double to score a run and then six runs later, Winslow made it back up to the plate where he singled to drive in another score. He dinished the game 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.

In the bottom of the fifth, Franklin hit a solo home run but the Bandits' bats would go quiet after that until the bottom of the ninth.

They sparked a mini-rally, as a Libby error allowed Alex Hess to score and then a batter later, a passed ball opened home for Chris Mitchell, but that's where it would end for the Bandits.

The loss knocks the Bandits out of the Class A State Tournament.

Libby - 005 - 800 - 000 - 13
Belgrade - 004 - 010 - 002 - 7

Libby - 12 hits and 2 errors. Belgrade - 12 hits and 4 errors.

Libby hitting - Justin Wicka 2-5, Jared Winslow 2-5, Chris Herbig 2-5, Alex Cislo 1-6, Micha Germany 0-4, Alex Bluhm 1-3, Justyn Mack 2-4, Andrew Haggerty 1-4, Will Reichel 1-2, Tate Wilson 0-4.

Doubles - Winslow, Herbig. RBIs - Winslow 3, Herbig, Cislo, Germany, Bluhm, Mack 2, Reichel.

Libby Pitching (Micha Germany catching) - Chris Herbig (9 IP, 5K)

Belgrade hitting - Brett Franklin 4-5, Chris Gilbreaith 1-5, Trevor Mahn 1-4, LD Seversen 1-4, Conner Switzer 0-3, Jose Eudave 0-2, Mark Erickson 1-4, Alex Hess 0-3, Chris Mitchell 3-4, Christian Vosler 1-2.

Doubles - Seversen, Franklin. Home Runs - Franklin. RBIs - Franklin 4, Switzer.

Belgrade pitching (Conner Switzer catching) - Brayden Harris (3IP, 1K), Chris Gilbreaith (1/3 IP), David Gaetano (2/3 IP), LD Seversen (4 IP, 4K), Brett Franklin (1 IP).

Game 5 - Libby 14, Dillon 3

After having 19 of their batters strike out yesterday, Libby got all that pent up offense out of their system with a 14-3 victory over the Dillon Cubs in a game shortened due to the 10-run rule. Dillon has been knocked out of the the tournament with two loses.

Alex Bluhm hit a grand slam in the top of the second to blow the game wide open for the Loggers.

Dillon put in MJ Simkins, who pitched admirably in relief and kept the Loggers in check. The Cubs tried to chip away with runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings but couldn't overcome the looming deficit.

Libby's Jared Winslow started the game and struck out three in just two innings, and then with the game looking like it was in hand, Bluhm was put in to pitch and he finished things out.

Dillon actually outhit the Loggers 9-7, but really hurt themselves with seven errors. Cubs' leadoff hitter Dilan Starkel was 2-for-3 with a double.

Libby will play the loser of the Belgrade-Mission Valley game, at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Libby - 462 - 000 - 2 - 14
Dillon - 001 - 110 - 0 - 3

Libby - 7 hits and 2 errors. Dillon - 9 hits and 7 errors.

Libby Hitting - Justin Wicka 1-3, Jared Winslow 1-4, Chris Herbig 2-4, Alex Cislo 2-3, Micha Germany 0-3, Alex Bluhm 1-3, Justyn Mack 0-1, Andrew Haggerty 0-2, Will Reichel 0-3.

Doubles - Wicka, Winslow. Home Runs - Bluhm. RBIs - Bluhm 5, Herbig, Cislo, Germany 2, Mack, Reichel.

Libby Pitching - Jared Winslow (2 IP, 3Ks). Alex Bluhm (5IP, 3K). Catching - Micha Germany.

Dillin Hitting - Dilan Starkel 2-3, Donnie Moore 1-4, Andy Peterson 1-3, Luke Renfree 1-3, Robert Walsh 1-3, Dillon Womack 1-3, MJ Simkins 1-3, Cole Miotke 1-2, Bud Mehring 0-2.

Doubles - Starkel, Moore. RBIs - Starkel, Moore, Miotke.

Dillon Pitching - Donnie Moore (1 1/3 IP, 1K), Pierce Pendleton (0 IP), MJ Simkins (5 2/3 IP, 4Ks) Catching - Robert Walsh.

Legion State Game 1 - Fort MacLeod 6, Libby 1

The Western District champion Libby Loggers were upended by a 19-strikeout performance by Fort Macleod Royals' pitcher Jake Hansen.

Libby would score one run in the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles by Alex Bluhm and Justyn Mack, and back-to-back errors by the Royals that allowed Alex Bluhm to score. The Loggers had four hits in the game.

An error in the first inning allowed Fort Macleod to get on the board first, as Maverick Price scored for the Royals after an outfielder dropped the ball in the outfield. In the bottom of the third, Jake Hansen doubled to scored a run and then later in the inning, Tyler Ammann singled to plate another.

The Royals' Taylor Wolstenholme homered to lead off the bottom of the fifth for the 4-1 lead, and then Fort Macleod would score two more runs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a sac fly by Price and Wolstenholme would score latter in the inning thanks to an error.

Libby didn't help themselves with three errors.

Libby - 000 - 010 - 000 - 1
Fort Macleod - 102 - 010 - 200 - 6

Libby - 4 hits and 3 errors. FM - 7 hits and 3 errors.

Royals Hitting - Taylor Wolstenholme 2-3, Maverick Price 0-2, Hayden Shackel 0-3, Jake Hansen 2-2, Luc Lavorato 0-3, Tyler Ammann 1-3, Blair Goodreau 0-4, Ryan Cook 1-4, Cole Bennett 0-2, Aiden Kidd 1-1.

Doubles - Hansen. Home Runs - Wolstenholme. RBIs - Wolstenholme. Hansen. Tyler Ammann. Price.

Loggers Hitting - Justin Wicka 0-2, Jared Winslow 0-4, Chris Herbig 0-4, Alex Cislo 0-4, Micha Germany 2-3, Alex Bluhm 1-3, Justyn Mack 1-3, Andrew Haggerty 0-3, Will Reichel 0-3.

Royals pitching - Hansen (9 IP, 19Ks)
Libby pitching - Justin Wicka (4IP, 4K), Justin Mack (5IP, 1K)

Loggers whip Lakers

From Eric Schwartz of the Daily Inter Lake, last night was a rough one for the Class A Kalispell Lakers. The Libby Loggers, fresh off their loss in the championship game of the Mission Valley Firecracker Tournament - trounced the Lakers 12-2.

Loggers whip Lakers - Daily Inter Lake