Loggers split with Mariners

| July 19, 2008 1:00 AM

The Daily Inter Lake

LIBBY - Steve Bertelsen settled down after a shaky start to pitch Libby to an 8-6 victory over Mission Valley on Friday in the opening game of a nonconference American Legion Class A baseball doubleheader.

The Mariners, however, rebounded in the second game for an 8-7 victory thanks to a two-run RBI single by Tim Rausch in the sixth inning.

Bertelsen, who gave up a home run to Eric Locke and two doubles in the first inning, held the Mariners to eight hits after that. He struck out five.

Mission Valley, who tallied four runs in the first inning, left the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings.

Bertelsen also had a big game at the plate, going 3-for-4. He doubled along with teammates Rory Hendrickson and Colt Cannon.

Nick Fell went 3-for-4 to pace the Mariners in the second game and drove in two runs. Fell also doubled.

"We had an opportunity to win both," Libby coach Kelly Morford said.

"It was good to see our kids come back in both games."

Rory Hendrickson, 2-for-4, tripled in the finale for Libby and drove in two runs.

Libby plays a doubleheader Sunday at Eureka versus Kootenai Valley starting at 1 p.m. The Loggers lead the Northern Division with an 8-2 league mark.

Mission Valley 400 100 1 - 6 11 4

Libby 016 100 x - 8 12 2

Tyler Linse, Beau Nordberg (5) and Tim Rausch; Steve Bertelsen and Matt Schad. W - Bertelsen (5-3). L - Linse.

Mission Valley - John Rausch 1-5, Eric Locke 1-5, T. Rausch 1-4, Linse 3-4, Nordberg 0-3, Nick Fell 1-3, Craig Bagnell 1-4, Brandon Roy 3-3, Kyle Brown 0-3.

Libby - Chris Herbig 1-4, Bertelsen 3-4, Rory Hendrickson 2-4, Schad 0-3, Ryan Stapley 1-3, Nate Peltier 1-3, Derek Benefield 1-3, Dustin Morningstar 1-3, Colt Cannon 2-3.

2B-J. Rausch, Linse; Bertelsen, Hendrickson, Cannon; HR-Locke; RBIs-Locke (2), Linse, Brown; Hendrickson, Stapley (2), Peltier, Benefield, Cannon.

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Mission Valley 005 012 0 - 8 12 2

Libby 000 151 0 - 7 8 3

J. Rausch, Matt Detwiller (6) and T. Rausch; Cannon, Hendrickson (4) and Schad. W - J. Rausch. L - Hendrickson (2-6).

Mission Valley - J. Rausch 1-4, Locke 0-4, T. Rausch 2-4, Linse 1-4, Nordberg 1-3, Fell 3-4, Bagnell 2-4, Austin Moran 0-3, Detwiller 0-0, Brown 2-4.

Libby (18-20) - Herbig 2-3, Bertelsen 0-4, Hendrickson 2-4, Schad 1-4, Stapley 1-4, Peltier 0-3, Benefield 1-3, Morningstar 0-1, Nick Monroe 1-1, Cannon 1-3.

2B-Fell; Benefield; 3B-Hendrickson; RBIs-T. Rausch (2), Linse, Nordberg, Fell (2); Herbig, Hendrickson (2), Schad, Cannon.