Loggers whip Lakers
<p>Kalispell third baseman Skylar Brown attempts to tag out Libby’s Andrew Haggerty as he slides into third base. The Lakers dropped the Class A American Legion baseball contest to the Loggers Tuesday night, 12-2.</p>
<p>Kalispell’s Charlie Obermiller dives back to first base in Tuesday’s contest with the Libby Loggers at Griffin Field.</p>
The Libby Loggers scattered 12 hits across eight innings and toppled the Kalispell Lakers 12-2 in an American Legion Class A conference matchup at Griffin Field Tuesday.
The Loggers were buoyed by pitcher Chris Herbig, who stayed on the mound for the complete game, allowing one earned run on seven Kalispell hits while striking out eight.
"He's given us some big innings lately," Libby Coach Kelly Morford said.
Libby was coming off two consecutive late-inning losses that landed them in second place Saturday at the Firecracker Tournament in Polson.
"It's nice to be able to come back from that and get a win," Morford said.
Kalispell jumped ahead early in the first inning on a double by Zack Personett that scored Charlie Obermiller, who had singled to lead off.
The Lakers struck again in the second inning as Robbie Krueger hit a single and then scored one batter later on a Libby throwing error to make it 2-0.
From the second inning on, it was all Libby.
The Loggers capitalized on singles by Justin Wicka, Jared Winslow and Herbig - coupled with a pair of Kalispell errors - to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning.
They added to their lead in the fourth with a two-out rally that resulted in five runs.
Andrew Haggerty reached base on an error and Wicka followed with a single. They both scored on a grounder by Winslow that resulted in a throwing error.
After Herbig walked, first baseman Alex Cislo smashed a triple to left field that scored both Herbig and Winslow. Cislo then scored on an infield hit off the bat of Micah Germany to put the Loggers ahead 8-3.
Libby added two more runs in the seventh with the help of a double by Wicka. The Loggers capped the game off with a two-run eighth inning powered by singles off the bats of Alex Bluhm and Tate Wilson followed by Cislo's second triple of the game.
Libby was led offensively by Wicka, who went 3 for 6 with a double and two runs batted in. Herbig, Bluhm had two hits a piece, as did Cislo, who also had three RBIS.
"We've kept our winning ways in conference going," Morford said.
Libby 003 500 22 - 1 2 12 2
Kalispell 110 000 00 - 2 7 6
Chris Herbig and Micah Germany; Hank McLeod, Dawson Day (7) and Robert Simmons. W - Herbig. L - McLeod.
LIBBY - Justin Wicka 3-6, Jared Winslow 1-5, Herbig 2-2, Alex Cislo 2-5, Germany 1-5, Alex Bluhm 2-4, Tate Wilson 1-5, Justyn Mack 0-5, Andrew Haggerty 0-4.
2B - Wicka, Bluhm; 3B - Cislo (2); RBI - Cislo (3), Wicka (2), Herbig, Germany
KALISPELL - Charlie Obermiller 1-3, Zack Personett 1-4, McLeod 1-3, Simmons 1-4, Jake Johnson 1-4, Evan Eickert 0-2, Andrew Wheeler 0-2, Luke LaFontaine 1-2, Robbie Krueger 1-3, Skylar Brown 0-2, Dawson Day 0-1.
2B - Personett; RBI - Personett