State A Legion baseball: Loggers, Mariners stay in the hunt

GREAT FALLS — Libby and Mission Valley posted loser-out victories on Saturday to keep their quests alive for a championship trophy at the Class A State American Legion baseball tournament.

Libby rode the strong pitching of Jared Winslow and more hot hitting for a 15-4 triumph over Gallatin Valley.

Mission Valley, on the other hand, eliminated three-time defending champion Laurel 10-3.

Winslow struck out 11 batters in seven innings and walked four.

“Winslow hasn’t been 100 percent healthy this week,” Libby coach Kelly Morford said.

“He struggled a little in the first inning, settled down after that and threw a good game.”

The Loggers offense, which is averaging 16 runs per game in the Electric City, totaled 18 hits in this one.

Oliver Gruphenhoff led the offense, going 4 for 5 with three doubles and four RBI.

Micah Germany, 3 for 6, also had four RBI. Will Reichel went 3 for 5.

Winslow and Andrew Haggerty had two hits apiece.

The Loggers (31-25) put the game away with a seven-run fifth inning. Libby sent 12 batters to the plate in that inning and had five hits,.

“Another big inning, just like the other day,” Morford said.

“It was sparked by Cameron Burkes sac bunt that was thrown into right field by the catcher. That opened the flood gates for us.”

Libby scored in every inning but the third and had no errors to seven for Gallatin Valley.

Mission Valley also rode a strong mound effort to its victory. Nick Crawford had 11 strikeouts and walked three in his nine-inning effort.

Jacob Young led the Mariners offense, going 4 for 5 with two RBI.

Robert Gauthier was 3 for 5 and drove in one run.

Jack Humphreys, 2 for 3, and Bradley Pichler, 1 for 3, had two RBI each.

Mission Valley (48-7) had no errors to seven for Laurel.

In Saturday’s other contest, Glasgow stopped Belgrade 13-3 in seven innings in a battle of tournament unbeatens.

Today’s lineup features two games — 12:30 p.m. Libby vs. Glasgow and 4 p.m. Mission Valley vs. Belgrade.

Germany will pitch for Libby.

Libby 210 272 1 — 15 18 0

Gallatin Valley 300 001 0 — 4 7 7

Jared Winslow and Micah Germany; Jordan Carlson, Dayne Allen (5), Brock Bitterman (7) and Dante Filippini. W — Winslow. L — Carlson.

LIBBY — Luke Haggerty 1-5, Will Reichel 3-5, Winslow 2-4, Germany 3-6, Oliver Gruphenhoff 4-5, Nic Robertson 1-3, Andrew Haggerty 2-4, Josh Foote 1-5, Cameron Burkes 1-2, Collin Johnson 0-0.

GALLATIN VALLEY — Kohler Briggs 1-3, Randy Frye 0-1, Ryder Kulbeck 1-3, Gianfranc Filippini 1-4, Tanner Johnson 0-3, Billy Mourer 0-1, Justin Woodward 2-3, Conner Van Dyken 0-1, John Holmes 1-3, Allen 0-2, Bitterman 0-0, Tristan Johnson 0-1, Conrad Schnur 0-0, D. Filippini 1-3, Carlson 0-0.

2B—Gruphenhoff (3); Woodward; 3B—Briggs; RBIs—L. Haggerty, Winslow (2), Germany (4), Gruphenhoff (4), Robertson.

Laurel 200 010 000 — 3 7 6

Mission Valley 302 021 11x — 10 14 0

Anthony Panella, Kyle Melby (6) and Jordan Henke; Nick Crawford and Jake Humphreys. W — Crawford. L — Panella.

LAUREL — Kenneth Nilles 1-3, Jay Dempster 3-5, Henke 1-3, Dakota Cortese 0-4, Panella 1-2, Melby 0-1, Balke Studiner 1-3, Daylor McFate 0-2, Austin Cannon 0-1, TJ Schmidt 0-4, Kameron Fisher 0-3.

MISSION VALLEY — Justin Evertz 2-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 0-5, Robert Gauthier 3-5, Chris Clary 1-5, Jacob Young 4-5, Humphreys 2-3, Bradley Pichler 1-3, Cole McArthur 0-4, Dalton Molzhon 1-4, Crawford 0-0.

2B—Nilles; Young, Humphreys; 3B—Gauthier; RBIs—Dempster (2), Panella; Gauthier, Clary, Young (2), Humphreys (2), Pichler (2), Molzhon.