Legion baseball: Libby to play for district championship

EUREKA — Libby is the lone undefeated team at the Western District Class A American Legion baseball tournament after three days of action.

Libby handed Missoula its first loss in Saturday’s semifinal contest, 11-6. The Loggers turned in another strong defensive performance — no errors — while Missoula had eight.

Libby (35-20) moves on to the championship game today at noon. The Loggers will play the 9 a.m. winner of the Missoula versus Bitterroot Bucs loser-out game. If a second championship game is needed, that would be played on Monday.

The Loggers are looking for their first district title since 2011.

Luke Haggerty threw a complete game for the Loggers. He gave up six hits, struck out seven and walked six.

At the plate Haggerty was just as sharp. He went 3 for 5, which included a double, and drove in three runs.

Battery mate Oliver Grupenhoff led the offense, going 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs. The catcher’s big blast came in the five-run third inning.

Micah Germany also had three hits for the Loggers.

Libby 105 010 220 — 11 15 0

Missoula 300 030 000 — 6 6 8

Luke Haggerty and Oliver Grupenhoff; Trevor Dickey, Jakob Bierig (7) and Ian Descamps, Adam Collins (6). W — Haggerty. L — Dickey.

LIBBY — Will Reichel 2-6, L. Haggerty 3-5, Jared Winslow 2-6, Micah Germany 3-4, Grupenhoff 4-5, Andrew Haggerty 0-4, Josh Foote 0-4, Collin Johnson 0-4, Isaak Jones 1-4.

MISSOULA — Jackson King 1-4, Bierig 0-4, Dickey 2-5, Zanon Fullbright 0-2, Josh Taber 1-4, Nick Yovietich 1-3, Conner Mckillop 1-3, Descamps 0-1, Adam Collins 0-2, Josh Harrington 0-2, Ben Tabaracci 0-1.

2B—L. Haggerty; Taber; HR—Grupenhoff; RBIs—L. Haggerty, Winslow (2), Germany (3), Grupenhoff (3), A. Haggerty; Dickey, Yovietich, Mckillop, Descamps.

Bitterroot Bucs 7,

Mission Valley 6

Mission Valley 15, Kalispell 0

EUREKA — Defending district champion Mission Valley (51-20) was eliminated by the Bitterroot Bucs in loser-out play.

The Mariners trailed 4-2 after six innings and 6-4 heading into the ninth.

Zeke Webster-Yaqui was Mission Valley’s leading hitter, going 3 for 5. Bransen Krebs and TJ Olson had two hits each.

Mission Valley stayed alive in tournament play with a lopsided win earlier in the day over Kalispell in another loser-out game.

Webster-Yaqui, Jeremiah Crawford and Quinn Harlan all scored three times for Mission Valley.

Crawford went 4 for 4 and Harlan was 2 for 2.

Ryan Pablo, Krebs, Olson and Jared Young had two hits each.

Pablo, Young, Harlan, Olson and Crawford all had doubles.

Jeff Bengston had two of Kalispell’s four hits.

Chandler Eaves doubled for the Lakers.

Kalispell 000 000 0 — 0 4 3

Mission Valley 563 100 x — 15 16 0

Walker Malmin, Chasen Eaves (2), Chandler Eaves (2), Sam Crompton (3) and Jeff Bengston; Bradley Pichler, Aaron Rasmussen (5) and Alex Killian. W — Pichler. L — Malmin

KALISPELL — Malmin 0-3, Levi Brennamen 0-2, Jayson Combs 0-1, Bengston 2-3, Justin Rich 0-1, Crompton 0-2, Chandler Eaves 1-3, Brooks Krause 0-2, Brendan Purdy 0-1, Andy Bemus 0-2, Stephen Zorn 0-0, Dominic Faith 0-2, Jordan Engle 0-1, Jacob Link 1-2.

MISSION VALLEY — Ryan Pablo 2-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 1-3, Killian 0-2, Jeremiah Crawford 4-4, Nick Crawford 0-1, Quinn Harlan 2-2, Chris Drebes 0-2, Bransen Krebs 2-5, TJ Olson 2-3, Jared Young 2-3, Keith Woodward 1-4.

2B—Chandler Eaves; Pablo, Young, Harlan, Olson, J. Crawford; RBIs—Pablo (2), Killian (2), J. Crawford , Krebs (2), Olson (2), Young (2), Woodward.

Bitterroot Bucs 000 202 021 — 7 8 2

Mission Valley 000 002 022 — 6 8 4

Austin Nogle, Kadin Beller (8) and Beller, Patrick Pape; Nick Crawford, Chris Drebes (2), TJ Olson (8) and Alex Killian. W — Nogle. L — Drebes. S — Beller.

BITTERROOT — Dylan Reed 2-5, Tyler Thorson 1-5, Beller 0-4, Sage Hansen 1-2, Pape 0-5, Logan Lueck 0-3, Tommy Shepard 2-4, Noah Baney 0-4, Cody Rolshaven 2-3.

MISSION VALLEY — Ryan Pablo 0-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 3-5, Killian 1-3, Jeremiah Crawford 0-5, Bradley Pichler 0-4, Bransen Krebs 2-4, TJ Olson 2-3, Keith Woodward 0-2, Jared Young 0-2, Quinn Harlan 0-0, Brennan Andrews 0-3.

2B—Killian; RBIs—Reed (3), Thorson, Shepard (2); Webster-Yaqui, Killian, J. Crawford (2), Krebs.