Libby wins Big Bucks tournament
LIBBY — Micah Germany hit a grand slam to left field in the second inning and Oliver Grupenhoff followed with a two-run home run to right center in the fourth to power Libby’s Loggers to an 11-7 victory over the Moscow Blue Devils in the championship game of the eighth annual Big Bucks American Legion baseball tournament on Sunday.
Libby (21-12 overall) won this tournament twice previously — 2007 and 2010 — and finished the four-day event with a 4-0 mark.
The Loggers have now won 12 of their last 15 games.
Moscow (17-5) and Libby were tied 3-all after the first inning, but the Loggers came right back with six runs in the second thanks to Germany’s big blow.
It was his second homer of the season.
Grupenhoff has four home runs to date.
“It was a good win for us,” Libby coach Kelly Morford said.
“Moscow is a good team. Hopefully this will be a springboard for us going forward with the season.”
Germany and Will Reichel both went 2 for 3 in the title game. Germany finished with five RBIs.
Germany also picked up the victory on the mound.
In the third/fourth place game, the Mission Valley Mariners downed the Kootenai Valley Rangers 5-3.
Championship
Moscow 300 030 1 — 7 11 2
Libby 360 200 x — 11 8 2
Mark Amos, Pat O’Sullivan (5) and Karter Krasselt; Micah Germany, Andrew Haggerty (5) and Oliver Grupenhoff. W — Germany. L — Amos.
MOSCOW — Kellen Martin 1-3, O’Sullivan 2-4, Jarod Paul 2-4, Amos 1-3, Joey Reintjes 2-3, Charlie Lidean 0-1, Alec Martin 2-3, Krasselt 1-4, TJ Lewis 0-1, Garrett Jones 0-3.
LIBBY — Will Reichel 2-3, Luke Haggerty 1-3, Jared Winslow 1-2, Germany 2-3, Grupenhoff 1-3, A. Haggerty 0-4, Josh Foote 0-2, Isaak Jones 0-1, Austin Marshall 0-1, Dylon Lane 0-0, Collin Johnson 1-3.
HRs—Germany, Grupenhoff; RBIs—Paul (3); Winslow (2), Germany (5), Grupenhoff (3).
3rd/4th
Mission Valley 210 002 0 — 5 11 2
Kootenai Valley 000 021 0 — 3 9 2
Chris Drebes, T.J. Olson (7) and Alex Killian; CJ Henrie and Nick Rackley. W — Drebes. L — Henrie.
MISSION VALLEY — Ryan Pablo 2-3, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 3-4, Killian 1-2, Jeremiah Crawford 0-2, Bradley Pichler 1-3, Olson 3-4, Jared Young 0-4, Kellen Hoyt 0-4, Bransen Krebs 1-4.
KOOTENAI VALLEY — CJ Henrie 2-4, Dawson Henrie 0-4, Rackley 2-2, RJ Glover 0-4, Dalton Smith 1-4, Austin Perez 2-3, Sam Hannay 1-4, Joe Schlaman 0-1, Mason Haidle 1-3, Brandon Conard 0-1.
2B—Webster-Yaqui; Perez; 3B--Krebs; HR—Killian; Perez RBIs—Pablo, Killian (2), Olson (2); Rackley, Perez.
5th/6th
Lewiston Cubs 12, Strathmore Reds 8
7th/8th
Rainer 12, Tri-County 0