Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Team Drops Semifinal to Bitterroot After Winning Opening Two Games; Eliminated From Contention By Laurel
Kasey Seyfert delivers a pitch Friday night versus Kalispell. The Reds defeated the Lakers, 13-1.
Hunter Losleben watches a pitch whiz across the plate at the state tournament in Kalispell. The team managed eight hits total in its final two games.
After twice staving off the Laurel Dodgers last week to win the East Legion A Tournament title, the Reds stormed into Kalispell, site of the Montana state tournament, straddling a steam engine of momentum, each hand pressed firmly to their hip holsters, ready for the imminent showdown.
After a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the South region runners up, the Helena Reps – a game which saw Keil Krumwiede scatter five hits over eight innings on the mound, surrendering just one earned run, while turning in a 3-5 day at the dish, capped off by an eighth-inning, go-ahead RBI single – the Reds advanced in the winners' bracket to face the Kalispell Lakers.
Friday night's matchup was not the contest many expected it would be. Jason Thibault, Krumwiede, and Gage Legare went a combined 5-11 out of the first three spots in the order, scoring five runs and five RBIs, plus a walk, Kasey Seyfert tossed seven innings of four-hit ball, throwing first-pitch strikes to 21 of the 27 batters he faced, and Glasgow mercied their opponents, 13-1.
The Reds plummeted, however, from the heady heights of bygone dominance in reciprocally demoralizing fashion the next night. Standing between the East champions and a place in the state finals were the Bitterroot Red Sox – and stand firm the boys from the southwest did. The Reds committed six errors and mustered just four hits over the game's seven frames; already trailing 10-1, Glasgow surrendered a seven-spot in the top half of the seventh.
None of the runs scored off of reliever Blake Mattfeldt, who came in to replace ace Thibualt after an uncharacteristically ineffectual outing, was earned. Thibault struck out five in 2.2 innings, but allowed three walks and nine hits as well.
A victory Sunday afternoon over familiar foes Laurel, also saddled with one loss in the double-elimination contest, would have knocked out a local rival and resulted in a Monday rematch versus Bitterroot in the finals. For the Dodgers, though, the third game versus Glasgow in just over a week proved to be the charm. Laurel chased starter Sam Schultz after just two-thirds of an inning, then proceeded to rack reliever Ryan Padden for thirteen hits over the next 5.2 frames. On offense, the Reds' bats fell limp; the team, just as it had against the Red Sox, managed a mere four hits. The game was called after two seventh-inning Laurel runs pushed the advantage to 15-5.
Monday's championship pitted Bitterroot against Laurel – the two teams whose combined efforts scythed Glasgow from contention.
Krumwiede (SS) and Thibault (P) were named to the all-state team prior to tournament play; Gage Legare was named all-conference at catcher.
The Reds will lose 10 senior players, and will look to having a younger team next season. Coach Jack Sprague is in the process of negotiating a contract renewal with the Reds Board.
Also in the works is a new ballfield complex on the west side of Glasgow on Highway 2. More on that next season.
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