Reds Split Games At Bitterroot Tournament

Nearly 500 miles from home, the Glasgow Reds nearly caused a coup in Florence over the weekend, coming a few runs shy of breaking into the championship game of the Bitterroot tournament.

Local teams Bitterroot Red Sox and Bitterroot Bucs, from Hamilton and Florence, ended up defending home field advantage, taking the top two spots, but not without the Reds nearly edging into the big game.

The weekend didn't start off on such a bright note, with the Red Sox using the familiar settings to their advantage in a big way to pounce on Glasgow in the opening game on Friday.

To be fair, the Red Sox beat up on everybody in the tournament, winning only one game by fewer than 10 runs on the way to the tournament championship. 

The Reds hung tight through most of the game, with pitcher Jon Page recording four strikeouts in the first four innings while holding the Red Sox to one run. With key pitchers Dylan Hughes and Andy Gardner not making the trip, Page, nearing 100 pitches in the game, was pulled after the fifth with the Reds trailing only 3-1. 

All hopes of a Glasgow comeback in the game went out the window in the sixth, when the Red Sox found their groove, scoring eight runs in the inning on three hits, two walks, two errors and a hit batter. The scoring outburst was enough to put the Sox over the 10-run threshold, ending the game short with Bitterroot winning 11-1.

On Saturday, the Reds bounced back with a vengeance, thumping the Dillon Cubs, 14-4.

Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the third, the Reds found their rhythm, scoring 10 times in the inning to take control of the game for good. After a run in the fourth, a single by Page in the fifth, scored Grant Legare to end the game short for the Reds. Legare got the win, pitching four strikeouts and five walks in five innings.

However, there was no rest for the Reds, with the team having to pick up the act again after a short lunch break, taking on tournament hosts Bitterroot Bucs, in the game immediately following the win over the Cubs.

Glasgow got a huge boost to start the game when Zach Remus jacked a two-run home run over the opposite field wall in the first inning. 

The lead held for most of the game until pitching issues started to creep up on Glasgow. The Reds had only 10 players active for the game, the viable pitching options the team still had healthy were running thin. With the Reds leading 8-6 entering the bottom of the sixth, it took only four batters for the Bucs to knock a tired Walt Dalbey from the game, after 110 pitches. The game tied at 8-8, Page came in to stop the bleeding, but gave up one more run before the Reds were able to get out of the inning.

The Reds got a runner to second base in the top of the seventh, with two outs, but were unable to make a rally to tie the game, losing the game 9-8.

Against Lewistown on Sunday, Remus took over the show early, hitting a grand slam from the clean-up spot in the first inning, then following that with a two-run homer in the second to claim six RBIs in the game on the way to a Reds 13-3 victory. Jeff Irving had six strikeouts and four walks in the complete game victory. 

With four of the five teams tied with two losses, the tiebreaker came down to head-to-head games for second place in the tournament and a place in the championship game. Glasgow hed wins over each of the teams but the Bucs, leaving the Reds out of the championship and the Bucs in to play the Red Sox in a matchup of host teams.

Despite getting knocked from the tournament by one run, the team did get to enjoy watching some professional baseball while they were camped out on the Western side of the state. The Reds were able to take in a special dinner at the Missoula Ospreys game on Saturday. The team was treated to a wonderful game as well, with the Ospreys, the Rookie League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, going into extra innings against the Helena Brewers, needing a run into the bottom of the 11^th to seal the 7-6 win. Afterwards, there were fireworks at the ballpark, putting a nice cap on the patriotic weekend.

The Reds are on the road again this weekend, playing in the Culli Memorial Tournament in Glendive.