Lakers go winless at Big Bucks Tourney; Tuesday's doubleheader postponed due to heat
Conagher McCown stands in the batter's box during the doubleheader against St. Maries on June 22 at War Memorial Field.
(File photo by DYLAN GREENE)
LIBBY, Mont. — The class A North Idaho Lakers battled some soaring temps and tough competition this weekend at the Big Bucks Tournament in Libby.
Across the four games at the tourney, the Lakers went winless and on Sunday they fell to the Libby Loggers 8-4 in the seventh place game.
Head coach KC MacDonald said his team needed to perform better at the plate to contend with the other squads.
“We just weren’t matching hits,” he said. “All weekend that was our struggle.”
Despite not breaking through for a victory, MacDonald said it was a great experience for the team and they really enjoyed the trip.
“They’re just a good group of guys,” he said. “They have fun together and that makes it way easier to coach.”
The Lakers opened the tourney Friday against the Mission Valley Mariners from Polson. The team was unable to record a hit in a 17-2 loss to the Mariners, who had 15 hits.
North Idaho scored its two runs on an error and a bases loaded walk. Avery Bocksch, Mick Koch, Koby Barlow and Conagher McCown all made appearances on the mound.
The Lakers faced a familiar foe in their first game Saturday — the Northern Lakes Mountaineers from Rathdrum. Entering the contest, the season series between the two squads was deadlocked at 2-2.
Kody MacDonald started on the mound and tossed seven strikeouts, but it wasn’t enough as the Mountaineers scored eight runs over the third and fourth innings to grab an 8-0 win. The Lakers were held to just four hits.
In their nightcap Saturday, the Lakers faced the Mt. Spokane Wild hoping to avoid going winless in pool play. Unfortunately, the Wild were able to squeeze out an 8-6 victory.
Greg Belgarde went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and Bocksch was 2 for 3 with two RBIs. On the bump, Bocksch tossed five strikeouts over four innings while allowing six hits and one earned run. Mike Riley and Trevor Brackett also recorded hits.
North Idaho put up quite the fight in the seventh place game, but four errors cost the Lakers in their loss to the Loggers.
Belgarde tallied a pair of hits and Koch drove in two runs in the game. Over four innings, Everett Hannah allowed eight hits and four earned runs over four innings while striking out five. Zeke Roop tossed five strikeouts over two innings of relief work.
Temperatures throughout the tourney were in the 90s, and MacDonald said he kept a cooler stocked full of drinks in the dugout and after each game it was completely empty.
The Lakers (7-13) were set to host a North Idaho League doubleheader with Silver Valley on Tuesday at War Memorial Field, but due to the heat wave those games have been postponed. Triple digit temps are expected in the Sandpoint area all week, so the series has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 7.
“These are league games so we got to have them,” said MacDonald, who is also the general manager of the Lakers.
The class A squad is also slated to travel to Camas Prairie (Grangeville) on Friday for a doubleheader. As of right now, the Lakers will be making that trip, MacDonald said.
The class B Lakers were scheduled to host Whitman (Pullman) on Tuesday, but that doubleheader has been postponed due to the extreme heat as well.
Mission Mariners 670 40 — 17 15 3
North Idaho Lakers 200 00 — 2 0 2
Mission battery unavailable; Avery Bocksch, Mick Koch (1), Koby Barlow (2), Conagher McCown (4) and Dillon Terry and Trevor Brackett.
HITS: M — unavailable. NIL — none.
North Idaho Lakers 000 00 — 0 4 0
Northern Lakes 003 5X — 8 6 1
Kody MacDonald, Zeke Roop (4) and Trevor Brackett; Louis Powell and Scott Pemberton.
HITS: NIL — Hannah, Riley, Bocksch, Belgarde. NL — Powell 2, Clift, Pemberton 2, Vandever. 2B — Pemberton. HR — Powell.
Mt. Spokane 430 01 — 8 11 2
North Idaho Lakers 330 00 — 6 6 1
Mt. Spokane battery unavailable; Jack Ringer, Avery Bocksch (2) and Mike Riley.
HITS: MS — unavailable. NIL — Bocksch 2, Belgarde 2, Riley, Brackett. 2B — Riley, Bocksch. 3B — Bocksch.
North Idaho Lakers 200 020 0 — 4 6 4
Libby Loggers 221 201 X — 8 10 3
Everett Hannah, Zeke Roop (5) and Kody MacDonald, Trevor Brackett; Libby battery unavailable.
HITS: NIL — Belgarde 2, MacDonald, Koch, Roop, Brackett. L — unavailable. 2B — Koch.