Loggers get revenge
May 21—Josie Larson smacked a home run over the fence in center field and Rebecca Butterfield pitched a complete-game no-hitter as the Potlatch Loggers made an emphatic statement in the winner's bracket final of the Idaho Class 1A softball tournament Friday at the Moscow School District Community Playfields.
The top-seeded Loggers avenged a loss to Glenns Ferry in last year's state tournament by dispatching the Pilots 12-2 to remain unbeaten in their hunt for a state championship. They also beat Genesee 7-3 earlier in the day.
"It was a good way to win," Butterfield said. "We've been working for this all year, so to come out with both the wins is a great deal."
A year ago, the Loggers (17-2) were sent to the loser's bracket by eventual state champion Glenns Ferry. They ended up finishing third.
This time, it was the Loggers who sent the Pilots to the lower bracket — and they did it in just five innings.
That means Potlatch will get two chances to win its first state championship today. They will play one of the remaining teams still alive — Genesee, Notus or Glenns Ferry — in the title game at 2 p.m. at the same site.
Leadoff batter Larson got Potlatch rolling with a blast of a home run in the bottom of the first.
"Pretty slick," Potlatch coach Dean Butterfield said. "She was hitting the ball well today. It's kinda nice, one swing and one home run."
The Loggers went on to score at least one run in every inning en route to enforcing the mercy rule.
Larson's RBI double in the second made it 3-0 Loggers. Later, Rebecca Butterfield's blooper to center field in the fourth brought home a pair of runs for an 8-2 advantage. Potlatch scored six runs in a chaotic fourth.
In total, eight Loggers registered at least one hit. Tayva McKinney went 2-of-2 with three runs scored and a triple to add to the onslaught.
Butterfield was stellar in the circle, fanning six in going the distance. She also had 11 strikeouts in the win against Genesee.
The Loggers appeared to be having fun in the process, with cheers and dancing before the game and constant encouragement from the dugout throughout the contest.
"Just these girls, the energy, the dancing before the games and all that — that's mostly what clicks for me when I pitch a good game," Rebecca Butterfield said.
Glenns Ferry recorded its runs in the third, cutting the lead to 3-2, but it was all Potlatch from there.
The Loggers ended the game on a snazzy double play by third baseman Kaylen Hadaller. Hadaller reached and snagged a line drive off the bat of Glenns Ferry's Taylor Martinez and fired to Kristina Fairley at first base to get the tagging runner for the final out of the game.
"It was a good team effort," Dean Butterfield said. "They came through, they were aggressive hitting the ball, they were loose. They came to win and that's fun when they play like that."
In other games, Genesee topped Kendrick 9-1 and Greenleaf Friends 8-2 to remain alive in the tournament. Kendrick was eliminated by Notus 11-9 in a nail-biter.
Genesee will face Notus at 10 a.m. today at the same site. The winner gets Glenns Ferry at noon in another elimination game.
"We'd have to win four games (for a title) — that's highly unlikely — but we're hoping to bring home a trophy," Genesee coach Brian Malcom said. "If we win the (first game), we have a chance for first, second or third."
Glenns Ferry 002 00—2 0 4
Potlatch 213 6x—12 10 3
Rebecca Butterfield and Tayva McKinney; Madi Fink and Kambelle King.
Potlatch hits — Josie Larson 2 (HR, 2B), McKinney 2 (3B), Butterfield (2B), Allison Akins (2B), Kaylen Hadaller (2B), Delaney Beckner, Hayley McNeal, Jaylee Fry.
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Kendrick 000 000 1—1 6 3
Genesee 103 040 1—9 3 0
Hailey Taylor, Erin Morgan, Harley Heimgartner, Taylor Boyer and Kenadie Kirk; Kendra Meyer and Maxine English. L—Taylor.
Kendrick hits — Kirk 3 (2B), Morgan Silflow 2 (3B), Boyer.
Genesee hits — Shelby Hanson, Audrey Barber, English.
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Genesee 000 011 1—3 1 3
Potlatch 222 100 x—7 7 2
Riley Leseman, Kendra Meyer (5) and Harlei Donner; Rebecca Butterfield, Josie Larson (6) and Tayva McKinney. W—Butterfield. L—Leseman.
Genesee hit — Leseman.
Potlatch hits — Emma Chambers 2, McKinney 2, Allison Akins (2B), Butterfield, Kaylen Hadaller.
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Greenleaf 000 000 2—2 3 1
Genesee 000 521 0—8 9 0
Shae Olsen and Connie Knight; Kendra Meyer and Maxine English.
Greenleaf hits — Hannah Ralstin (HR), Knight, Olsen.
Genesee hits — Makayla Herman 2, Audrey Barber (3B), Meyer, Riley Leseman, Shelby Hansen, Mia Scharnhorst, English, Brinley Lowe.
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Notus 210 242 0—11 3 5
Kendrick 111 420 0—9 6 4
Alexis Cudaback and Abby Bidiman; Hailey Taylor and Kenadie Kirk.
Notus hits — Paige Emly, Bidiman,
Kendrick hits — Morgan Silflow 2 (2 2B), Erin Morgan (2B), Lilly Hanson (2B), Taylor, MaKayla Hiser, Natalie Kimbley.
Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.
