Riverdogs drop two in Legion homestand

Saturday’s three-team Legion baseball gathering at Amundson Sports Complex was in many ways a microcosm of the host Clark Fork Riverdogs’ 2022 season.

Skies were bright and sunny with rain not on anyone’s mind, other than those who had grown accustomed to raindrops falling in the few home games the Riverdogs had this year.

And that changed.

Prior to the start of these games, the Riverdogs got some news they feared when it was learned one of their top two hitters and an invaluable part of their lineup was out for the year with a broken thumb.

Before all that, head coach Jon Zigler said this would be his last season coaching the Dogs, who were resurrected last season after 20 years without Legion ball in the Plains/Clark Fork Valley era.

One thing that remained the same, if not a bit bigger, was the collective size of athletic “heart” emanating from the home team dugout.

So, after falling just short of pulling out a dramatic come-from-behind win in their first game of the day in an 8-7 loss to Libby, it would have been easy to dismiss the Riverdogs for their second game of the day, which was halted after three innings of play due to weather issues.

That game, against the North Idaho Lakers was ultimately awarded to the Lakers by a 5-3 score in what had the makings of another Riverdogs late-inning rally.

In both games the Dogs ran out of time and innings.

With a sizable crowd basking in the July sunshine, the Dogs opened what was their last home stand of the year against the Libby Loggers, a frequent opponent this season.

And with hitting star and multi-position player Orion Plakke out for the year after X-rays revealed a broken thumb, the Dogs seemed off their game in the early going.

Libby scored first, pushing a single run across the plate in the top of the first inning. Meanwhile Loggers pitching shut down Riverdogs’ hitters through the first two innings of play.

And by the end of two, after a seven-run Libby outburst in the top of the second inning, the Loggers held a commanding 8-0 lead.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning, as Clark Fork reliever Jack Taylor came on for starter Garth Parker and held the Loggers scoreless the rest of the way.

The Riverdogs plated one run in the bottom of the third, then another in the bottom of the fifth to slice the Loggers’ lead to 8-2. Run number two for the Dogs came on a steal of home by Taylor.

Then, in the bottom of inning number six, the Riverdogs’ bats came alive. They loaded the bases on an error that allowed Trenis McDonald to reach first. A pair of singles by Eli Ratliff and Kody Carter loaded the bases for the Dogs. Jody Page brought home run number three with an RBI fielder’s choice.

Later in inning number six, the Dogs took advantage of wild pitching by Loggers’ relievers to score two more times. Parker then hit a sacrifice fly to drive in another run, bringing home Page.

By the end of the sixth, Clark Fork had pulled within one of the Loggers at 8-7.

Taylor then struck out the first two Loggers in the top of the seventh and got the third out on a fly ball after he had walked two batters.

Ratliff opened the Dogs half of the seventh with a bloop single. He was later caught stealing second in a pivotal out. Carter was the next batter up and he walked. Page then bounced into a double play to cut off the Dogs rally as Libby celebrated the victory.

The loss dropped the Riverdogs to 17-18 on the season, their first time below .500 since early in the year.

After a three-hour rest while the Loggers battled North Idaho, the Dogs second game of the day got underway with North Idaho scoring three runs in the top of the first on the strength of two run-producing singles and a sacrifice grounder that put the Lakers up 3-0.

Clark Fork did not score in the bottom of the first, but plated their first run of the game in the home half of the second after holding the Lakers scoreless in the second.

Taylor led off the second with a long triple, then scored a short time later on a passed ball, making it 3-1 North Idaho.

The Lakers added to their lead in the top of the third on an error and two RBI singles that gave them a 5-1 lead under threatening skies.

But true to their fight to the last out theme this year, the Dogs showed they still had some bark as Parker reached first on an error to lead off the first inning. Parker would eventually score from third on a Taylor single, but he and Carter, who drew a walk, were left stranded as the inning came to a close.

The game was awarded to North Idaho, 5-3.

The Dogs were set to play a double-header Tuesday in Polson against the Mission Valley Mariners, followed by another road tournament where they will face upper level competition Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

They complete their season the following week with an appearance in a tournament in Belgrade.