2A STATE SOFTBALL: Loggers fall to Pilots, finish second in Idaho Class 2A state tournament

TL;DR

The Potlatch Loggers lost to the Glenns Ferry Pilots 9-6 in the Idaho Class 2A state softball championship, finishing second. Coach Dean Butterfield praised the team's resilience despite their young roster and injuries throughout the season.

Key points

Potlatch Loggers lost to Glenns Ferry Pilots 9-6
Loggers finished second in Idaho Class 2A state tournament
Coach Dean Butterfield praised team's resilience
Loggers had a young roster and faced injuries
Genesee hosted the championship game

Mentioned in this story

Genesee Softball Fields

Potlatch LoggersGlenns Ferry PilotsIdaho Class 2A state tournament

May 16—GENESEE — Even in defeat, there was still pride in the Potlatch dugout.

After falling into a big early deficit and battling uphill the rest of the way, the No. 1-seeded Loggers fell to the No. 3-seeded Glenns Ferry Pilots 9-6 in the Idaho Class 2A state softball championship game Friday at the Genesee Softball Fields, closing out a resilient season with a young roster.

Loggers coach Dean Butterfield said after the contest he told the players how proud he is of them and that second place in the state is a great finish.

Genesee finished third on its home field earlier in the day.

"Don't ever be disappointed with second place," Butterfield said he told his players in his speech after the game. "They came good with our injuries and all that. It's amazing they're still here, and don't be disappointed. I realize they always want the state title, and that's neat. The older girls have pushed them to want that, but can't be disappointed too much in the second place."

Glenns Ferry had the advantage

The Pilots (21-6) led in just about every statistic except errors.

To open up the game, Glenns Ferry was given two walks, a single, a double, a wild pitch and another walk. This forced Potlatch (18-6) to replace pitcher Daycee Fry with Reese Lusby. But damage was already done, and the Pilots had struck first with a three-run first inning.

This forced the Loggers into perpetual response mode.

Glenns Ferry had three errors in the first frame, and Potlatch responded with a two-run first inning.

Walks were a focal point in the game, as Potlach gave up a total of 13 walks through the seven innings.

"They just played good ball, timely hits," Butterfield said of Glenns Ferry. "They were patient at the plate. They took advantage of the walks, and that was just the difference in it."

In the third frame, Lusby gave up four walks and allowed two singles. Lusby's replacement, Brynlee Breeze gave up a walk and had a wild pitch to score another run for Glenns Ferry, which gave the Pilots an 8-2 lead.

It was a chasing game from there for Potlatch, and it could not do enough to catch up.

Butterfield said he was happy with how the players stuck together and pushed for the win even when the Loggers got down. He said they pushed hard and fought until the end, which he was proud of.

"We were a little sluggish today, but the Pilots played a good game," Butterfield said. "That was a good game to watch. It was fun to watch, fun to coach, fun to play. There was good softball there. That was a neat game."

Standout players

Charlee Stewart of Glenns Ferry pitched a complete game in seven innings and fanned nine batters. She allowed six runs (one earned) on three hits and walked five batters.

Her pitching solidified the win for the Pilots.