So Close: North Stars fall just short in home finale

There were some tense, emotional moments Thursday night at Legion Field. The Havre North Stars American Legion baseball club was playing their final two home games of the season, and with them, the final home games of the careers of David Denny, Chance Pitkanen and Spencer Ross.

So when the North Stars had a chance to pull off a split by beating the Fort MacLeod Royals in the nightcap, things got tense. However, it was the Royals who held the North Stars off, thwarting a Havre bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the seventh inning, then getting a game-winning run in the top of the eighth to win 6-5 in extra innings. The Royals, who were swept by the North Stars two weeks ago in Fort MacLeod, Alberta, also won the first game of the double-dip, 5-3.

“Those are two tough losses,” Havre head coach Danny Wirtzberger, who was also coaching his final games at Legion Field said. “But it was good to see our kids just play ball again. I thought we played really well. We battled hard fought hard. We just didn’t quite get it done in a couple of key situations. But overall, we’re a young team and we haven’t been in those types of close games much. So this experience tonight will be really good for us when we get to the district tournament.

“It was also really hard to say goodbye to those three guys (Ross, Denny, Pitkanen),” he continued. “But I thought those guys really shined at times tonight. They all had big moments and those three were responsible for keeping us in these games and for us having a chance to win tonight.”

And the North Stars had an excellent chance to win the second game of the doubleheader.

After Gavin Gunderson drove in Ryne Antley in the bottom of the sixth inning, Havre went to the home half of the seventh knotted up at 5-5 with the Royals. And when the North Stars got two runners in scoring position, things looked good. But Fort MacLeod pitcher Ryan Cook, who threw all eight innings for the short-handed Royals, found a way to get out of what was a bases-loaded jam. The rally started when David Denny reached on an error and Chris Vukasin moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Michael Loftus came in to pinch run for Denny, and he would eventually reach third, while Jake Sedahl reached first after his strikeout wasn’t put away by the Royals’ catcher. After Cook struck out Pitkanen, Gunderson walked and Havre had the bases loaded with two outs. But the North Stars couldn’t push the run across, and in the next inning, TJ Tornquist drove in Garet Burton with a sacrifice fly, which proved to be the winning run after another Havre rally in the bottom of the eighth fell short.

“We went for the win in the seventh inning,” Wirtzberger said. “And I was proud of the way the guys fought. I thought Michael Loftus had a great at-bat in the eighth. I was proud of the way all of our guys fought in that game. I think our inexperience caught up to us a little bit in certain situations, but those situations tonight are going to be to our benefit at the district tournament.”

Tyrell Pierce was a big benefit for Havre as well. He may have taken a tough-luck loss, but he came on in relief of Dylan Carpenter and threw 72 pitches and held the Royals to just three runs and five hits in a tough battle. Carpenter also pitched well at the start, also allowing three runs and surrendering just two hits.

“All of our pitchers played so well tonight,” Wirtzberger said. “Jeff (Miller) in the first game, and Dylan in the second. And Tyrell was outstanding in this game tonight. He worked so hard and he pitched really well.”

And a well-played game it was. After two scoreless innings, the Royals took a 3-0 lead in the third, and led 4-0 after the top of the fourth. But Havre responded. Sedahl reached to start the inning, and he would eventually score, as would Pitkanen and Miller, who also both singled in the four-run inning. Antley, who had a big game for the North Stars, came up with an RBI single of his own, and the score was tied at 4-4. That set up the dramatics of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Antley finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Ross went 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Pitkanen, Miller, Denny and Gunderson also collected hits.

In the first game under another hot and sunny evening, the North Stars got close again, but it wasn’t meant to be. Miller was sensational on the bump, throwing seven complete innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out four. But at the plate, Havre didn’t have much luck figuring out Fort MacLeod ace Ty Odney, who allowed just three hits while Havre scored just three runs.

Havre did nose in front 2-1 when the North Stars got runs from Carpenter and Antley on a squeeze play by Ross. Havre then took a 3-1 lead when Vukasin came all the way around to score, aided by a couple of Royals’ errors. From there however, Odney dug in, and Havre rarely threatened the rest of the way, while the Royals busted out for three runs in the fifth inning and an insurance run in the seventh.

Vukasin, Antley and Carpenter had Havre’s three hits, while Ross had the North Stars’ lone RBI. Vukasin doubled, while Ross and Sedahl had sacrifices.

“We would have liked to have at least won one of these games,” Wirtzberger said. “Especially this being our last games at home. But we will learn from the situations we were in tonight. But I thought we competed really hard and played two good ballgames.”

With the two losses to the Royals, Havre fell to 8-12 in the Northern District and 17-19 overall. The North Stars are off this weekend, but have their final four conference games on the road next week. Havre travels to Vauxhall Tuesday and visits Medicine Hat Wednesday in what is the final week of the regular season.

Fort MacLeod 5, North Stars 3

Fort MacLeod 001 030 1 – 5 7 1

Havre 002 100 0 – 3 3 4

WP – TY Odney, LP – Jeff Miller

Fort MacLeod – Garet Burton 0-2, Ty Odney 0-4, Ryan Cook 2-4, TJ Tornquist 3-4, Aiden Kidd 0-3, Morgan Yanco 0-3, Josh Foster 0-3, Kelten Jensen 0-1, Chase Snider 1-2.

Havre – Travis Roth 0-4, Spencer Ross 0-1 (RBI), David Denny 0-3, Chris Vukasin 1-2, Jake Sedahl 0-2, Chance Pitkanen 0-3, Gavin Gunderson 0-2, Dylan Carpenter 1-3, Ryne Antley 1-3.

Fort MacLeod 6, North Stars 5 (8 innings)

Fort MacLeod 003 101 01 – 6 7 4

Havre 000 401 00 – 5 9 4

WP – Ryan Cook, LP – Tyrell Pierce

Fort MacLeod – Garet Burton 1-3, Ty Odney 2-5, Ryan Cook 2-3, TJ Tornquist 0-3, Ryden Atwood 0-4, Aiden Kidd 2-4, Morgan Yanco 0-3, Josh Foster 0-4, Chase Snider 0-3.

Havre – Travis Roth 0-4, Spencer Ross 2-5 (RBI), David Denny 1-4, Michael Loftus 0-1, Chris Vukasin 0-4, Jake Sedahl 0-4, Chance Pitkanen 1-4, Gavin Gunderson 1-2 (RBI), Jeff Miller 1-3, Ryne Antley 3-4 (2 RBI).