Return of state fastpitch tourney a big success

Fans and players alike experienced an atmosphere that was unique and festive as the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field played host the 2014 Montana Men’s Fastpitch state tournament.

The event, played in Havre for the first time since 2009, featured six teams, four from Havre to go along with one team from Missoula and one team from Deer Lodge.

“I think it was a really great tournament,” said Patch Wirtzberger, a member of four state championship teams. “Just look at the atmosphere. The community in Havre really comes out to support softball. The stands were packed both days and the other thing you have to look at is our stadium. It’s such a great place to play, and it’s always fun playing at home again. But the two things that separate (Havre) from other places is our fans and our stadium.”

Despite having four of the six teams in the field, none of the Havre teams were able to come away victorious as the Press Box from Missoula knocked off the Gallery Lounge from Havre 2-0 in the championship game to come away with the title.

The Galley Lounge had won the last three state championships coming into the tournament but in an effort to create a more competitive field, the Gallery team was split up, so instead of one team from Havre, there were four.

“I think the tournament was very competitive,” Wirtzberger said. “There was only a couple of games that ended up being blowouts and there were a lot of close games.”

Wirtzberger, who had been a part of the Gallery Lounge team in the past, headed up the Koefod Agency team, also from Havre. Koefod was eliminated Saturday night by Deer Lodge in a 16-15 defeat.

“I think us breaking up our team made things a lot more competitive,” Wirztberger said. “But overall, I thought it was a great tournament, there were a lot of good players and a lot of good teams. “

In one of the most exciting games of the two-day softball extravaganza, the Gallery Lounge was able to edge the Press Box in a 2-1 victory Saturday night to clinch a berth in the championship game Sunday.

After the Gallery Lounge took an early 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, the Press Box came back and tied things up in the top of the sixth on a passed ball. Then, with the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Bucky Lindstrand singled and later scored on a walk off triple by Hugo Anderson that gave Gallery Lounge the win.

Local softball legend Gary Joe Evans, who has been part of state championship teams in four different decades, also aided the victory by putting on a masterful performance from the mound, allowing just one run and four hits in seven innings pitched.

Following the loss, the Press Box had to come back Sunday morning and win to get a spot in the championship and did just that, defeating Deer Lodge by the score of 12-0 to earn a rematch.

Since the tournament was double elimination, the Press Box needed to defeat the Gallery Lounge twice in order to take home the championship.

In game one, the Gallery Lounge struck first, taking an early 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Anderson doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly. Yet, the Press Box tied things up in the bottom of the fourth on an inside-the-park home run, then in the bottom of the sixth inning, and thanks to a bases-loaded triple, the Press Box notched six runs and took a 7-1 lead en route to a 9-3 victory.

The win by the Press Box forced a second game that was winner-take-all for the state championship. The game mirrored Saturday night’s pitching duel but this time the Press Box would come out on top after scoring runs in the top of the third and the top of the seventh in the 2-0 victory.

In the team’s final chance, Lindstrand singled to open the bottom of the seventh for the Gallery Lounge but after two straight outs, Evans was out on a pop fly that ended the game and the tournament.

The tournament was played Saturday and Sunday, and could return to Havre in the near future.