Glacier victorious in North Dakota
The Daily Inter lake
Twins reeling from 2 season-ending injuries
WILLISTON, N.D. - The Class AA American Legion Glacier Twins finally had a good day, which has been rare for the last couple of weeks.
The Twins opened the eight-team Williston Tournament Thursday against Minot, N.D., with a 7-5 victory. They play Lewistown today at 11 a.m. and then Mandan, N.D., at 3:30 p.m. How they do today will determine their schedule for Saturday and Sunday.
The Twins were coming off a Western AA four-game losing streak against the Great Falls Electrics and Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. Worse, the Twins lost a starting pitcher for the year to injury on each of those days … And those injuries came after star player Jeremy Howard moved Friday to northern California.
"We are going through a real tough time right now," Glacier coach Jack Helber said.
Thursday evening was a night of much-needed rest and relaxation after traveling through Alberta, Canada, and Montana on Wednesday to get to the tourney from Medicine Hat. Helber spent most of Tuesday night - after the games against Medicine Hat - in the hospital with Marty Richter, who broke a bone in his shoulder in a play at home plate.
"It's just a small break in one of the bones in the tip of the shoulder," Helber said. "He slid into home and rolled over on it. There wasn't a big collision, but because the catcher was there he had to roll over on it."
On Sunday, Josh Peterson tore his ACL.
"We lost two pitchers in two days," Helber said. "Plus they both play other positions. Plus Howard moved… When I first got here (from coaching in California in May), we lost Brian Newberry to a viral infection in his heart … Then we lost Roo Grubb for a few weeks after he ran into the home run wall in Missoula. We are having a tough go."
Glacier 7, Minot 5
Pitcher Phillipe LeCourlieux of France struck out six in a complete-game victory, Jesse Paulson and Brad Bell each had two hits and Jarred Krueger knocked in three runs to help lead the Twins in improving to 9-18 on the season.
Tied 1-1 in the top of the third inning, the Twins put together a string of three extra-base hits to take the lead for good. After Grubb walked to lead off the inning, Paulson hit an RBI triple. Then catcher Brad Bell and Krueger hit back-to-back RBI doubles. LeCourlieux capped the scoring with a two-out RBI bunt for a single.
LeCourlieux improved to 3-1 on the mound after allowing five hits with four walks and a hit batter.
Glacier led 7-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning before Minot scored two runs and stranded a runner at second base when Byron Whitcomb caught a line drive at second base to end the game.
Glacier 014 200 0 - 7 9 4
Minot 101 100 2 - 5 5 3
Phillipe LeCourlieux and Brad Bell. Dan Lowrey, Greg Bollinger (5) and Fred Nelson. W - LeCourdeius (3-1). L - Lowrey.
GLACIER (9-18) - Byron Whitcomb 0-3, Roo Grubb 1-3, Jesse Paulson 2-4, Bell 2-3, BJ Hattel 0-0, Jarred Krueger 1-3, Doug Cuffe 0-2, Riley VanNyhuis 0-1, Rusty Hill 1-4, LeCourlieux 1-4, Jon Cloyed 1-4.
MINOT - Houston Kurt 1-4, Ryne Hornesker 0-3, Tyler Lundy 2-4, Zac Elgie 1-3, Jordan Huttle 0-4, Teddy Anderson 0-4, Fred Nelson 0-2, Jordan Martinson 0-1, Evan Trevdt 0-3.
RBIs - Gla. 6 (Krueger 3, Paulson, Bell, LeCourleiux). 3B - Gla. 1 (Paulson). 2B - Gla. 5 (Bell 2, Grubb, Krueger, Hill). SB - Gla. 4 (Whitcomb, Grubb 2, Hattel).