AA Twins go 2-1 on opening weekend

By RICHARD HANNERS / Whitefish Pilot

The Glacier Twins AA team won their season-opening game at home last Friday, overwhelming an understaffed Libby Loggers team 16-6 in Whitefish.

"It's nice to start off the season with a win," head coach Ryan Hadfield said. "They did a lot of things right that day."

This is Hadfield's first year coaching the Twins AA team. He came over from Wenat-chee, Wash., where he coached the Apple Valley Packers for the past three years.

Shortstop Ryan Caron and centerfielder Scott Yogodzinski together recorded five hits against the Loggers. The two freshmen at Montana Tech in Butte came back to the Flathead one night earlier with no real practice time.

Caron went 3-for-4, including scoring two runs, stealing two bases and knocking in two RBIs. Yogodzinski went 2-for-5 with a triple, two runs and an RBI.

All told, the Twins had 12 hits and scored every inning. The Loggers, with seven players absent, recorded 10 errors for the game.

Eight Twins players recorded hits, including Kyle Knox, who went 2-for-5 with an RBI double, and Dustin Von Feldt, Zane Ridings and Bridger Beach.

On the mound, Josh Schott earned the win for the Twins, striking out five Loggers. Kyle Yogodzinski came in at relief and allowed one earned run in three innings and striking out six batters. Libby's four pitchers recorded nine walks.

Libby 102 030 0 — 6 5 10

Glacier 421 212 4 — 16 12 2

Rory Hendrickson, Colt Cannon (3), Chris Herbig (6), Nick Monroe (7) and Cannon, Eric Grotjohn (3) and Cannon (6). Josh Schott, Kyle Yogodzinski (5) and Brad Nielsen. W — Schott (1-0). L — Hendrickson (0-1).

LIBBY (0-1) — Cannon 1-4, Herbig 0-2, Hendrickson 3-4, Ryan Stapley 0-3, Mitch Cotten 0-4, Monroe 1-3, Grotjohn 0-4, Spencer Koskela 0-2, Kelly May 0-2.

GLACIER (1-0) — Scott Palmer 0-4, Dustin Von Feldt 1-3, Wes Beougher 0-2, Zane Ridings 1-5, Bridger Beach 1-4, Scott Yogodzinski 2-5, Nielsen 1-3, Ryan Caron 3-4, Wayde Martinson 0-0, Kyle Knox 2-5, Adam Pisk 0-2, Cody Elek 1-2.

RBIs — Lib. 4 (Hendrickson 4), Gla. 8 (Caron 2, Ridings, Beach, S. Yogodzinski, Nielsen, Knox, Elek). HR — Lib. 1 (Hendrickson), Gla. 0. 3B — Lib. 0, Gla. 1 (S. Yogodzinski). 2B — Lib. 2 (Cannon, Hendrickson), Gla. 3 (Nielsen, Knox, Elek). SB — Lib. 0, Gla. 7 (Beach 2, Caron 2, Palmer, Beougher, Ridings).

The AA Twins split with the Helena Senators in a doubleheader on Saturday in Whitefish, winning 6-5 in the opener and losing 12-5 in the second game.

The Senators had five unearned runs in the second inning in the first game, but the Twins rallied to score three runs in the sixth inning.

The Twins posted 12 hits in the game and had base runners in every inning except the fifth. Scott Yogodzinski went 3-for-4 at the plate, and Von Feldt, Ridings and Beach each hit twice.

"We played really good baseball," Hadfield said. "We got a lot of small things done right, including a critical bunt and some big hits. Helena is a very good team."

The Twins infielders caught two Senators at third base in the sixth inning. It took eight throws to corner the runners and finish the inning.

"Kyle (Yogodzinski) played that very well with the tag at first," Hadfield said.

Helena 050 000 0 — 5 6 2

Glacier 120 003 x — 6 12 1

Nick Trapp, Austin Rue (4) and Derek Estep. Zane Ridings, Kyle Knox (6) and Bridger Beach and Brad Nielsen (7). W — Knox. L — Rue.

HELENA (2-2) — Derik Carley 1-4, Jake Winslow 1-4, Nick Retz 0-4, Mike Bartlett 1-4, Matt Williams 0-3, Adam Eckhart 1-1, Estep 0-2, Grant Wise 1-3, Rue 1-3.

GLACIER (2-0) — Scott Yogodzinski 3-4, Dustin Von Feldt 2-4, Ridings 2-3, Beach 2-4, Ryan Caron 1-2, Nielsen 1-3, Cody Elek 1-2, Wayde Martinson 0-2, Kyle Yogodzinski 0-2, Adam Pisk 0-0, Knox 0-1.

RBIs — Hel. 5 (Winslow 2, Rue 2, Carley), Gla. 6 (Ridings 3, Beach 2, Nielsen). 3B — Hel. 1 (Winslow), Gla. 0. 2B — Hel. 1 (Eckhart), Gla. 0. SB — Hel. 0, Gla. 3 (S. Yogodzinski, Beach, Caron). SAC — Hel. 0, Gla. 2 (Martinson, Ridings).

A third inning grand slam home run in Saturday's second game by Helena batter Nick Retz helped to overcome the Twins' 1-0 lead, despite two more runs that inning by the home team. Helena went on to score eight runs in the final three innings to overwhelm the 4-4 tie.

"Kyle (Yogodzinski) threw a mistake pitch to Retz," Hadfield said.

Kyle Yogodzinski was still pitching well, but Hadfield was concerned the young pitcher might injure himself. Four Twins relief pitchers finished the game.

"We need to work on developing our young pitchers this season," Hadfield said.

Scott Yogodzinski, Caron and Nielsen each had two hits for the Twins, including a triple by Yogodzinski.

"We actually out hit Helena," Hadfield said.

Helena 004 023 3 — 12 8 1

Glacier 102 100 1 — 5 10 0

Matt Williams, Nick Retz (5) and Adam Eckhart. Kyle Yogodzinski, Scott Palmer (5), Adam Pisk (6), Bridger Beach (7) and Brad Nielsen. W — Williams. L — Palmer.

HELENA (3-2) — Jake Winslow 2-5, Austin Rue 0-1, Retz 1-3, Anthony Hogan 1-3, Mike Bartlett 0-4, Eckhart 1-3, Derek Estep 1-4, Chris Nichols 0-2, Nick Trapp 2-3.

GLACIER (2-1) — Scott Yogodzinski 2-4, Dustin Von Feldt 1-3, Zane Ridings 1-3, Beach 0-3, Ryan Caron 2-4, Nielsen 2-4, Pisk 1-3, Palmer 1-4, K. Yogodzinski 0-2, Kyle Knox 0-0.

RBIs — Hel. 10 (Retz 4, Trapp 3, Winslow 2, Hogan), Gla. 4 (Knox, Von Feldt, Nielsen, Pisk). HR — Hel. 2 (Retz, Trapp), Gla. 0. 3B — Hel. 0, Gla. 1 (K. Yogodzinski). 2B — Hel. 1 (Winslow), Gla. 0. SB — Hel. 2 (Rue, Trapp), Gla. 2 (Beach, Palmer). SAC — Hel. 0, Gla. 1 (Ridings).

The Twins ended the day 2-1. Next up, the Twins AA team travels to Libby on Friday before facing the Mission Valley Mariners for a doubleheader here in Whitefish.