MAD Energy wins Sandpoint mens softball league championship
The 2023 MAD Energy softball team poses for a photo after their championship win. Pictured, top row, left to right: Jim Pierce, Osa Orison, Billy Brackett, Mat Macdonald, Sean Corbett, Bear Youngdahl. Bottom row, left to right: Donny Pettit, Joseph Gedstad, Matthew "Augee" Augustine, Matty Clark, Oliver Pratt. Not pictured, Shaun Carroll, Randy Evans, Keegan McAuliffe, Kevin MacDonald, and Rama Scarlett.
(Courtesy Photo)
SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint men’s softball league championship game was held at Travers Park on Friday in a matchup between MAD Energy and Kochava. MAD Energy took home the trophy with a 20-8 victory.
In the top of the first inning, Kochava wasted no time getting out to an early lead. With one out and Nic Kuhn on first base, Chris Russell stepped into the box and crushed the second pitch he saw for a two-run home run to left field. Later in the inning, Matt "Mogo" Mogollon drove in Stephen Leddy to propel Kochava to a 3-0 lead.
However, MAD Energy was able to get one run back in the bottom half of the inning when Joseph Gedstad scored on a double by Osa Orison. Thankfully for MAD Energy, the Kochava bats went cold, going three up and three down in back-to-back innings. MAD Energy tacked on three runs in both the second and the third innings to take a 7-3 lead.
The game was blown wide open with MAD Energy scoring seven runs in fourth inning and another six in the seventh; Mat Macdonald and Bear Youngdahl both hit home runs during the rally. Kochava’s Stephen Leddy would homer in the sixth, but it would not be enough. MAD Energy would go on to win the championship, 20-8. Kochava finished with a 7-7 record on the year while MAD Energy finished at 9-3.
The first inaugural all-star series between Bonner and Boundary counties will be held 5 p.m. Friday at Travers Park. Both counties have assembled rosters consisting of former professional players and even current members of various state and national softball teams. The best-of-three series will be packed with exciting softball plays and plenty of home runs.