The Libby Logger softball team faced a familiar opponent in the opening round of the Montana High School Association Class A softball tournament Thursday in Hamilton.

The Loggers (13-5) ended the regular season with a 15-0 road thrashing of Ronan on May 19 and they will face each other again. Libby’s win over the Maidens gave the Loggers the Northwest A’s second automatic seed into the state tournament. It's Libby's first appearance at state since 2023.

Thursday, Libby beat Ronan again, 3-1, setting up a game in the second round against Southeast champion Billings Central at 3 p.m. Thursday, also on the No. 2 field. Results were not known at press time.

Two wins on Thursday would put Libby in the 1 p.m. game Friday on the No. 1 field, likely against top seed Columbia Falls. The Wildcats will battle the winner Frenchtown-Havre at 3 p.m. Thursday.

A Libby-CFalls rematch would be tantalizing, considering the Loggers were well on their way to a home win April 25 before losing a 6-4 heartbreaker to the Wildcats.

Since then, Libby has won nine of 11 games. In its last six games, the Loggers have scored 85 runs. Overall, they've outscored their opponents 190-95.

The Loggers have had offense up and down the lineup, including from Maddie Willis, Dakota Allen, Leah Rusdal, Tessa Purdy, Rossi Baney, Bentley Houston, Weslee MacDonald and Hadleigh Wood.

Carmen Kohler leads the pitchers with 35 2/3 innings, 51 strikeouts and 29 walks. She is 3-3 with an earned run average of 4.32. 

Willis is 4-2 while working 29 innings, 25 strikeouts, nine walks and a ERA of 2.90. MacDonald has thrown 14 innings, 12 strikeouts, eight walks, with a 3-0 mark and 6.50 ERA.

Polson had to play its way to state and the Lady Pirates did with a 13-9 win last week over Dillon.

Hamilton, the top team in the Southwest, is at the bottom of the bracket. 

Northeast top seed Lewistown could face Hamilton Friday if both teams win Thursday.

Libby met Southeast No. 3 Lockwood in the Laverne Combo and lost 13-11. Libby bounced back with a 12-2 win over Lewistown May 15.

The Loggers are 5-5 against the state playoff field. The opened the season with a huge 7-5 win over Class A defending champion Frenchtown.

They split games against Polson. In the first, Libby lost 9-8 on the road. In May, at home, Libby trailed 13-7 before staging a wild comeback over the Lady Pirates, 14-13.

The Loggers swept Ronan and dropped a 9-5 game to Hamilton.