Bravettes pull out two road victories
The Daily Inter Lake
BUTTE - The Flathead Bravettes may be peaking at just the right point in the softball season.
Flathead rallied past Western AA Butte 2-1 in nine innings in Saturday's conference game, then claimed the second game as well, 2-0.
The wins mean the Bravettes (9-6, 5-6) are likely to host a playoff game against Helena High in two weeks.
"We played well," said Flathead coach Dale Beerman. "I think we're going to get going here.
"We didn't hit well, but we played pretty good defense," he said. "We played a short game. Bunt and slap and run … steal. We didn't change anything. That's the same ball we've been playing."
Things didn't start off in the best way possible for Flathead, as Bravette pitcher Brianne Compton hit the first batter she faced. That player later scored.
But Compton settled right in after that and her teammates rewarded her with a tying run in the fifth and the winning run in the ninth.
Britanni Danielson got the victory in the second game.
"Her best game of the year, I think," Beerman said of Danielson's performance in the second game.
Ashley Fusaro and Amanda Lidstrom were both 2-for-4 in the first game. Lidstrom added a double and an RBI.
Lidstrom, Spencyr Schmaltz, Brittney Nelson and Christina Zorn each had second game hits.
The Bravettes play host to Polson in a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday. Game times are 3 and 5 p.m.
Bravettes 2, Bulldogs 1, 9 innings
Kalispell 000 010 001 - 2 6 2
Butte 100 000 000 - 1 4 1
Brianne Compton and Ashley Fasaro; Darcy Powers and Kira Gelling. W -Compton. L - Powers (0-6). 2B - Lidstrom (F).
Kalispell (8-6, 5-6) - Brandi Boreson 0-4, Kris Robertson 0-4, Liz Dwyer 0-4, Fusaro 2-4, Spencyr Schmaltz 1-3, Amanda Lidstrom 2-4, Rachel Bennett 0-4, Christina Zorn 1-3, Leslie Quay 0-4.
Butte (1-13, 0-10) - Savanna Maldonado 0-4, Powers 1-4, Brianna Shaffer 0-4, Shana Fortune 1-4, Micaul Bosch 1-4, Kira Gelling 1-4, Melissa Taras 1-3, Meaghan Randall 0-2, Ali Stosich 0-2.
RBIs - Lidstrom, Fortune.
Bravettes 2, Bulldogs 0
Kalispell 000 020 0 - 2 4 0
Butte 000 000 0 - 0 6 3
Britanni Danielson and Fusaro, Julie Robertson (5). ; Darcy Powers and Gelling. W - Danielson. L - Powers (1-7). 2B - Zorn (F) Randall (B).
Kalispell (9-6, 5-6) - Boreson 0-3, Dwyer 0-3, Fusaro 0-2, Lidstrom 1-3, Schmaltz 1-3, Brittney Nelson 1-3, Britanni Danielson 0-2, Zorn 1-3, Bennett 0-3, Julie Robertson 0-1.
Butte (1-14, 0-10) - Maldonado 1-3, K. Powers -13, Bosch 0-3, Fourtune 1-3, Taras 0-2, Gelling 1-3, Rebecca Loeberg 0-2, Megan Walter 0-1, McKensie Dallaserra 1-3, Randall 1-2.
RBIs - Zorn, Bennett.