Bravettes gun down high-flying Eagles

It was just a few days ago that Flathead softball coach Dale Beerman was begging the Bravettes to 'focus.'

"'When we focus, we're pretty tough. But when we don't, we're not very good,'" was the quote Tuesday after the Bravettes split a doubleheader with Western A Polson.

He got what he wanted on Thursday.

The Bravettes put all of their will into handing Western AA leader Big Sky its first conference loss of the season as the teams split a doubleheader. Flathead (10-9, 6-6) won the conference game 1-0, but dropped the second game, 4-2.

It's now a 90 percent certainty that Flathead will host Helena High in a playoff next Thursday.

"Full focus," Beerman said.

"Focus today was the name of the game.

"Britanni Danielson pitched very well," the coach said.

"She kept the ball down and she kept it inside a lot," Beerman said.

The senior gave up just three hits.

She struck out just two Eagles batters, but she also didn't walk or hit anyone. She got Big Sky to hit the ball on the ground - and the Flathead defense played error-free behind her.

"I think we went into (this game) a lot more focused than the last game," Danielson agreed. "All the seniors were really excited and nervous. We really wanted to win. We were so focused and we wanted it so bad.

"We really wanted to show them we're a good team, also," she added.

"It seemed like my teammates were really behind me today and it seemed like we gelled really well. If we do well for the first couple of innings and we stay up, we don't give up and we work harder because we think we have a chance to win.

"That was a really big win for me."

Danielson gave credit to catcher Ashley Fusaro.

"Ashley caught very well for me. She kept me motivated," she said.

Flathead's one run came in the fourth inning - catcher Ashley Fusaro walked, then stole both second and third bases. Then, with one out, Big Sky catcher Sarah Horst allowed one pitch to get behind her and that was all the invitation Fusaro needed.

It was all the invitation either team got.

Big Sky pitcher Michael Eustance also gave up just three hits and the Eagle defense was also error-free in the first game.

Flathead kept that intensity burning for five innings of the second game.

Pitcher Brianne Compton finished with nine strikeouts, five hits, four walks and two hit batsmen and the Flathead defense was as good for her as it was for Danielson.

The Bravettes retired the first six batters and Big Sky didn't get a baserunner past second base until the fourth inning.

That changed with one swing of the bat by Big Sky's Ashley Powell in the sixth inning.

Powell sent the first pitch of the inning flying over the left field fence, but Compton and the Bravettes got out of the inning with no further damage.

The real trouble came in the seventh when the first two Eagle batters walked. One run scored when a Big Sky batter's hit caromed off Compton's leg. Two more runs scored off a bases-loaded single.

Flathead wasn't done just yet, though.

The Bravettes led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back doubles by Spencyr Schmaltz and Liz Dwyer.

Dwyer stole third, then scored on the third baseman's error.

BRAVETTES 1, EAGLES 0

Big Sky 000 000 0 - 0 30

Flathead 000 100 x - 1 30

Michael Eustance and Sarah Horst. Britanni Danielson and Ashley Fusaro. WP - Danielson. LP - Eustance. 2B - Dwyer, Schmaltz (F).

Big Sky - Kayla Devlin 0-3, Tabitha Schwartz 0-3, Ashley Powell 1-3, Brittani Clifford 0-2, Sarah Horst 2-3, Michael Eustance 0-2, Sarah Lustgraff 0-2, Briggett Plenger 0-2, Amanda Hall 0-2.

Flathead - Brandi Boreson 1-3, Christina Zorn 0-3, Amanda Lidstrom 0-3, Ashley Fusaro 0-2, Liz Dwyer 1-2, Spencyr Schmaltz 1-2, Kris Robertson 0-2, Britanni Danielson 0-1, Rachel Bennett 0-1.

EAGLES 4, BRAVETTES 2

Big Sky 000 001 3 - 452

Flathead 000 000 2 - 240

Christie Selway, Eustance (7) and Brittany Greely. Brianne Compton and Ashley Fusaro. WP- Selway. LP - Compton. HR - Powell (BS). 3B - Zorn (F). 2B - Zorn, Schmaltz, Dwyer (F).

Big Sky - Devlin 2-4, Schwartz 0-3, Powell 2-4, Clifford 0-2, Eustance 1-3, Plenger 0-2, Ashley Montelius 0-2, Greely 0-2, Sara Jacobs 0-2.

RBIs: Powell 1, Devlin 1, Eustance 2.

Flathead - Boreson 0-4, Zorn 2-2, Lidstrom 0-2, Fusaro 0-3, Schmaltz 1-3, Dwyer 1-3, Nelson 0-1, Bennett 0-3, Compton 0-3.

RBIs: Dwyer.