Bravettes go bust at state

The Daily Inter Lake

HELENA - The Flathead Bravette softball season came to an emotional end Friday afternoon.

The Bravettes won their first game of the day at the Class AA state softball tournament, 9-7 over Billings Senior, but fell 3-2 in eight innings in their second game to Billings Skyview.

"We played very well," said Flathead coach Dale Beerman.

"We came back and fought really hard. There was no quit," he said.

The first game was an emotional rollercoaster.

The Bravettes jumped to a 3-0 lead right away.

Right about the time Beerman was starting to enjoy himself, however, Senior caught up and took the lead.

"Everybody is looking glum," he said.

A short pep talk later, "they just started pecking away. We were hitting, stealing, bunting, running. All of a sudden, we're up 8-7."

Junior Liz Dwyer was 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles and four RBI. Sophomore Leslie Quay also had a double and two RBI and freshman Heather Haegele was 2-for-3 also.

"She's going to be a player," Beerman said of Haegele.

"She slapped real well. She got on base. She didn't look like a freshman," the coach said.

Flathead led the second game 1-0 after the first inning, but Skyview tied it in the fourth, then added two runs in the top of the seventh.

The Bravettes scored a run themselves in the bottom of the inning and had two runners on when the Skyview center fielder made a great catch on a shot by Ashley Fusaro to end the game.

"We should have won the game," Beerman said. "We had runners on for four innings in a row and didn't score."

Loser out

BRAVETTES 9, BRONCS 7

Flathead 300 005 1 - 9 7 3

Senior 000 340 0 - 7 10 2

Brittani Danielson, Brianna Compton (5) and Ashley Fusaro. Jill Wyatt and Hannay Stroebe. W - Compton (7-4). L - Wyatt.

Flathead - Brandi Boreson 0-4, Heather Haegele 2-3, Spencyr Schmaltz 1-3, Fusaro 0-2, Liz Dwyer 2-3, Brittney Nelson 3-3, Christina Zorn 0-3, Leslie Quay 1-4, Rachel Bennett 0-3.

Senior - Jetton Meadors 1-4, Wyatt 2-4, Carrie Draeger 2-4, Mara Hoskins 1-4, Ashley Davis 1-4, Cassie Degner 2-4, Jayme Newell 1-3, LeeAnn Anthony 0-2, Alaina Abbott 0-3.

2B - Dwyer 2, Quay, Draeger, Davis, Denger. RBIs - Fusaro, Dwyer 4, Nelson, Quay 2. Draeger 2, Davis, Degner 3.

Loser out

EAGLES 3, BRAVETTES 2 (8)

Skyview 000 100 02 - 3 11 1

Flathead 100 000 01 - 2 10 1

Vanessa Weber, Brooke Pearce (7) and Shaye Skovgaard. Brianna Compton and Ashley Fusaro. W - Pearce. L - Compton (7-5).

Skyview- Tiffany Sherman 2-4, Syd Ross 0-3, Sarah Wilson 2-4, Kristine Newell 2-3, Lynae Lorenz 1-4, Lacey Meszaros 1-4, Lauren Gustafson 2-4, Kate Brew 1-2, Weber 0-2.

Flathead - Christina Zorn 1-4, Heather Haegele 2-4, Spencyr Schmaltz 3-3, Fusaro 1-3, Liz Dwyer 0-4, Amanda Lidstrom 1-4, Khris Robertson 0-3, Cori Hindoen 0-1, Brandi Boreson 1-4, Rachel Bennett 1-3.

2B - Wilson, Newell. RBIs - Meszaros, Gustafson. Schmaltz, Lidstrom.

Other Friday Scores

Billings West 5, Billings Skyview 4, 8 innings

Helena Capital 7, Great Falls Russell 2

Missoula Big Sky 3, Missoula Sentinel 1, lo

Missoula Big Sky 2, Great Falls Russell 0, lo

Helena Capital 8, Billings West 6, sf

Missoula Big Sky 2, Billings Skyview 0, lo