CMR, Big Sky teams to beat in AA
FHS starts with CMR
Missoula Big Sky and Great Falls C.M. Russell are the favorites to win the State AA softball tournament, which starts today in Missoula.
That's the notion around the state, anyway. But Flathead, Butte, Billings West or Billings Skyview may have something to say about that. Those four schools are considered in a bunch in the second echelon of participants.
The tournament gets going at the Fort Missoula Softball Complex at 2 p.m. with Flathead playing CMR on one field and Butte playing Billings West on the other. After those games, Missoula Big Sky plays Great Falls while Billings Skyview plays Helena Capital to finish the first round.
CMR finished the regular season with a 19-1 record as the top team from the Eastern AA. The Rustlers only loss was a 5-2 job at the hands of Billings West during the second week of the season.
Big Sky started the season on an 18-game winning streak before dropping its final two games of the regular season. The Eagles finished with an 18-2 record as the No. 1 seed out of the West. Don't let those two losses fool you, though. Big Sky coach Dennis Staves felt his team needed to lose before heading to state after beating Flathead only 4-2 to finish the Western AA season undefeated.
CMR must stave off the Bravettes in the first round in order to advance.
The Bravettes are led by junior pitcher Brianna Compton. She has pitched her way to a 10-7 record and is the team's No. 2 hitter with about a .290 average.
Sophomore center fielder Heather Haegele is the team's best hitter, with a .314 average, and bats in the leadoff spot.
Junior third baseman Christina Zorn is hitting better than .300 in the No. 3 spot in the order. She belted her first home run - a three-run job - last Thursday in the playoff series against Missoula Sentinel.
Senior left fielder Liz Dwyer, a future University of Mary player, hits in the cleanup and is hitting about .285.
Designated player Spencyr Schmaltz, a senior outfielder. bats No. 5. Junior catcher Julie Robertson bats No. 6 and had a big series against Sentinel with three hits and two RBIs. Junior first baseman Lindsay Ingram also had three hits and two RBIs in the playoff series. She usually bats No. 7.
Senior second baseman Brittney Nelson bats No. 8. She had two hits and the game-tying RBI in the second game of the playoffs.
Sophomore shortstop Courtney Sverdrup is the team's second leadoff person - the No. 9 hitter - and had the best playoff series from the plate of any Bravette. She went 4-for-6 with two RBIs.
The Bravettes did not play CMR during the regular season. If they upset the Rustlers, they will play the winner between Butte (11-9) and Billings West (13-9) Friday at 10 a.m. If the Bravettes lose their opening-round game, they will play the loser between Butte and West Friday at noon. They have not played Billings West this year. Against Butte during the regular season, the Bravettes swept the Bulldogs in a doubleheader in Kalispell and were swept in a doubleheader in Butte.
State AA softball tourney
in Missoula
at Fort Missoula Softball Complex
Fields 1 and 4
Thursday
2 p.m. - CMR (19-1) vs. Flathead (11-10)
2 p.m. - Butte (11-9) vs. Billings West (13-9)
4 p.m. - Missoula Big Sky (18-2) vs. Great Falls (10-12)
4 p.m. - Billings Skyview (15-5) vs. Helena Capital (12-7)
Friday
Winners' bracket
10 a.m. - winners of 2 p.m. games
10 a.m. - winners of 4 p.m. games
4 p.m. - winners of 10 a.m. games, undefeated semifinal
Losers' bracket
noon - losers of 2 p.m. games
noon - losers of 4 p.m. games
2 p.m. - winner of noon game vs. loser of 10 a.m. game
2 p.m. - winner of noon game vs. loser of 10 a.m. game
4 p.m. - winners of 2 p.m. games, 4th place
Saturday
10 a.m. - winner of 4 p.m. game vs. loser of undefeated semifinal, 3rd place
noon - winner of undefeated semifinal vs. winner of 3rd place game, championship
2 p.m. - championship, game 2, if needed