Bravettes looking at strong season

Zorn, Compton, Robertson lead 8 seniors

With eight seniors, the Flathead High School softball team is ready to avenge last season's two-and-the-que state tournament performance.

The Bravettes got the season off on the right foot Saturday by winning the Great Falls Jamboree. They went 4-0 in four five-inning games in the all-Class AA field plus Class A defending state champion Laurel.

"Pretty impressive, eh?" third-year coach Dale Beerman said. "I wanted to go over there and make sure everybody knew who we were. Not to be cocky, but those teams from the East don't give a lot of respect to teams in the West. I think everybody knows who we are now."

The Bravettes beat CMR, 4-0; Great Falls, 2-1; Laurel 8-3; and Billings Skyview 5-2. Probably the most impressive feat of the day was Flathead committed no errors in the four games.

"That's got to be pretty good," Beerman joked.

Previewing the Bravettes is easy.

Senior Christina Zorn is a first-team all-state third baseman.

Senior pitcher Brianna Compton and senior catcher Julie Robertson are all-conference players. And classmates Hannah Vanek, Lindsey Ingram, Jamie Graham, Kalin Lingle and Leslie Quay will be major contributors.

On top of the eight seniors are two juniors who start and received postseason honors last season.

Junior Heather Haegele is a first-team all-state center fielder. Junior Courtney Sverdrup is an all-conference shortstop. She will also be the Bravettes' No. 2 pitcher.

"This should be a good season," Beerman said. "Our strengths are defense, base running and hitting. Hopefully, we have no weaknesses."

Listening to Beerman talk about his players, it's easy to detect optimism.

Zorn: "Best third baseman in the state," he says.

Haegele: "Best outfielder in the state."

Compton: "One of the best pitchers in the state."

Robertson: "Great catcher."

Sverdrup: "Great softball player."

Quay: "Could be the best."

Vanek and Ingram will split time at first base. Graham, a first-year starter, will be the second baseman. Lingle, another first-year starter, will play in left field. Quay will be in right.

The Bravettes will also be looking to sophomores Catie Costa and Becca Felde along with juniors Shaina Evans and Alana Handford in critical roles. Sophomore Megan Hash is slated as the No. 3 pitcher.

But on top of the individual accolades the team has going for it is a celebratory concept: This in the final season of having only one Flathead Valley Class AA program. Plus, Beerman's junior varsity coach Joel Beamis has already been hired as the head coach of next year's inaugural Glacier High School team.

Then there's the trump card: The Bravettes are hosting the Class AA state tournament May 24-26 at the Conrad Complex.

They open their home schedule Thursday at 4 p.m. against Missoula Sentinel.

Four teams will qualify for the state tournament from the seven-team Western AA Conference. The top two teams after the regular season will earn automatic berths to the tournament and will be awarded first-round byes. The remaining five teams will playoff for the conference's final two berths into the tournament. The No. 3 seed will host the winner of a No. 6 versus No. 7 playoff game. The No. 4 seed will host No. 5 in another playoff game.

Word around the state is Eastern AA's Great Falls CMR and Western AA's Butte are in the upper echelon of their respective conferences. Western AA's Missoula Big Sky will be trying for a three-peat of state titles. Beerman said Helena Capital will be a force to reckon with in the West and Billings West looks good in the East.

CMR and Billings West tied Laurel for the second-best records at the Great Falls Jamboree with 3-1 records. Butte went 2-1-1 and Capital went 2-2.

Great Falls Jamboree

Saturday

Records - Flathead 4-0, C.M. Russell 3-1, Laurel 3-1, Billings West 3-1, Butte 2-1-1, Helena Capital 2-2, Billings Skyview 1-1-2, Missoula Hellgate 1-2-1, Missoula Big Sky 1-2-1, Billings Senior 1-2-1, Great Falls 1-3, Helena 1-3, Missoula Sentinel 0-2-2, Bozeman 0-2-2.

First round

Flathead 4, CMR 0; Missoula Big Sky 2, Great Falls 0; Helena 10, Bozeman 4; Laurel 4, Missoula Hellgate 1; Billings West 3, Helena Capital 1; Billings Skyview 4, Missoula Sentinel 0; Butte 1, Billings Senior 0

Second round

CMR 1, Helena 0; Flathead 2, Great Falls 1; Helena Capital 3, Bozeman 0; Laurel 10, Missoula Big Sky 3; Butte 2, Billings West 1; Billings Skyview 0, Missoula Hellgate 0; Billings Senior 4, Missoula Sentinel 4

Third round

CMR 4, Helena Capital 1; Great Falls 6, Helena 0; Butte 2, Bozeman 2; Flathead 8, Laurel 3; Billings West 7, Missoula Sentinel 0; Billings Skyview 1, Missoula Big Sky 1; Missoula Hellgate 1, Billings Senior 0

Fourth round

CMR 3, Butte 1; Helena Capital 6, Great Falls 0; Bozeman 1, Missoula Sentinel 1; Laurel 5, Helena 4; Billings West 11, Missoula Hellgate 4; Flathead 5, Billings Skyview 2; Billings Senior 5, Missoula Big Sky 1

Flathead 4, CMR 0

Compton pitched a one-hitter - striking out seven in five innings - and had an RBI single, and sophomore Becca Frank added an RBI double.

Frank, Alana Handford and Kendra Bennett played in place of starters Graham and Robertson, respectively, because the seniors were in England for spring break.

No Bravette had more than one hit, but the team out-hit the Rustlers, 6-1.

Flathead 021 10 - 4 6 0

CMR 000 00 - 0 1 0

Brianna Compton and Alana Handford. Brittany Barnes and Meghan Yurek.

FLATHEAD - Heather Haegele 1-2, Kalin Lingle 0-2, Compton 1-2, Lindsey Ingram 1-1, Courtney Sverdrup 1-2, Christina Zorn 0-2, Leslie Quay 0-1, Handford 1-1, Becca Felde 1-1.

RBIs - Felde, Compton. 2B - Haegele, Ingram, Felde.

Flathead 2, Great Falls 1

Flathead's No. 2 pitcher Sverdrup allowed three hits and two walks over five innings while striking out four and Vanek had the game-winning RBI in the third inning.

Bennett went 2-for-2 with an RBI double in the second inning.

The Bravettes were ahead 2-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

Flathead 011 00 - 2 5 0

Great Falls 000 01 - 1 3 0

Sverdrup and Kendra Bennett. Vick and Banach.

FLATHEAD - Lingle 0-3, Zorn 1-2, Costa 0-3, Vanek 1-1, Sverdrup 0-2, Quay 1-2, Felde 0-1, Bennett 2-2, Evans 0-2

RBIs - Bennett, Vanek. 2B - Quay, Bennett.

Flathead 8, Laurel 3

Haegele and Zorn each went 3-for-3 while Quay, Evans and Costa each had two RBIs as the Bravettes erupted for 16 hits.

Quay, Zorn and Costa each had two doubles in the game.

Sverdrup started in the circle and struck out four in three inning then Compton closed it - needing only one inning of work before the game's time limit expired.

Flathead 510 20 - 8 16 0

Laurel 300 00 - 3 5 2

Sverdrup, Compton (4) and Bennett, Handford (4). Wood and Caron.

FLATHEAD - Haegele 3-3, Felde 1-3, Sverdrup 2-2, Compton 0-1, Ingram 2-3, Quay 1-2, Evans 2-3, Zorn 3-3, Costa 2-3, Bennett 0-2, Handford 1-1.

RBIs - Quay 2, Evans 2, Zorn, Costa 2, Handford. 2B - Quay 2, Evans, Zorn 2, Costa 2.

Flathead 5, Skyview 2

Vanek went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and Compton struck out seven while allowing only three hits.

Haegele and Handford had two hits apiece to help lift the Bravettes in closing the Jamboree as the only unbeaten team.

Flathead 003 20 - 5 10 0

Skyview 101 00 - 2 3 0

Compton and Handford. Skyview battery not available.

FLATHEAD - Haegele 2-3, Lingle 1-2, Compton 1-2, Zorn 0-2, Sverdrup 0-3, Vanek 3-3, Evans 1-2, Handford 2-3, Felde 1-2.

RBIs - Lingle, Sverdrup, Vanek 2, Felde. 2B - Vanek.