Bravettes rally to defeat Big Sky

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA - So now we know this year's Flathead High School softball team can rally from a decent-sized deficit to win.

The Bravettes rallied from a 4-0 deficit Thursday to beat Missoula Big Sky 7-4 in a Western AA showdown.

Pitcher Brianna Compton highlighted a four-run fifth inning with a two-run double off the center fielder's glove to tie the game. Senior right fielder Leslie Quay got the game-winning RBI single in the sixth inning, which plated shortstop Courtney Sverdrup from second. Then senior first baseman Lindsay Ingram put the icing on the cake with her first home run, a two-run shot in the seventh inning.

"This is a great team," Flathead coach Dale Beerman said. "In fact it's so great, we had a couple coaches from Butte scouting us. In my 17 years of coaching, I've never been scouted."

The Bravettes host Butte Saturday in a Western AA doubleheader.

Not only did Compton do damage from the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, she rebounded from getting hit in the head Saturday and early command struggles in this game to pick up her second victory of the year. She struck out five and held the Eagles scoreless for the final five innings.

"There was a little bit of a fear factor involved, but we had to straighten a couple of things out and then she really got going," Beerman said. "Her power line was off a little and the circle was real rocky so she wasn't getting solid footing. Plus, she wasn't snapping her wrist real well. But we got that taken care of and it took the rest of the team five innings to get off the bus.

"No wonder my goatee is going gray."

Flathead 000 041 2 - 7 8 0

Big Sky 310 000 0 - 4 9 3

Brianna Compton and Julie Robertson. Christy Selway and Sarah Horst. W - Compton (2-1). L - Selway (1-2).

FLATHEAD (3-1, 3-1) - Heather Haegele 1-4, Kalin Lingle 0-4, Compton 3-4, Lindsay Ingram 1-4, Christina Zorn 1-4, Courtney Sverdrup 0-2, Robertson 0-3, Leslie Quay 1-2, Jamie Graham 1-2.

BIG SKY (1-2, 1-2) - Katelyn Kropp 0-4, Ashley O'Reilly 2-4, Briggett Plenger 0-3, Sarah Lustgraaf 2-3, Horst 2-4, Selway 0-1, Rachel White 1-3, Kaila Wagener 1-3, Murray Taylor 1-3.

RBIs. - Flt. 6 (Compton 2, Ingram 2, Graham, Quay), BS 4 (Lustgraaf, Horst 2, Wagener). HR - Flt. 1 (Ingram) BS 0. 2B - Flt. 3 (Compton 2, Zorn), BS 2 (Lustgraaf, Horst).