Pirates, FHS split

By CARL HENNELL

Flathead ends Polson's unbeaten season in 10-run fashion

The Daily Inter Lake

The undefeated season is no more.

In a doubleheader showdown between the state's No. 1 Class A high school softball team (Polson) and one of the best Class AA teams (Flathead) Tuesday afternoon at the Conrad Complex, Flathead put an exclamation point on the Pirates' undefeated season by 10 running them in five innings, 14-4. Then Polson rebounded to forge the split with a 5-3 second-game victory.

"It would have been nice to have an undefeated season," Polson coach Larry Smith said. "We were thinking about it all the time and it always made us strive to be better. But now we can start on another nice, big winning streak."

The Pirates are now 14-1 on the season and host the State A tournament Memorial Day weekend.

"Being humbled is always a good thing," Smith said. "You have to be able to take away the positives and the way they bounced back, I was really pleased."

The Bravettes are now 13-4 on the season and host the State AA tourney.

"Our goal coming in was to knock them off," Flathead senior Lindsay Ingram said. "Their record was perfect but we had the same number of wins. We thought we were pretty evenly matched and a lot of people were talking about this being the game of the year so we just wanted to make a good showing.

"I guess since they're in the valley and they were undefeated, it's pretty big - plus they are a really good team. But we are focusing on state here in a couple weeks, plus our senior night is on Thursday and that game against Big Sky is going to mean much more. But this was good preparation for Big Sky because Polson is good comp(etition)."

The teams combined to put 15 seniors on the field - seven for Polson and eight for Flathead.

The Bravettes close their regular season by hosting Missoula Big Sky on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Polson travels to The Mining City this weekend to take part in Butte Central's big LaVerne Combo Invitational with about 30 other teams playing at three separate complexes.

Flathead 14, Polson 4 (5)

In her first game back from a dislocated shoulder in her throwing arm, Polson's all-state

pitcher Dylen Zetterberg was touched up for 13 hits and 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

"I actually feel pretty good," said the pitcher who suffered the injury on April 21 while sliding head first into third base late in a 40-4 victory over Havre. "We were just a little nervous and that will get the best of you every time."

Smith said he wasn't ready to start her.

"I tried to talk her out of starting, but she wanted to because it was a big game," he said. "Whether it would have been different or not, I'm not sure. Flathead is a really good team. They hit the ball very well and we made a lot of mistakes. Usually it's just the opposite. We put the pressure on defenses and they make the mistakes, as you saw in the second game."

All nine Flathead players had at least one hit. Four of them were perfect from the plate, another had three hits and yet another had four RBIs.

Senior first baseman Hannah Vanek went 3-for-3 with a double and three-run home run. Junior catcher Alanna Handford went 3-for-3. Seniors Heather Haegele and Brianna Compton each went 2-for-2. Junior shortstop Courtney Sverdrup went 3-for-4 with an RBI and senior Lindsay Ingram went 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

"I didn't know I had that many RBIs - that's cool," Ingram said.

All told, the Bravettes mashed for 18 hits.

"Man, that was nice," Ingram said. "We really liked her speed. I guess it was easier for us because we've been doing batting practice against Bri (Compton) and she's pretty fast and they (Zetterberg and Compton) are about the same speed. But Bri might be a little faster."

The Pirates managed six hits off Compton, but she struck out nine in just five innings. Only three of the runs were earned. She improved to 9-2 on the season.

"This was definitely the toughest team we've seen all year," Smith said. "(Compton) is a great pitcher. We just couldn't lay off her rise ball."

Sverdrup had two doubles, including a walk-off job in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ingram, Compton and Vanek combined for 10 RBIs.

Ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Vanek highlighted a six-run inning with a blast over the left-field fence for her first varsity home run.

"I had a strike on me and I got a pitch right down the middle," Vanek said. "I didn't know it was out. I slowed down at two because I didn't think it went over but then I saw everyone running out of the dugout. I was like, 'Oh, a home run.' So I just kept running."

Polson 100 21 - 4 6 2

Flathead 005 63 - 14 18 2

Dylen Zetterberg, Sarah Newton (4) and Brittany Jones. Brianna Compton and Alanna Handford. W - Compton (9-2). L - Zetterberg (8-1).

POLSON (13-1) - Kyla McDonald 2-3, Zetterberg 0-3, Lindsey Rafter 1-3, Jaelin Vandeberg 0-3, Amanda James 1-3, Kendra Woldstad 1-3, Sarah Newton 0-1, Jones 0-1, Maggie Gordon 1-2.

FLATHEAD (13-3) - Heather Haegele 2-2, Kalin Lingle 1-2, Compton 2-2, Lindsay Ingram 2-4, Christina Zorn 1-3, Hannah Vanek 3-3, Leslie Quay 1-4, Courtney Sverdrup 3-4, Handford 3-3.

RBIs - Pol. 3 (Gordon 2, James), Flt. 13 (Ingram 4, Compton 3, Vanek 3, Haegele, Quay, Sverdrup). HR - Pol. 1 (James), Flt. 1 (Vanek). 2B - Pol. 1 (Gordon), Flt. 3 (Sverdrup 2, Vanek). SAC - Pol. 0, Flt. 1 (Compton). SB - Pol. 0, Flt. 1 (Lingle).

Polson 5, Flathead 3

What a difference a game made.

Polson's sophomore pitcher Sarah Newton rebounded from allowing three walks and five hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief in the first game by striking out five and allowing eight hits, two walks, and three runs in the second game and improved to 6-0 from the circle.

"She's a young gal," Smith said. "She was a little nervous in that first one. It was a big game to her. The change between games was all psychological. Heavens, no, I wouldn't tinker with her mechanics. It was just her composure and she went out and did what she does best."

While Newton held the Bravettes down on offense, the Bravettes' defense committed six errors and allowed three unearned runs to score.

"We didn't show up for the second game," Flathead coach Dale Beerman said. "Defensively, offensively … the whole thing. I haven't raised my voice all year, but I just did to those girls - big time. I won't do it again the rest of the year. So hopefully I got my point across.

"I learned that the Polson Pirates have guts. They never fold like a $2 suit case. They didn't go home for the second game. They came and played to win."

The Bravettes did out-hit the Pirates, 9-5, and Sverdrup put together an eight-strikeout, five-hit pitching performance.

The only RBI credited to Polson was Zetterberg's double in the third inning that bounced off of a diving Flathead third baseman Christina Zorn's glove. All of Flathead thought it was a foul ball. Polson's next batter, Lindsay Rafter, put down a great bunt and beat it out for a hit and Zetterberg came all the way around to score on a low throw to and past the catcher. Rafter thought about advancing on the error, which drew a terrible throw back up to first base. But the throw ended up in right field and Rafter came all the way around to score.

It proved to be the game winner even though Rafter, who went 2-for-4, scored another unearned run in the fifth inning.

"That was nice to bring it back to them because that's what they did to us," Zetterberg said. "It was kind of nice to rebound like that."

The Bravettes tried to mount a comeback and scored three runs in the sixth inning, which was highlighted by a two-run double by Zorn, but couldn't plate a runner from third before ending the inning. Ingram pinch hit for a two-out double in the seventh off Zetterberg in relief, but she was left stranded.

Polson 013 010 0 - 5 5 0

Flathead 000 003 0 - 3 9 6

Newton, Zetterberg (7) and Jones. Sverdrup and Handford. W - Newton (6-0). L - Sverdrup (3-2). S - Zetterberg (1).

POLSON (14-1) - McDonald 0-4, Zetterberg 1-4, Rafter 2-4, Vandeberg 1-4, James 0-3, Woldstad 0-3, Newton 0-3, Jones 1-3, NaTesha Arlint 0-2.

FLATHEAD (13-4) - Haegele 1-4, Lingle 2-4, Becca Felde 0-3, Compton 0-1, Vanek 0-2, Ingram 1-1, Quay 1-3, Zorn 2-3, Handford 0-3, Sverdrup 1-3, Jamie Graham 1-3.

RBIs - Pol. 1 (Zetterberg), Flt. 3 (Zorn 2, Sverdrup). 2B - Pol. 1 (Zetterberg), Flt. 2 (Zorn, Ingram). SAC - Pol. 1 (Arlint), Flt. 0. SB - Pol. 1 (Arlint), Flt. 0.