Bravettes lose out at state

CMR, Butte, Capital alive for title

Although the rain clouds cleared for the State Class AA Softball Tournament to continue Friday, there was no joy in mudville for the hometown fans at the Conrad Complex.

The Flathead High School softball team went from its first-round victory Thursday to two straight losses and was eliminated from the state tourney.

Great Falls C.M. Russell beat the Bravettes, 14-4, in six innings to send them to the losers' bracket. Then Helena Capital rallied from a 4-1 deficit with a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning to end Flathead's season with a 5-4 victory.

"Last night, we were on top of the world thinking we were going to win a state championship," all-state third baseman Christina Zorn said. "Now … It sucks. I don't know how to put it. We'll all get over it, but I had a lot of fun this year and I'll have lots of memories."

Only three teams are alive for the state championship: CMR, Butte and Capital. CMR is the top seed from the East. Capital is the top seed from the West. And Butte is the No. 3 seed from the West.

After beating Flathead, CMR beat Butte, 10-3, in the undefeated semifinal to earn a berth in today's championship game at noon.

Butte beat Billings West, 4-0, in the second round before losing to CMR to drop into today's consolation game at 10 a.m.

Capital, which lost to Billings West in the opening round, eliminated Billings Skyview, 10-2, Flathead and then Billings Senior, 9-2, to advance to the consolation game.

Undefeated semifinal

CMR 10, Butte 3

Trailing 3-2 entering the top of the fourth inning, CMR plated six runs to take command.

Maghan Yurek's two-run double highlighted the inning while Kelsey Lowry and Cassidy Palagi each hit RBI singles and stole second.

Four of the runs were unearned.

"It was a tight game, but an error in that inning cost us the complexion of the game," Butte coach Steve Stosich said. "But there's not a weak spot in their lineup. They are solid one through nine."

Haylee Miller, Yurek, Palagi and Amanda Morris each had two hits as the Rustlers tallied 13 hits off all-state pitcher Darcy Powers. Miller, Yurek and Lowry each had two RBIs.

Freshman Kira Bigler started for CMR and spread five hits over five innings in improving to 8-1 on the year. She walked four and struck out three. Sophomore Brittany Allen relieved her in the sixth inning and got five straight outs, including four strikeouts, to end the game.

Rebekah Gibson hit a two-run homer for Butte in the first inning and the Bulldogs added another run in the second off leadoff hitter Megan Holland's RBI single. But they went scoreless from there on out.

Every spot in the batting order, except No. 9, had hits for CMR. Nos. 6-8 hitters - Jill Zeren, Lowry and Palagi - combined for four hits, five runs, four RBIs and three stolen bases. Zeren led off the fifth inning with a solo home run.

"That pretty much sums up what this team has been about all season - up and down our lineup, you never know who's going to step up and lead us." CMR coach Roger Spring said.

The Rustlers have hit seven home runs in the tournament to give them 42 on the season. No other Class AA team has ever hit half that many.

Powers walked none and stuck out three in dropping to 13-5 on the season.

CMR 020 620 0 - 10 13 1

Butte 210 000 0 - 3 6 3

Kira Bigler, Brittany Allen (6) and Maghan Yurek. Darcy Powers, Marianne Leathers (7) and Ali Stosich. W - Bigler (8-1). L - Powers (13-5).

CMR (20-3) - Bobbie Lee 1-4, Haylee Miller 2-4, Becca Frank 1-4, Maghan Yurek 2-3, Amanda Morris 2-4, Jill Zeren 2-3, Kelsey Lowry 1-4, Cassidy Palagi 2-4, Bigler 0-2, Kinsey Reilly 0-1, Brittany Allen 0-1.

BUTTE (19-7) - Megan Holland 1-3, McKensie Dallaserra 0-4, Stosich 1-3, Rebekah Gibson 1-4, Julia Robinson 1-4, Marianne Leathers 0-3, Jessica Young 0-0, Amy Sullivan 2-3, Rebecca Loberg 0-2, Jesse Taylor 0-1.

RBIs - CMR 9 (Miller 2, Lowry 2, Yurek 2, Lee, Zeren, Palagi), But. 3 (Gibson 2, Holland). HR - CMR 1 (Zeren), But. 1 (Gibson). 2B - CMR 1 (Yurek), But. 0. SB - CMR 3 (Palagi 2, Lowry), But. 0.

Second-round games

CMR 14, Flathead 4 (6)

Tied 4-4 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Haylee Miller hit a two-run homer to highlight a four-run inning and the Rustlers, who scored in every inning, took command.

Leadoff hitter Bobbie Lee went 5-for-5, cleanup hitter Maghan Yurek went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs and the Rustlers banged out 17 hits.

"They were just a better team than us and we stayed with them for as long as we possibly could have," Zorn said. "A lot of things happened that didn't go in our favor, but they were just a better team than us in that game - that's the bottom line."

Freshman pitcher Kira Bigler relieved CMR starter Braittany Barnes in the fourth inning after the Bravettes tied the game with two runs on the help of three walks and a hit batter. Bigler closed the game with 2 1/3 perfect innings to earn the victory.

The Bravettes managed just three hits. Zorn went 2-for-3 and Brianna Compton had two RBIs on two groundouts.

Compton pitched five innings, allowing 13 hits and eight earned runs. She struck out 10 and walked none. She had eight strikeouts in the first three innings.

Flathead 011 200 - 4 3 3

CMR 121 442 - 14 17 2

Brianna Compton, Courtney Sverdrup (6) and Julie Robertson. Braittany Barnes, Kira Bigler (4) and Maghan Yurek. W - Bigler (7-1). L - Compton (10-4).

FLATHEAD (15-6) - Heather Haegele 0-3, Kalin Lingle 0-3, Compton 0-1, Catie Costa 0-0, Lindsay Ingram 0-1, Christina Zorn 2-3, Hannah Vanek 0-3, Leslie Quay 0-1, Robertson 1-3, Sverdrup 0-2.

CMR (19-3) - Bobbie Lee 5-5, Haylee Miller 2-3, Becca Frank 1-4, Yurek 4-4, Amanda Morris 0-4, Jill Zeren 0-4, Kelsey Lowry 1-3, Cassidy Palagi 2-4, Barnes 1-2, Bigler 1-1.

RBIs - Flt. 3 (Compton 2, LIngle), CMR 13 (Yurek 4, Lee 3, Miller 3, Zeren, Palagi, Barnes). HR - Flt. 0, CMR 2 (Yurek 2, Miller). 2B - Flt. 0, CMR 3 (Barnes, Lowry, Yurek). SAC - Flt. 1 (Sverdrup), CMR 0. SB - Flt. 0, CMR 2 (Lee, Morris).

Butte 4, Billings West 0

Powers pitched a four-hit, complete-game shutout and Marianne Leathers had a two-run triple to help advance the Bulldogs into the undefeated semifinal.

Gibson broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning with a sacrifice fly to right field that ended up plating two runs on a bad cutoff throw.

Ahead 2-0, Butte got another two runs in the sixth inning on Leathers' triple.

Powers struck out five as Butte out-hit West just 5-4. It was Powers' 13th victory of the season.

West pitcher Shelby Ballard struck out seven in the loss.

West 000 000 0 - 0 4 1

Butte 000 202 x - 4 5 1

Shelby Ballard and Allyson Peterson. Darcy Powers and Ali Stosich. W - Powers (13-4). L - Ballard.

WEST (16-9) - Ali Walen 1-3, Ballard 0-2, Amanda McCormick 1-3, Kaitlyn Frank 0-3, Amanda Crennen 1-3, Peterson 0-3, Brittany Fox 0-3, Jayme Clark 0-3, Heather Staus 1-3.

BUTTE (19-6) - Megan Holland 0-2, McKensie Dallaserra 1-3, Stosich 1-3, Rebekah Gibson 1-3, Julia Robinson 0-2, Marianne Leathers 1-3, Jesse Taylor 0-0, Jessica Young 0-3, Amy Sullivan 1-2, Kelli O'Brien 0-0, Rebecca Loberg 0-1.

RBIs - BW 0, But. 3 (Leathers 2, Gibson). 3B - BW 0, But. 1 (Leathers). 2B - BW 1 (Staus), But. 1 (Gibson).

Loser-Out Games

First-round

Billings Senior 6, Big Sky 2

LeeAnn Anthony stuck out 11 in pitching a three-hitter and went 2-for-4 from the plate with a home run, double and three RBIs.

Ahead just 3-2 heading into the final inning, the Broncs added three insurance runs to take command.

The Broncs out-hit Big Sky, 11-3. Courtney Gopp went 3-for-4 while Hannah Stroebe, Cassie Degner and Anthony each added two hits.

Big Sky, the No. 4 seed from the West, finished the season with an 11-14 record.

Senior 002 001 3 - 6 11 1

Big Sky 000 002 0 - 2 3 2

LeeAnn Anthony and Casey Kennedy. Christy Selway and Sarah Horst. W - Anthony. L - Selway.

SENIOR (13-10) - Kylie Kufeld 0-4, Hannah Stroebe 2-3, Cassie Degner 2-4, Anthony 2-4, Jayme Newell 1-4, Courtney Gopp 3-4, Hannah Roberts 0-2, Chalice Stroebe 1-3, Kennedy 0-2.

BIG SKY (11-14) - Ashley O'Reilly 0-2, Briggett Plenger 0-2, Horst 1-3, Sarah Lustgraaf 1-3, Shelby Quamme 0-2, Selway 0-2, Shelby Zentner 0-2, Katelyn Kropp 0-1, Rachel White 0-2, Ember Hanson 0-1, Murray Taylor 1-3.

RBIs - Sen. 6 (Anthony 3, H. Stroebe, Degner, Gopp), BS 2 (Horst, Lustgraaf). HR - Sen. 1 (Anthony), BS 0. 2B - Sen. 1 (Anthony), B S 1 (Horst).

Capital 10, Skyview 2

Capital catcher Kalli Heller went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs while pitchers Ashley Ames, Lindsay Cline and Halie Hash combined to spread nine hits over seven innings.

The Bruins out-hit the Falcons just 12-9 in the lop-sided win, but the Falcons committed four errors.

Kelsi Brekke and Cline each added two hits in the victory.

Lynae Lorenz and Kelsie Keeling each went 2-for-3 in the loss.

Skyview, the No. 2 seed from the East, ended its season with a 10-12 record.

Skyview 000 200 0 - 2 9 4

Capital 450 010 x - 10 12 2

Teal Kaufman, Kelsey Miller (2) and Chesley Wharton. Ashley Ames, Lindsay Cline (5), Halie Hash (7) and Kalli Heller. W - Ames. L - Kaufman

SKYVIEW (10-12) - Amanda Todd 1-3, Sam Steffanich 1-3, Kate Brew 0-3, Lynae Lorenz 2-3, Kelsie Keeling 2-3, Lindsay Stoltz 1-3, Kaufman 0-1, Miller 1-2, Hillary Loney 0-3, Morgan Witzel 1-3.

CAPITAL (16-5) - Shannon Furlong 1-3, Halie Hash 1-4, Kelsi Brekke 2-4, Cline 2-4, Heller 3-4, Jordyn Gillespie 1-4, Jacie Vonada 1-3, Morgan Donnell 0-2, Ames 0-2, Kelley Petrusha 1-1.

RBIs - Skv. 1 (Miller), Cap. 8 (Heller 5, Hash, Cline, Petrusha). HR - Sky. 0, Cap. 1 (Heller). 2B - Skv. 1 (Steffanich), Cap. 1 (Petrusha).

Second round

Capital 5, Flathead 4

This was heart-breaking for the Kalispell crowd.

Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Capital's Shannon Furlong led off the inning by reaching on an error. She stayed put on first as the next two Bruin batters flied out. Then Lindsay Cline walked and Kallie Heller and Jordyn Gillespie hit back-to-back singles. Gillespie's line drive to center field scored two to tie the game.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, after Capital's first two batters got out, Furlong and Hash hit back-to-back singles and Kelsi Brekke ended the game with a double off the center field fence.

"We thought we had it," said Compton, who walked two and struck out one.

"A lot of things could have happened differently," Zorn said. "They got a lot of bloopers. That last hit was awesome for them. We thought we had it, but softball is one of those games where you can't assume things."

With five hits in the final two innings, Capital out-hit the Bravettes, 8-7.

Capital pitcher Ashley Ames struck out five and walked three in earning the complete-game victory.

Two-time all-state center fielder Heather Haegele went 2-for-2 with two walks in leading off in four different innings. Zorn hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to give the Bravettes a 4-1 lead.

"This was the last run for Flathead and we had visions of glory," said a choked-up Flathead coach Dale Beerman. "We had a good season. They played their guts out. These eight seniors, I'm going to miss them. I've got a soft spot in my heart for them."

The Bravettes ended the season with a 15-7 record. Three girls were named to the all-state first team: Compton, Zorn and Haegele. Two were named to the all-state second team: Lindsay Ingram and Leslie Quay.

Flathead 110 020 0 - 4 7 1

Capital 010 003 1 - 5 8 1

Brianna Compton and Julie Robertson. Ashley Ames and Kalli Heller. W - Ames. L - Compton (10-5).

FLATHEAD (15-7) - Haegele 2-2, Lingle 1-2, Compton 0-3, Robertson 1-4, Zorn 1-3, Vanek 1-2, Ingram 0-0, Sverdrup 1-3, Quay 0-2, Jamie Graham 0-3.

CAPITAL (17-5) - Furlong 1-4, Hash 2-4, Brekke 1-2, Cline 1-3, Heller 1-3, Gillespie 1-3, Vonada 1-3, Donnell 0-2, Ames 0-3.

RBIs - Flt. 4 (Zorn 2, Compton, Sverdrup), Cap. 4 (Gillespie 2, Brekke, Ames). 2B - Flt. 1 (Haegele), Cap. 1 (Brekke). SAC - Flt. 3 (Lingle 2, Compton), Cap. 1 (Donnell). SB - Flt. 2 (Sverdrup 2), Cap. 0.

Billings Senior 2,

Billings West 0

Anthony pitched a one-hit, complete-game shutout. No other details were available.

The Golden Bears finished the season with a 16-10 record.

Senior 000 200 0 - 2

West 000 000 0 - 0

Anthony and H. Stroebe. Jones and Peterson. W - Anthony. L - Jones.

Fourth-place game

Capital 9, Senior 2

Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Cline highlighted a six-run inning for the Bruins with a two-run home run to cap Capital's three-win Friday.

Cline pitched a three-hit, complete game for the victory and Furlong went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the way.

All told, the Bruins had 15 hits.

Gillespie, Jacie Vonada, Morgan Donnell and Ames each had two hits.

Senior, the No. 3 seed from the East, finished its season with a 14-11 record after winning two games on Friday.

Senior 010 001 0 - 2 3 0

Capital 100 106 1 - 9 15 2

LeeAnn Anthony and Casey Kennedy. Lindsay Cline and Kalli Heller . W - Cline. L - Anthony.

SENIOR (14-11) - Kylie Kufeld 0-4, Hannah Stroebe 1-3, 0-3, Cassie Degner 0-3, L. Anthony 1-3, Jaymie Newell 0-1, Courtney Gopp 0-2, Hannah Roberts 0-2, Tracy Barrett 0-1, Chalice Stroebe 1-3, C. Kennedy 0-3.

CAPITAL (18-6) - Shannon Furlong 3-4, Halie Hash 0-3, Devin McNellis 0-1, Lindsay Cline 1-2, Kalli Heller 0-4, Jordyn Gillespie 2-4, Jacie Vonada 2-3, Kelly Petrusha 0-1, Mo Donnell 2-4, Ashley Ames 2-3.

RBIs - Sen. 1 (C. Stroebe), Cap. 9 (Cline 2, Furlong 2, Ames 2, Hash, Brekke, Donnell). HR - Sen. 0, Cap. 1 (Cline). 2B - Sen. 0, Cap. 4 (Furlong 2, Gillespie, Donnell).

Opening round

CMR 15, Missoula Big Sky 5

completion of suspended game

Missoula Big Sky 300 002 - 5 8 3

C.M. Russell 203 305 - 15 12 1

Christy Selway and Sarah Horst. Kira Bigler, Brittany Allen (1) and Maghan Yurek. W - Allen (2-0). L - Selway.

BIG SKY (11-13) - Ashley O'Reilly 1-3, Shelby Zentner 0-1, Katelyn Kropp 1-2, Sarah Horst 1-3, Sarah Lustgraaf 1-3, Selway 0-3, Shelby Quamme 2-3, Rachel White 0-2, Murray Taylor 1-2.

CMR (18-3) - Bobbie Lee 2-3, Haylee Miller 0-2, Becca Frank 4-4, Yurek 0-2, Amanda Morris 2-4, Jill Zeren 0-4, Kelsy Lowry 3-4, Cassidy Palagi 1-2, Ashley Keeler 0-3.

HR - Frank (8), Morris (6), Lowry (4). 3B - Frank. 2B - Frank 2.