Rough day for FHS in softball

The Daily Inter Lake

It was a long, frustrating day for Flathead's softball team.

The Bravettes dropped a pair of tough Western AA games, 6-3 to Helena Capital and 4-3 to Helena High, to fall to 4-6 on the season at the Conrad Complex on Saturday.

Flathead did rebound to beat Capital 11-1 in a nonconference game.

"We are so close," Flathead coach Dale Beerman said.

"We have the bases loaded with no outs and don't get anyone in. We have to take advantage of those situations. We didn't do that."

That happened in the league game with Capital.

"That could have turned the table right there, but it didn't happen," Beerman said.

"It's high school softball. We just lost a couple tough ones."

Flathead (8-9 overall) hosts Missoula Hellgate on Tuesday.

Capital 6, Flathead 3

Capital tallied four runs in the seventh inning to pull it out.

Kelsi Brekke drilled a two-run homer to center field, Halie Hash's double to the fence in center scored a run, and Ashley Blanton drove in the final run with a single.

Flathead came right back in the bottom half of the inning to score a run on an RBI single by Shaina Evans to right field. But that was it. Flathead had runners on second and third with two outs, but could not advance them.

The Bravettes tied the game at 1-all in the bottom of the third when Heather Haegele scored on a single to right field. The ball was misplayed by Capital's outfielder and rolled all the way to the fence as Haegele rounded the bases. She beat the throw to home plate with a slide.

The Bravettes came right back with another run in the fourth to lead 2-1 thanks to an RBI single by Anna Costa.

Capital tied the game at 2-all with a run in the fifth.

Flathead had the bases loaded in the fifth inning with no outs, but Capital got out of the jam with a double play and a ground out.

Haegele and Costa both went 3-for-4 to lead Flathead. The Bravettes finished with 16 hits.

Brekke had a perfect day at the play, 4-for-4.

Capital beat Flathead 9-0 back on April 12 in Helena.

"Capital's tough," Beerman said.

"They're the best in the West from what I've seen."

Beerman says Capital likes to score early to put the pressure on.

"We hung around," he said.

Capital 100 010 4 - 6 9 2

Flathead 001 100 1 - 3 16 0

Halie Hash and Kalli Heller; Meagan Hash and Alanna Handford; W - Hash; L - Hash.

Capital - Heller 0-3, H. Hash 2-4, Kelsi Brekke 4-4, Jordyn Gillespie 1-2, Jacie Vonada 1-4, Ashley Blanton 1-3, Liz Baker 0-3, Megan Graff 0-3, Devin McNellis 0-1, Marissa Miller 0-0.

Flathead - Heather Haegele 3-4, M. Hash 2-4, Alanna Handford 0-4, Shaina Evans 1-4, Kendra Bennett 2-3, Anna Costa 3-4, Becca Felde 1-3, Catie Costa 2-3, Justine Hayes 1-3.

2B-H. Hash; HR-Brekke; RBIs-H. Hash, Brekke (2), Gillespie, Blanton; Evans, A. Costa.

Flathead 11, Capital 1

Flathead had 11 hits and put it away with a five-run fifth inning and a four-run sixth in the nonconference outing. It was also the final game of the day.

Hanna Burton went 3-for-3 and Kendra Bennett went 3-for-4 to lead the Bravettes.

Capital 000 100 - 1 4 NA

Flathead 010 154 - 11 11 0

Katie Boland and Megan Graff; Evans and Handford; W - Evans; L - Boland.

CAPITAL - Heller 1-2, McNellis 0-3, Brekke 1-2, Miranda Pace 1-1, Hash 0-2, Graff 0-3, Baker 1-2, Miller 1-2, Boland 0-2.

FLATHEAD - Haegele 2-4, A. Costa 0-2, Emily Jones 0-1, Evans 2-4, Bennett 3-4, C. Costa 0-4, Handford 1-4, Hayes 1-3, Hanna Burton 3-3, Casey Roylston 1-3.

2B-Burton; RBIs-Baker; Evans, Bennett, Hayes, Burton (2), Roylston.

Helena 4, Flathead 3

Flathead forced extra innings when Anna Costa reached on a walk in the bottom of the seventh, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on one.

Helena, however, came right back. After Sarah Sesselman reached on an error, she eventually scored on an RBI single by Sydney Carpenter.

"Helena High played pretty well," Beerman said.

Helena had 13 hits to Flathead's four, all singles.

Helena 000 200 11 - 4 13 2

Flathead 010 010 10 - 3 4 2

Josie Grotbo and Sarah Sesselman; Hash and Handford; W - Grotbo; L - Hash.

HELENA - Carly Grant 4-5, Ashten Colvin 0-4, Grotbo 1-3, Sarah Jackson 0-4, Sesselman 0-3, Noel Perez 2-4, Carmon Cole 4-4, Sydney Carpenter 2-4, Kelsey Chambers 0-4.

FLATHEAD - Haegele 0-4, Hash 1-2, Handford 1-4, Evans 1-4, Bennett 0-3, A. Costa 1-2, Felde 0-3, C. Costa 0-3, Hayes 0-3.

2B-Grotbo, Cole; RBIs-Grotbo, Carpenter (2).