Pirates pull away from Dogs
Pirates get 18 hits in 17-1 victory
WHITEFISH - It takes more than a big inning to satisfy Larry Smith.
The Polson coach appreciates offensive explosions, but he is most pleased when the defending Class A state champion Pirates play smart, fundamentally sound softball.
The Pirates put that formula to work Saturday evening, capping their 17-1 Western A victory over Whitefish with a 12-run sixth inning.
Polson committed no errors and generated its offense with patient, situational hitting before its customary late outburst put the game out of reach.
"We're gonna hit the ball, it's just a matter of when we're gonna to do it," Smith said.
"We can also get into that small ball and play that when we need to, but the defense has got to come first, and if we can stop the opponent, we know our bats are going to come around."
The Pirates (14-1, 7-0 Western A) racked up 18 hits, but only three for extra bases. They put down two sacrifice bunts in the third inning and totaled five walks without striking out.
"The kids are pretty intelligent up there," Smith said. "They know how to move runners around and why they're doing it.
"They know the one following them is going to drive them in. They're all willing to sacrifice themselves just to move the runners."
The Bulldogs (7-7, 4-4) escaped a first-inning jam unscathed and played error-free defense over the next four frames.
Polson pitcher Dakota Peterson kept Whitefish in check, however, allowing three hits and no walks in five innings. She never faced more than four batters in an inning or allowed a runner past second base, despite fanning just four Bulldogs.
Peterson, who mostly relied on her curve and drop, retired the side on five pitches in the fourth inning.
"I try to let the defense get in there," she said. "I just throw my pitches, and if they hit it, then they hit it."
Adele FauntLeRoy had three of Whitefish's four hits, including a double and a triple. The freshman center fielder also had the game's top defensive highlight, robbing Polson shortstop Amanda James of extra bases with a running catch before crashing into the wall in the fifth inning.
Whitefish made both of its errors with two outs in the sixth inning, leading to 11 unearned runs.
"The wheels fall off, and what else can you do?" Whitefish coach David Dachs said. "You just hang in there as best you can.
"We just had a tough time getting that last out, and they just kept banging it around."
Left fielder SuSan Perez-Tenas led Polson's hit parade, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs. James went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, followed by Peterson, Maggie Gordon, Staci Benson and Charlee Jenson with two hits apiece.
Benson, Peterson and Sarah Newton each drove in two runs, and Benson doubled twice in the sixth.
"We always start off slow in the beginning, it seems like, and then we get down around the fifth, sixth inning and start hitting," Peterson said.
Smith couldn't explain why the Pirates' offense often comes in late surges.
"I don't really know why," he said, "because they come out, they're really excited.
"Maybe they're too excited and have a little bit too much adrenaline flowing. That's very possible."
Carolyn Sharp scored Whitefish's run on a wild pitch in the sixth. The Bulldogs managed four base runners in what proved to be the final frame.
Polson's final three conference games are against two of Western A's top squads. They host Columbia Falls on Thursday and still have two showdowns with Libby.
Whitefish, which also will finish its season at the state tournament in Butte, battles Flathead on Tuesday with conference dates against Libby and Columbia Falls remaining.
According to Dachs, the good news for the Bulldogs is Saturday's game was just one loss, no matter the score.
"We're not gonna figure that we're gonna knock off one of the best teams in the state just because we show up," he said. "We know we need to improve, and that's what we're going to work on next week.
"We're going to try to get a little better next practice and go from there."
Polson 021 11(12) - 17 18 0
Whitefish 000 001 - 1 4 2
Dakota Peterson, Rochelle Woods (6) and Caitlyn Vassar and Kayla Duford (6). Torey Ost, Carolyn Sharpe (6) and Desiree Clarke. W - Peterson. L - Ost.
POLSON (14-1, 7-0) - Maggie Gordon 2-5, Staci Benson 2-5, Sarah Newton 1-4, Woods 1-3, Vassar 1-2, Amanda James 3-5, SuSan Perez-Tenas 4-4, Peterson 2-5, Charlee Jenson 2-3.
WHITEFISH (7-7, 4-4) - Adele FauntLeRoy 3-3, T. Ost 0-2, Sharpe 0-1, Clarke 0-2, Hailey Mortensen 0-2, Devyn Ost 0-2, Taylor Ybarra-Brunty 0-2, Kristi Whisler 0-2, Camille Williams 1-2, Shannon Holmes 0-2.
RBIs - Pol. (Perez-Tenas 4, Peterson 2, Benson 2, Newton 2, James 2, Woods, Jenson), WF 0. 3B - Pol. 1 (Peterson), WF 1 (FauntLeRoy). 2B - Pol. 2 (Benson), WF 1 (FauntLeRoy). SB - Pol. 2 (Benson, Kodi Woods), WF 1 (Clarke). SAC - Pol. 2 (Vassar, Perez-Tenas), WF 0.