Johnson, Hellgate shut down Glacier

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA - The Wolfpack brought slick gloves to Missoula, but their bats never showed.

The Glacier softball team dropped a best-of-three Western AA playoff series to Missoula Hellgate on Thursday, losing 1-0 and 8-0.

The Wolfpack committed no errors, but finished their first season 7-14 overall while missing out on next week's state tournament in Great Falls.

"We felt really good about the first season," Glacier coach Joel Bemis said. "I don't know if we knew what to expect.

"We just hoped we could come out and learn to compete, and overall we're so pleased with how this season turned out."

Hellgate 1, Glacier 0

The Knights' second-inning run was all they needed.

Sarah Hendricks led the decisive inning off with a single, and Kaitlyn Horner singled to move her to second. Mary Yoder singled Hendricks home with one out before Glacier's Jessie Compton struck out the next two batters.

"We thought, 'No big deal. They scored one run,'" Bemis said. "But I give a ton of credit to their pitcher.

"She kept us guessing all day, kind of like when we played them up here."

D.J. Johnson notched 11 strikeouts and no walks for the Knights. Compton allowed just six hits while fanning six batters.

Lindsey Hoffenbacker had two singles for Glacier, while Brittney Brown had one.

Hoffenbacker singled to lead off the seventh inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sabrina Kenfield. But Johnson struck out the next two batters to end the game.

Glacier 000 000 0 - 0 3 0

Hellgate 010 000 0 - 1 6 3

D.J. Johnson and Bonnie Schaffer. Jessie Compton and Brittany Franklin. W - Johnson. L - Compton.

GLACIER - Brittney Brown 1-3, Franklin 0-3, Megan Connolly 0-3, Abby Connolly 0-2, Lindsey Hoffenbacker 2-3, Sabrina Kenfield 0-3, Kristen Storle 0-3, Zoey Pettit 0-3, Paige Latimer 0-2.

HELLGATE - Jessa Ouellette 0-1, Lynea Adamson 0-2, Shaffer 1-3, Danni Johnston 0-3, Katie Hendricks 1-3, Sarah Hendricks 2-3, Kaitlyn Horner 1-3, Jordan Nelson 0-2, Mary Yoder 1-2.

RBI - Yoder.

Hellgate 8, Glacier 0

Hellgate scored four runs in the second inning and led 6-0 after four.

"That was a little disheartening because we played them so close (in the first game)," Bemis said.

Johnson allowed just three hits - singles to Paige Latimer, Brittany Franklin and Abby Connolly.

Hellgate 040 211 0 - 8 11 0

Glacier 000 000 0 - 0 3 0

Johnson and Schaffer. Kendra Bouley, Compton (3) and Franklin. W - Johnson. L - Bouley.

GLACIER - Brittney Brown 0-2, Paige Latimer 1-1, Franklin 1-3, Megan Connolly 0-3, Abby Connolly 1-3, Lindsey Hoffenbacker 0-1, Sabrina Kenfield 0-3, Micah Hergesheimer 0-3, Zoey Pettit 0-3, Compton 0-2.

HELLGATE - Ouellette 1-4, S. Hendricks 1-4, Schaffer 1-4, K. Hendricks 0-4, Johnston 3-4, Adamson 0-3, Leyna Downey 0-1, Nelson 2-3, Rachel Gearheart 2-3, Yoder 1-3.

2B - Brown, Nelson, Yoder. RBIs - Nelson, Gearheart, Yoder 2, Johnston, Ouellette.