Western A teams begin state runs

Polson, Libby, Columbia Falls, Whitefish in Butte for softball tourney

The Libby and Polson softball teams were supposed to square off in Polson on April 19.

Uncooperative weather thwarted that game and several make-up attempts before the Loggers finally visited the Pirates on Saturday in a Western A finale to settle the conference's regular-season title.

The elusive contest became a blessing, as it came after Friday's originally scheduled Polson-at-Libby game, giving both teams a postseason environment prior to this week's Class A state tournament in Butte.

Libby took Friday's game 3-2, but Polson responded Saturday with a 6-4 victory, earning Western A's No. 1 state seed due to run differential.

"It was like a pre-tournament tournament," Polson coach Larry Smith said. "All the tension and pressure was right there and you could see it in both teams."

Libby coach Dean Thompson agreed.

"You're playing your conference championship, and it happens to be the last two games of the year," he said.

"Polson's an incredible team. Sometimes they lose a lot of players, but … they're just as strong the next year."

The Pirates clinched last year's state championship with 12-2 and 10-9 victories over Frenchtown in Polson. They graduated seven starters last spring, but begin their title defense at 3 p.m. today against this morning's Billings Central-Butte Central victor.

Libby opens at 5 p.m. against the 1 p.m. Whitefish-Frenchtown winner, while Columbia Falls battles Sidney at 1 p.m. for the right to play Eastern A champion Belgrade at 5.

Corvallis opens with this morning's Hamilton-Laurel winner.

"The teams anymore are so close together," Thompson said. "Whichever team plays five to seven good games this week is going to win the state championship."

The Pirates (18-4, 9-1 Western A) have won four state titles in Smith's 21 seasons as head coach. Amanda James, Sarah Newton and Staci Benson own the most state experience, but most of the Pirates were in the dugout for last year's run.

"I don't think they've talked a whole lot about it," Smith said. "I think they're just trying to take it easy and walk into this thing kind of quietly."

But the Pirates won't be able to sneak up on anybody with their eye-popping numbers.

Rochelle Woods is batting .522, followed by Newton (.517) and James (.452). Newton's six home runs and 29 RBIs are team-highs, while Woods has driven in 25 runs. James and Charlee Jenson have two long flies apiece, and Dakota Peterson is 16-4 from the circle.

"I don't think there are any real surprises," Smith said, "because the elite teams, we've played them at least twice - Libby, Frenchtown and Corvallis.

"We've got the first-round bye, so we're not going to have any cupcakes. They're all going to be tough games."

Libby's last state championship came in 1998, but the Loggers (18-4, 9-1) have played at state in each of Thompson's nine years as head coach, including 2006, when they reached the title tilt against Laurel.

Ace pitcher Brooke Hageness (17-3) has plenty of offensive support. She and Laice Dedrick are both hitting .490, while Nicky Lapka leads the team at .510.

"These seniors (Dedrick, Hageness, Megan Wedel, Shelby Barton and Holly Cirian) have been real eager to get there, and this is it for them," Thompson said. "This is their last hurrah.

"Everyone is 0-0 going into the state tournament, and we just have to have a good weekend to win the whole thing."

The Wildkats (13-7, 6-4) roll into their third straight state tourney after finishing the regular season on a 5-1 tear. They beat Sidney last year in Polson.

"I don't know anything about them," seventh-year Columbia Falls coach Dave Kehr said. "The only thing I know about Sidney is we played them opening round last year."

Cleanup hitter Amber James leads the Wildkats, batting .469 with three homers and 27 RBIs. Amanda Milliard has risen to the leadoff spot after striking out just three times all season.

"Lindsay Nelson's been swinging a really good bat this year, too," Kehr said. "She's a tough out. She hits the ball very hard most all the time."

Morgan Rowe will handle the bulk of Columbia Falls' pitching. She has a solid fastball and has been working to hone her changeup.

"Her strength, basically, is she's got a good presence on the mound," Kehr said. "Nothing really rattles her, she just keeps pitching."

Whitefish (7-15, 4-6) makes its first state trip since 2005. Senior catcher Desiree Clarke is the only Bulldog with state experience.

"They deserve to be there, and they've got to walk in with some quiet confidence and realize they if they play their game well, they can match up with just about anybody," third-year head coach David Dachs said.

Torey Ost (7-8) heads Whitefish's pitching staff, along with Carolyn Sharpe.

Clarke leads the Bulldogs with a .469 batting average and .521 on-base clip. Her three home runs and 13 RBIs tie Devyn Ost (.382 batting average) for team-highs.

Speedy freshman Adele FauntLeRoy is hitting .349, while Hailey Mortensen has knocked in 12 runs.

Whitefish lost to Frenchtown earlier this season, but Dachs knows the Bulldogs can compete with anybody after battling Libby and Polson in conference play.

"The pressure's on everyone else," he said. "We just need to go in there and do the best we can.

"If we can get a couple breaks, it's tournament time - anything can happen."

2008 State Class A

Softball Tournament

At Copper Mountain Park, Butte

Today's Opening Games

First Round

11 a.m.

Eastern No. 2 Billings Central vs. Central No. 4 Butte Central

Central No. 3 Hamilton vs. Eastern No. 3 Laureal

1 p.m.

Central No. 2 Frenchtown vs. Western No. 4 Whitefish

Western No. 3 Columbia Falls vs. Eastern No. 4 Sidney

Second Round

3 p.m.

Western No. 1 Polson vs. Billings Central-Butte Central winner

Central No. 1 Corvallis vs. Hamilton-Laurel winner

5 p.m.

Western No. 2 Libby vs. Frenchtown-Whitefish winner

Eastern No. 1 Belgrade vs. Columbia Falls-Sidney winner