Libby in Class A softball championship

The Daily Inter Lake

ANACONDA - The Libby Loggers emerged as the lone unbeaten team after Friday's play at the Class A state softball tournament.

The Loggers defeated Belgrade 13-3 and then finished up by blanking the Corvallis Blue Devils 3-0 to advance to today's championship game.

"The girls are up," Libby coach Dean Thompson said.

"They are ready to go tomorrow. There are four teams left."

Brooke Hageness held Corvallis to four hits and struck out nine.

"Brooke pitched a great game," Thompson said.

"That was the first time Corvallis had been shutout this year."

Corvallis and Libby split during the regular season.

Libby scored twice in the fourth inning on passed balls and Hageness drove in the other run with a single to right-center field.

Laice Dedrick had Libby's lone extra-base hit, a double.

Defending champion Polson was eliminated Friday, falling 4-2 to Corvallis in nine innings and 8-5 to Frenchtown.

Frenchtown also eliminated Columbia Falls, 5-1.

Whitefish was ousted by Butte Central, 8-4.

The tournament moves back to Butte today. Libby (21-4) will play at 1 p.m at Stodden Park.

Frenchtown (20-5) and Belgrade (19-4) will play a loser-out game at 9 a.m. That winner meets Corvallis (21-3) at 11.

Libby's last state title came in 1998.

Libby 000 210 0 - 3 4 0

Corvallis 000 000 0 - 0 5 2

Brook Hageness and Shelby Barton. Kasie Conder and Kori Conder.

LIBBY (21-4) - Hageness 0-3, Barton 0-3, Nicky Lupka 0-3, Laice Dedrick 1-3, Alysha Martin 0-3, Megan Wedel 0-3, Jordan Refsland 0-2, Kim Klin 2-3, Holly Cirian 1-3.

CORVALLIS (21-3) - Bri Brawley 1-3, Kylan Pallsay 0-3, Kasie Conder 1-3, Markie Gurley 1-3, Megan Auch 0-3, Danielle Murray 0-2, Syd Ewing 0-3, Amber Bradshaw 0-3, Nicki Henderson 2-3.

2B - Dedrick.

Libby 13, Belgrade 3

A quick start gave Libby an easy victory.

The Loggers scored five times in the first inning and six times in the fourth.

Belgrade 102 000 - 3 4 1

Libby 510 601 - 13 12 1

Lauren Torres and Brittany Larsen; Brooke Hageness and Shelby Barton. W - Hageness. L - Torres.

BELGRADE (18-4) - Kelsey Foster 1-3, Megan Bell 0-2, Torres 103, Larsen 1-2, Jill Gue 0-2, Ali Cygan 0-3, Paige Newell 0-1, Alie Morgan 0-2, Kasey West 1-2.

LIBBY (20-4) - Hageness 3-4, Barton 0-1. Nickole Lapka 2-3, Laice Dedrick 1-3, Alysha Martin 1-4, Megan Wedel 2-4, Jordan Refsland 1-2, Kim Klin 2-3, Holly Cirian 0-3.

2B - Hageness 2, Dedrick. RBIs - Klin 3, Martin 2, Lapka, Dedrick, Wedel, Refsland; Larsen 2, Torres.

Corvallis 4, Polson 2

Corvallis broke a 2-all tie with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Kasie Conder checked Polson on five hits.

Polson 002 000 000 - 2 5 1

Corvallis 010 100 002 - 4 10 2

Dakota Peterson and Caitlyn Vasser. Kasie Conder and Korie Conder.

POLSON (19-5) - Maggie Gordon 0-4, Staci Benson 2-4, Sarah Newton 0-4, Rochelle Woods 1-4, Amanda James 0-4, Caitlyn Vassar 0-4, Peterson 0-2, Kodi Woods 0-1, Liz Simshaw 1-3, SuSan Perez-Tenas 1-3.

CORVALLIS (21-2) - Bri Browley 1-4, Kylynn Pelkey 1-4, Kasie Conder 1-4, Markie Gurley 0-4, Megan Auch 1-4, Danielle Murray 2-4, Syd Ewing 2-3, Rubi Ostrander 0-1, Amber Bradshaw 2-4, Angi Henderson 0-3.

2B -Brawley, Kasie Conder, Auch, Murray. RBI - Auch, Ewing.

Frenchtown 8, Polson 5

Frenchtown scored six runs in the final three innings to eliminate Polson.

Pitcher Shelby Russ, 1-or-5, homered for Frenchtown along with Jennifer Chapman, 3-for-4.

Frenchtown 011 042 0 - 8 18 1

Polson 001 030 1 - 5 10 1

Shelby Russ and Kristy Kees. Dakota Peterson and Caitlyn Vassar.

FRENCHTOWN (20-5) - Alex Duncan 1-5, Russ 1-5, Noelle Lebsock 0-4, Jennifer Chapman 3-4, Kristy Rees 4-4, Kali Bennett 2-3, Erin Maxted 4-5, Bridget Tarnall 2-4, Lacey Lovell 0-3, Megan Farmer 1-1.

POLSON (19-6) - Maggie Gordon 1-4, Staci Benson 3-4, Sarah Newton 2-3, Rochelle Woods 0-4, Amanda James 1-4, SuSan Perez-Tenas 0-4, Vassar 1-2, Sallie Sams 1-3, Charlee Jenson 1-3, Peterson 0-0.

2B - Bennett, Farmer; Sams, Jenson. HR - Russ, Chapman. RBI - Russ, Chapman, Farmer 2; Benson.

Frenchtown 5,

Columbia Falls 1

Frenchtown pitcher Shelby Russ limited Columbia Falls to two singles and a double by Amanda James.

Frenchtown 121 001 0 - 5 10 0

Columbia Falls 000 000 1 - 1 3 2

Shelby Russ and Erin Maxtel. Morgan Rowe and Amber James.

FRENCHTOWN (19-5) - Alex Duncan 1-4, Shelby Russ 2-4, Noelle Lebsock 1-4, Jennifer Chapman 1-4, Kristy Kees 1-2, Kali Bennett 2-3, Erin Maxtel 1-2, Bridget Yournal 1-3, Lacey Lovell 0-3.

COLUMBIA FALLS (15-8) - Amanda Milliard 0-3, Tia Yager 1-4, Lindsay Nelson 0-3, Amber James 1-3, Kayla Stinger 0-2, Renae Nelson 0-3, Mandy Toavs 0-2, Cassidy Skiles 0-1, Morgan Rowe 0-1, Cedar Smith 1-3.

2B - James. RBI - Chapman, Milliard.

Columbia Falls 8,

Laurel 5

A seven-run fourth inning lifted Columbia Falls to a victory over Laurel in loser-out play.

Amanda Millard went 3-for-4 for the Wildkats, while Amber James and Kayla Stinger both had two hits.

Laurel 001 103 0 - 5 8 4

Columbia Falls 000 710 x - 8 11 2

Katie Wood and Natalie Linse. Morgan Rowe and Amber James.

LAUREL (15-9) - Olivia Heidinger 0-5, Caitlyn Bummer 2-3, Maddie Cebuhar 2-3, Sarah Parks 1-3, Katie Wood 0-3, Elizabeth McGee 0-3, Kaitlyn O'Rourke 1-3, Natalie LInse 1-3, Brittany Sterna 1-3.

COLUMBIA FALLS (15-7) - Amanda Milliard 3-4, Tia Yager 1-3, Lindsay Nelson 0-4, Amber James 2-4, Kayla Stinger 2-4, Renae Nelson 1-3, Mandy Toavs 0-4, Morgan Rowe 1-3, Cedar Smith 1-2.

2B - Bummer; Milliard, James, Stinger 2. 3B - Milliard. RBI - Heidinger, Cebuhar, Wood, Parks 2; Milliard, Rowe.

Butte Central 8,

Whitefish 4

It was all Kelli O'Leary for Butte Central.

She ripped a grand slam home run in the fourth inning to power the offense.

In the circle, she struck out 12 Whitefish hitters and allowed just four hits.

Whitefish 000 040 0 - 4 6 4

Central 006 020 x - 8 5 0

Torey Ost and Desiree Clarke; Kelli O'Leary and Brooke Pokorny, Hannah Manion (5). W - O'Leary (15-10). L - Ost.

WHITEFISH (7-17) - Adele FauntLeRoy 2-3, Ost 1-4, Clark 0-2, Hailey Mortensen 0-3, Devyn Ost 0-2, Shannon Holmes 2-3, Kristi Whisler 0-1, Shelbi Long 0-1, Taylor Ybarra-Brunty 0-2, Camille Wiliams 1-3.

BUTTE CENTRAL (15-11) - Pokorny 2-2, MacKenzie Doherty 0-0, Saidee Johnston 0-1, Quinn Peoples 0-3, O'Leary 1-4, Amber Orizotti 1-3, Manion 0-2, Kacey Daily 1-2, Kylie Orizotti 1-3, Brianne Krzan 0-2.

HR - O'Leary. RBIs - O'Leary 4, K. Orizotti 2, Johnston, Daily; FauntLeRoy.