Knights bring flurry vs. Glacier
The start was pretty rough.
The Glacier Wolfpack gave up four hits, four walks … and six runs in the first inning of Thursday's Western AA softball game.
But then the Wolfpack (2-7) settled down and played some pretty good softball against the conference-leading Missoula Hellgate Knights.
Unfortunately, six runs is a lot to try to bounce back from and the Knights prevailed, 8-5.
"They're 9-1. They're undefeated in conference … and I thought we played pretty well with them," said Glacier head coach Joel Bemis.
"It's tough to come back. But (the Wolfpack) didn't quit. They kept playing. They stayed in there and kept battling," Bemis said.
"At this point in the season, our success is not going to be based on wins and losses. We want to try to keep getting better," Bemis said.
And because they kept playing, the few fans that braved the winter weather got to see something special - two home runs by sophomore catcher Brittany Franklin.
Franklin was 2-for-3 on the day with the two homers - both to left center - and all five of Glacier's RBIs.
The first was a two-run shot in the bottom of the first, with Lyndsey Hoffenbacker aboard.
"The first one, as soon as she hit it, it was 'oh-my-goodness,'" Bemis said.
"That was so far out of the park. It was pretty exciting," the coach said.
"She works so hard. She stays after practice with her dad. She just works and works and works, that girl. (The homers' weren't just lucky shots. She put the time in. It's kind of neat to see that happen," Bemis added.
Franklin's second homer came in the fifth. Glacier trailed 8-2 at that point, but two members of the Wolfpack were on base - Brittney Brown got a two-out single and Hoffenbacker was hit by a pitch.
Franklin got ahold of an 0-2 pitch and it just kept sailing.
"I give credit to the couple of girls who got an base. Brittney Brown to get that hit, then Lyndsey Hoffenbacker to take one for the team off the helmet. All with two out. So for girls to get in the batters box and find a way to get on base …"
From then on, the Wolfpack pretty much stayed right with the Knights - except for a seventh-inning throwing error, the Knights went down in order.
Relief pitcher Kendra Bouley had 10 strikeouts and only allowed two runs after the first-inning troubles.
The teams tried hard to get the second game in, but it just wasn't to be.
"Being competitors, we both (Bemis and Hellgate coach Kevin Callaghan) wanted to try. So we got the girls out there and gave it a shot," Bemis said.
"The snow was coming down so hard we couldn't see. After three pitches, we just said 'No way.'
"It became a safety issue, " he said.
Barring any more weather issues, Wolfpack takes on Flathead in a doubleheader at 4 and 6 p.m. today at the Conrad Complex. The first game will be a conference game.
"It doesn't matter what anybody's record is … we just have to come out and be consistent for seven innings," Bemis said.
Hellgate 610 1000 - 8 8 2
Glacier 200 0300 - 5 3 1
DJ Johnson and Jessa Ouellette. Jessie Compton, Kendra Bouley (1) and Brittany Franklin W - Johnson. L - Compton (1-5)
Hellgate - Bonni Shaffer 2-4, Jordan Nelson 1-4, Mary Yoder 0-3, Danni Johnston 1-3, Ouellete 1-2, DJ Johnson 1-2, Kaitlyn Horner 1-3, Lynea Adamson 0-4, Beth McNeil 1-4.
2B - DJ Johnson, McNeil.
RBIs - Danni Johnston 1, DJ Johnson 1, Horner 1.
Glacier: Anna Costa 0-0, Zoey Pettit 0-3, Brittney Brown 1-4, Lyndsey Hoffenbacker 0-2, Brittany Franklin 2-3, Abby Connolly 0-3, Jessie Compton 0-1, Sabrina Kenfield 0-1, Micah Hergesheimer 0-3, Kristen Storle 0-3, Kendra Bouley 0-3
HR - Brittany Franklin 2.
RBIs - Franklin 5.