Broncs shut down Pirates: State softball continues today

POLSON - The road to the Class A state softball championship? It just got a lot longer for the Polson Lady Pirates.

The Pirates were shut out in their first game on Thursday, falling 5-0 to the Frenchtown Broncs.

"We just ran into a very, very dominating pitcher," said Pirate coach Larry Smith of Frenchtown's Shelby Russ.

Russ limited Polson to just five hits. She struck out seven batters, hit one, and walked no one.

"I can't believe anybody would be able to shut us out, but she sure did. If we would have been able to put the ball in play, it might have been a different story, but she wouldn't allow it," he said.

"She did a great job. Very impressive. I think she's out to win it all," he smiled.

"We can't blame the byes. This has happened to us before.

"But sometimes those byes can come back and bite you," he said.

"It took us the first couple of innings to get the jitters out. Then we settled down and played even ball with them," he said.

But by then, the Broncs had done their own damage hitting the ball.

Frenchtown scored three runs off three hits and an error in the first inning. It added two more runs in the second - off a single and a home run by No. 8 and No. 9 batters Keller Lieshman and Shelby Jutila.

"We helped them to get started with the mistakes we made, which normally, we don't do," Smith said.

For their part, the Pirates couldn't string anything together offensively.

Junior shortstop Staci Benson started the game off with a single, but the Pirates went down in order after that, stranding her at second.

In fact, Polson stranded one baserunner in every inning - two of them on third base.

It was enough to leave a veteran coach shaking his head.

But, as he told his players, it's Polson's tradition to come back.

"Now, it's time to show you really are Lady Pirate softball players. You've got to let this one go immediately and come charging back.

"Our back is to the wall. Everything counts … every pitch, every play.

"They'll be ready. I believe in them. There's enough leadership there," he said.

Frenchtown 5, Polson 0

Frenchtown 320 000 0 - 5 6NA

Polson 000 000 0 - 05NA

Shelby Russ and Kristy Kees. Charlee Jensen, Dakota Peterson (5) and Kayla Duford.

Frenchtown - Erin Maxted 0-3, Kristy Kees 1-2, Shelby Russ 1-3, Kayla Bordner 0-3, Stef Klucwich 1-2, Megan Farmer 2-3, Mariel Maxted 0-3, Keller Lieshman 1-3, Shelby Jutila 1-3, Jaimee Willis 0-1. 2B - Kees, Russ. HR - Jutila. RBIs: Farmer 1, Lieshman 1, Jutila 2.

Polson - Staci Benson 2-4, Sarah Newton 0-3, Riley Kennedy 1-3, Rochelle Woods 1-2, Sallie Sams 0-3, Kayla Duford 0-1, Charlee Jensen 1-3, Kiley Knutson 0-1, SuSan Perez-Tenas 1-3. 2B - Jensen, Perez-Tenas.

Billing Central 7, Columbia Falls 5

One hit.

One hit that never came.

The Columbia Falls Wildkats had hits, but never at the right times in Thursday's 7-5 winner's bracket loss to the Billings Central Lady Rams.

"We didn't hit the ball well enough. We had runners at second and third and we didn't get a good hit. We didn't score them," said Columbia Falls Dave Kehr.

"And (the Rams' chinked away," he said.

Billings Central scored two runs in the first, then added one run in the second, third and fourth innings and two in the fifth.

Meanwhile, the Wildkats had baserunners at second and third three times, only to strand them all three times.

"I thought in the first, second, third … we'll get a run in a little bit. But we never got on it. I don't know why," he said.

They still gave it a good go.

Columbia Falls scored one run in the sixth, then retired Billings Central in order in the seventh.

Things were good for a comeback when Amanda Milliard walked to start the seventh. Amber James got aboard on a fielder's choice and then back-to-back singles from Kayla Stinger and Shaun Rowe brought in two runs.

But that's where the rally stalled - the next two batters flew out to left and grounded out to second.

"We didn't play well and we were one hit away from tying the game. It would be nice to play well and see what happens," Kehr said.

"We've got to hit the ball. That's all there is to it," he said.

"We're not out of it. We'll play more games. So we'll see. We've just got to start hitting the ball."

Billings Central 7, Columbia Falls 5

Billings Central 211 120 0 - 7 10 NA

Columbia Falls 110 001 2 - 5 9 NA

Jenny Harrington and Brynn Burke. Morgan Rowe, Jessica Owens (5) and Amber James.

Billings Central - Brynn Burke 3-3, Shae Chilton 0-3, Megan Smith 2-4, Michela Jacobson 1-2, Jenny Harrington 0-3, Chere Anderson 2-3, Katelyn Lynch 0-4, Guin Avers 1-3, Amanda Tryan 1-3. 2B - Smith, Jacobson, Anderson (2). RBI: Jacobson 2, Anderson 2, Tryan 1.

Columbia Falls - Tia Yaeger 0-4, Amanda Milliard 0-3, Amber James 2-4, Kayla Stinger 2-4, Shaun Rowe 1-3, Cassidee Skiles 2-4, Renae Nelson 1-4, Morgan Rowe 0-2, Jessica Owens 0-1, Niki Birky 1-3. 2B - James. RBI: Birky 2, Stinger 1, Rowe 1.