Whitefish nips Kats in softball
COLUMBIA FALLS — Seems safe to say no matter what happens over the next few days, the Whitefish freshman softball players are likely to be excused from any extra running.
That may be a little perk of gratitude from their coach and their older teammates for their game-winning actions on Thursday.
Freshman Baylee Tveidt’s single couldn’t have come at a better time for the Bulldogs — extra innings against rival Columbia Falls, game tied at two, two outs, bases loaded. She sent the first pitch she saw scorching down the third base line into left field.
That scored classmate Sara Fennelly and when all was said and done, visiting Whitefish (7-6) claimed a 4-2 conference victory over the Wildkats (6-5).
“What can you say? The freshmen came through. The freshmen won that game,” said Whitefish coach Alan Compton.
“Baylee came up with the hit, Hanah (Lewis) and Emily (Stivers) the defense. The freshmen came up big,” Compton said.
“They willed their way on base,” Compton said of the Bulldogs’ eighth-inning effort.
“And when they needed a hit, they got the hit,” he added.
“When the pressure was the highest, the freshmen got it done.
“Kaitlyn (Wehrli) threw a great game. She didn’t lose her composure in that inning where we had some issues. She kept her composure and she threw a great game.”
Wehrli gave up nine hits. She walked three, hit two and struck out seven.
The Bulldogs also got a little help from senior catcher Hailey Mortensen. Mortensen hit a solo homer to right center in the third to put Whitefish up 2-0.
Mortensen finished the day 3-for-3 with the homer, two RBIs and one intentional walk.
“But in the end, the freshmen won that game,” Compton said.
“It speaks volumes for their character. We could have given up after some of the things that happened earlier — and they didn’t,” he added.
As for the Wildkats, they’ll be taking a long look at their offense.
They did have nine hits, but they also stranded 11 base runners. Three times they had runners on second and third and failed to get them home.
“It’s been kind of our story for the last couple of weeks,” said Columbia Falls coach Dave Kehr.
“We stranded too many base runners and we didn’t get key hits at the right times. We had second and third a couple times with one out. We couldn’t lay a bunt down. We just didn’t hit the ball well,” he said.
“You strand that many base runners, you are not going to win many games. Score half of them and you win easily,” he said.
“I don’t think we got outplayed or anything. Our defense was good, I thought. Two or three hits, it’s our game. That didn’t happen.
“We’ve just got to hit the ball. That’s all there is to it. We’re trying different lineups. We’re trying different people and we just can’t hit,” he said.
“They don’t look confident to me,” Kehr said.
“Everything we hit is to right field. That’s a lot of indecision when you are swinging the bat. But we’re not swinging at good pitches, either. We swung at a couple balls. We should have had walks, yet we struck out,” he said.
Cassidee Skiles led the Wildkats offensively. She was 3-for-4 on the afternoon.
The Bulldogs travel Saturday to Ronan. Columbia Falls will play host today to Polson in a makeup game from earlier this season.
Whitefish 101 000 02 — 4 8 0
Columbia Falls 001 001 00 — 2 9 1
Kaitlyn Wehrli and Hailey Mortenson. Morgan Rowe and Katherine Jetty.
Whitefish — Kaitlyn Wehrli 2-3, Madisen Cross 1-5, Madison Tveidt 0-4, Hailey Mortensen 3-3, Hanah Lewis 0-3, Sara Fennelly 0-4, Shannon Holmes 0-4, Emma Baldonado 1-3, Baylee Tveidt 1-4.
HR — Mortensen. RBIs: Mortensen 2, B. Tveidt 1.
Columbia Falls — Jessica Owens 1-5, Ranae Nelson 1-3, Shaun Rowe 2-2, Michonne Cronquist 0-2, Morgan Rowe 0-3, Katherine Jetty 1-2, Jordan LeFevbre 0-2, Jaylynn Cantu 1-3, Cassidee Skiles 3-4, Madison Sandefer 0-2.
RBIs: M. Rowe 1.