Lingle, Flathead drop Libby

Back-to back sounds pretty nice for a Flathead softball team which has suffered its share of bumps in the road this season.

Mini-streaking is even better.

Regardless of how you define it, coach Tim Severson hopes this is a sign that his team has finally turned the corner.

The Bravettes capitalized on another solid performance by circle ace Sidney Alberts and the hot bat of Alisha Lingle to claim a 7-3 nonconference victory over a Libby team on Tuesday at the Conrad Complex.

The win followed a 9-6 win over Missoula Hellgate on Saturday in Missoula, which snapped a double-digit losing streak.

Flathead opened the season with a nonconference win over Whitefish, but the losses mounted each week after that.

‘We’ve been trying to figure out a way to win,” Severson said.

“(Assistant) coach (Tasia) Dugan has been getting the girls to think more positive. She has been real inspirational in bringing them back together, to have them ready to compete at a high level and win some ball games.”

Severson, for that matter, said the entire coaching staff (Wade Williams, Gary Evans, Heather Schmitt and Dugan) deserves a pat on the back.

“Coach Schmitt and coach Dugan have been doing a lot of work with the girls, mentally getting them to believe.

“Coach Evans, he’s our pitching coach, he’s done a good job developing Sidney Alberts. Coach Williams, my right hand, is a positive guy, knowledgeable coach. He brings a strong work ethic into the program. Flathead is very fortunate to have all these coaches. We have a great staff.”

On the field, the Bravettes looked sharp. They committed just one error.

Alberts scattered six hits, including a three-run homer to Alysha Martin, and struck out nine in going the distance. She did not walk a batter.

“She hit that ball about as hard as I’ve see a ball hit in a long time,” Severson said of Martin’s blast, which traveled 261 feet.

Lingle hit a two-run home run to left center in the fourth inning. She also doubled in the third, when Flathead scored three times to take the lead for good at 4-3.

It was Lingle’s second home run of the season.

“We went up 1-0, but coach (Dean) Thompson does a great job with his girls in Libby,” Severson said.

“He coaches them up well.”

 Martin finished her day at the plate going 2-for-3.

“She’s hitting well for us,” Thompson said of Martin.

“She’s patient up there. She waits for good pitches even when she’s down in the count.”

Libby hurler Stacey Oedewaldt threw hard and held Flathead to five hits in the first three innings. She finished with seven strikeouts.

Oedewaldt was making her second start in two days. On Monday, she went nine innings for a 3-1 victory over Ronan.

Oedewaldt is now 3-2 on the season.

Libby, playing its fifth game in five days, is off until Friday, when it begins play in the two-day Butte Central Tournament.

Flathead wraps up the regular season on Thursday with a doubleheader against Glacier.

“I’m glad the girls finally turned the corner, finally believe in one another,” Severson said.

“It’s exciting to see the transformation happening. We’re starting to pull out of it.”

Libby    003    000    0    —    3    6    3

Flathead    013    210    x    —    7    10    1

Stacey Oedewaldt and Lexi Hageness; Sidney Alberts and Jessie Erickson. W — Alberts. L — Oedewaldt, 3-2.

LIBBY — Jaime Gilden 1-4, Alyssa Walker 1-4, Hageness 1-4, Alysha Martin 2-3, Kim Tangen 0-3, Candace Hendrickson 0-3, LaRona Luscher 0-3, Taylor Barton 1-3, Emily Monroe 0-3.

FLATHEAD — Kassi Martin 0-2, Aubrey Montayne 1-1, Casey Roylston 2-3, Isabella Bush 0-1, Alisha Lingle 2-3, Norah Rashoodi 0-1, Mrgich 1-4, Christyne Hanson 1-3, Alberts 0-0, MacKenzie Twichel  0-1, Ariel Samuels-Williams 0-1, Meghan Bourassa 0-1, Cherise Stivers 2-2, Karlee Stacy 0-1, Taylor Twichel 0-1, Christy Price 1-1.

2B—Walker; Lingle; HRs—Martin, Lingle; RBIs—Martin (3); Lingle (2), Alberts.