Glacier wins for first time at state

HELENA - One more goal was checked off for the Glacier Wolfpack softball team.

The Wolfpack won for the first time ever at the Class AA state softball tournament on Thursday, a 10-6 victory over Helena Capital.

Glacier, despite 10 hits and two home runs, fell to Butte in its state opener, 7-5.

Today has a chance to be very busy for the Wolfpack.

It is in the loser-out bracket, so to win a state title, Glacier would have to win five straight games - at 9 a.m., 11, 1 p.m., 3 and 5.

"We've just got to get the one in the morning," said Glacier coach Joel Bemis.

As for Thursday's games, "our girls were real tight. They were nervous.

"We couldn't string enough hits together with runners on," Bemis said of the Butte game.

The Wolfpack loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning, but stranded all three runners.

Butte, meanwhile, scored five runs with two outs. The Bulldogs hit a 3-run homer in the first inning with two outs, then a 2-run double with two outs in the second inning.

"We just battled and chipped our way back in," Bemis said.

Jessie Compton came in in the fourth.

"She really kept them off-balance with her change-up. She threw really well, I thought. She gave us a chance to really keep it close," the coach said.

"I'm so pleased with the way our girls battled. They never quit. We gave ourselves some good opportunities."

Anna Costa hit her first-ever home run in the seventh inning. Abby Connolly also hit a home run in that game.

Brittany Franklin hit two homers in the second game, in the third and fifth innings, and Sabrina Kenfield also had a home run in the fifth inning.

"We hit the ball a lot," Bemis said.

"I'm pleased with the way both pitchers worked together today. We needed them both," he added.

"I'm just proud of the way our team worked together to accomplish that goal of getting a win at state."

Butte 320 002 0 780

Glacier 002 010 2 - 5102

Paffhausen and Holm. Kendra Bouley, Jessie Compton (5) and Brittany Franklin. W - Paffhausen. L - Bouley.

Butte(16-7) - Bosch 0-3, H Thatcher 2-4, A. Thatcher 2-2, Paffhausen 1-4, Hanley 1-4, Voltz 0-4, Holm 1-3, Edwards 1-4, Robinson 0-2.

HR - Hanley. 2B - H. Thatcher. RBIs: H. Thatcher 1, Paffhausen 1, Hanley 3.

Glacier (18-4) - Anna Costa 1-3, Baylee Quay 2-2, Brittany Franklin 1-3, Lyndsey Hoffenbacker 0-3, Abby Connolly 3-4, Sabrina Kenfield 2-4, Zoey Pettit 0-3, Bryttani Knopp 0-3, Kendra Bouley 1-1, Jessie Compton 0-2.

HR - Connolly,Costa. RBI - Costa 1, Connolly 4.

Glacier 10, Capital 6

Capital 000 131 1 - 660

Glacier 202 042 x - 10133

J. Apple and McNellis. Bouley, Compton (7) and Franklin. W - Bouley. L - Apple. S - Compton.

Capital (8-14) - McNellis 0-4, Johnston 1-3, Graff 1-3, Morgan 1-3, Boyer 1-3, Bartsch 0-3, Baker 0-1, Mulcahy 0-2, Apple 1-3, Hicks 0-1, Smith 1-2.

HR -Graff. 2B - Apple.RBI - McNellis 1, Johnston 1, Graff 1, Morgan 2, Apple 1.

Glacier (19-4) - Costa 1-2, Quay 2-4, Franklin 2-4, Hoffenbacker 2-3, Connolly 2-3, Kenfield 2-3, Pettit 1-3, Knopp 0-3, Bouley 1-3.

HR - Franklin 2, Kenfield 1. 2B- Quay. RBI - Quay 2, Franklin 3, Hoffenbacker 1, Connolly 1, Kenfield 3.