Bravettes split with Hellgate
Flathead freshman Sally Johnson, 23, slides safely into third base during the third inning of the game against Missoula Hellgate on Friday afternoon in Kalispell.
Flathead sophomore Sidney Alberts, 10, winds up for a pitch in the game against Missoula Hellgate on Friday afternoon in Kalispell.
Error-free.
And that was the key.
The Flathead Bravettes played error-free softball as they defeated the Hellgate Knights 2-0 in the Western AA conference game on Friday at the Conrad Complex. The Bravettes (5-6 league) fell 14-4 in the second (non-conference) game, however.
"Sidney Alberts pitches so well that when we play great defense we are going to be competitive," said Flathead coach Tim Severson.
"We've played error-free a couple of times this year. (Errors) have always been the thing that plagues us. But when we get it shored up and when we get some girls kind of figuring out where they need to be - and they're really starting to play really tight defense - we're just a lot more competitive," he said.
"Sidney was her usual steady eddy self and pitched well.
"And Cherise Stivers played exceptionally well, made a lot of plays, a lot of smart decisions at shortstop," he added.
Severson also complimented the contributions of juniors Julia Morrow and Alexa Mrgich.
Morrow was 2-for-3 in the first game and "made a couple of circus catches out in right field. She had a great day," the coach said.
Mrgich was also 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the first game and had a triple in the second game.
Hellgate scored six runs in the third inning to break open a close second game. The Knights added seven more runs in the fifth - three on Makalyn Schultz's 3-run right-field homer.
Flathead, though, battled back.
Shayla Tweet led off the bottom of the third with a triple, then scored on a passed ball.
The Bravettes added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tweet got aboard on an error and Morrow was hit by a pitch. They both scored on Mrgich's triple. Alisha Lingle batted Mrgich home.
It wasn't quite enough, though. Hellgate still had a 10-run advantage after five.
Flathead 2, Hellgate 0
Hellgate 000 000 0 - 0 5 0
Flathead 100 010 x - 2 6 0
Leyna Downey and Jessa Ouellette. Sidney Alberts and Alexa Mrgich. W - Alberts. L - Downey.
Hellgate - Makalyn Schultz 0-1, Jenae White 1-3, Leyna Downey 0-2, Jessa Ouellette 0-3, McKenna Gagner 2-3, Hannah Cook 0-3, Cara Guderian 1-1, Frankie Needles 1-3, Katie Waletzko 0-3.
3B - Guderian.
Flathead - Julia Morrow 2-3, Jesse Erickson 0-3, Sidney Alberts 1-1, Sally Johnson 0-2, Alexa Mrgich 2-3, Alisha Lingle 0-3, Adrienne Carroll 0-2, Meghan Bourassa 0-2, Cherise Stivers 0-1, Elaina Gordon 0-2, Christyne Hanson 1-2.
2B - Mrgich. RBI - Alberts, Mrgich, Lingle.
Hellgate 14, Flathead 4
Hellgate 106 07 - 14 7 1
Flathead 001 03 - 4 3 2
Leyna Downey and Jessa Ouellette. Alisha Lingle and Alexa Mrgich. W - Downey. L - Lingle.
Hellgate - Schultz 1-2, White 0-2, Downey 0-2, Ouellette 2-2, Gagner 1-4, Kate Seaholm 0-1, McKaylen Albert 1-3, Guderian 0-3, Needles 1-2, Hannah Boelman 1-3.
HR - Schultz. RBI - Ouellette 1, Gagner 1, Albert 1, Boelman 1, Schultz 3.
Flathead - Morrow 1-2, Mrgich 1-2, Lingle 0-2, Johnson 0-3, McKenzie Twichel 0-2, Timi Severson 0-2, Erickson 0-2, Shayla Tweet 1-2, Taylor Twichel 0-2.
3B - Tweet, Mrgich. RBI - Mrgich 2.