CMR, Great Falls High whip Flathead, Glacier in softball
<p>Flathead’s Iris Matulevich catches a ball at second base during Thursday’s nonconference softball contest with C.M. Russell at the Conrad Complex.</p>
<p>Glacier Wolfpack hurler Jena Willis delivers a pitch during the first inning of Thursday’s nonconference softball outing with C.M. Russell at the Kidsports Complex.</p>
A pair of Eastern AA softball powerhouses had a field day with Flathead and Glacier on Thursday in nonconference battles at the Conrad Complex and Kidsports Complex.
C.M. Russell outscored Flathead and Glacier 25-1, while Great Falls High was almost as impressive, winning the two games with the local schools by a combined score of 26-12.
Flathead and Glacier will open Western AA conference play on Tuesday at Missoula Sentinel and Missoula Big Sky.
C.M. Russell 14, Flathead 1
Great Falls High 14, Flathead 7
Jordan Otis opened the game with a home run and followed with another shot with one runner on the fourth to power Great Falls High.
Cassidy Smith accounted for Flathead’s score with a solo home run to right centerfield in the second inning.
Kaylee Henderson was 2-for-2 for FHS.
“We just didn’t hit the ball,” first-year Flathead coach Ashley Fusaro said.
“You can’t win a game with four hits, especially when they have 14.
“CMR is a disciplined hitting team. They took advantage of some missed spots by our pitcher.”
Home runs were also key for the visitors in the second game, as the Bison belted four.
Savannah Kynett and Katie Schermele had solo shots in the fourth inning, Mikaela Knyett had a three-run home run in the second inning; and Hali Gruntowicz had a solo shot in the seventh.
Flathead nearly matched Great Falls in hits, coming up three short — 17-14.
“We hit a lot better,” Fusaro said. “Everybody hit in that game. They kept their heads up the whole game and fought all seven innings.”
C.M. Russell 354 20 — 14 14 2
Flathead 010 00 — 1 4 2
Alissa Keeler, R. Hartman (4) and Haley Rowe; Carson Dawson, Sidney Alberts (3), Dawson (4) and Kaylee Henderson. W — Hartman. L — Dawson.
C.M. RUSSELL — Jordan Otis 4-4, Jenni Peer 3-4, Kylie Otis 1-4, Keeler 1-3, Hartman 0-1, Rowe 1-3, Jess Della Rossa 0-3, McKenna Quinn 0-0, Heather Darby 1-4, Kaydee Parsons 2-3, Madi Mahoney 1-3.
FLATHEAD — Julia Morrow 1-3, Carson Dawson 0-3, Taylor Twichel 0-2, Shayla Tweet 0-2, Julie Dawson 0-2, Cassidy Smith 1-2, Adrienne Carrioll 0-1, Alberts 0-1, Iris Matulevich 0-2, Kaylee Henderson 2-2.
2B—K. Otis; Henderson; 3B—Peer; HRs—J. Otis (2), Keeler; Smith; RBIs—NA.
Great Falls High 061 321 1 — 14 17 5
Flathead 201 130 0 — 7 14 5
Katie Dolan and Hayley Houck; C. Dawson, Jenna Jenson (4) and Henderson. W — Dolan. L — Jenson.
GREAT FALLS HIGH — Danica Wassman 2-5, Savannah Kynett 1-5, Katie Schermele 2-4, Kelsey Devlin 1-4, Hali Gruntowicz 4-4, Jessica Keller 3-5, Mercede Bourgeau 2-3, Brooke Gruntowicz 0-1, Mikaela Kynett 1-4, Hayley Houck 2-5.
FLATHEAD — Morrow 2-4, Tweet 1-4, T. Twichel 1-3, Smith 1-4, Henderson 1-3, J. Dawson 2-4, Matulevich 0-3, Mackenzie Twichel 1-1, C. Dawson 3-4, Carroll 1-1, Jensen 2-2.
2B—Wassman, Schermele, H. Gruntowicz (2), Keller, Bourgeau; J. Dawson; HRs—S. Kynett, Schermele, H. Gruntowicz, M. Kynett
Great Falls High 12, Glacier 5
C.M. Russell 11,
Glacier 0
Glacier was strong in the field, committing just one error in both contests, but the Wolfpack gave up plenty of extra-base hits — five home runs in two games, six doubles and one triple.
“We’re a young squad, learning how to compete,” Glacier coach Joel Bemis said.
Hali Gruntowicz homered in the first inning and Mercede Bourgeau homered in the second as Great Falls High rolled past the Wolfpack.
Great Falls outhit Glacier 13-7.
“We got down early,” Bemis said, trailing 8-0 after four innings.
“We had to battle back.
“I was pleased with the way we recovered in the last three innings,” he added. “We made a game of it.”
Glacier scored five runs in the final three innings.
Kayla Russell and Shayna Atlee both went 2-for-4 for Glacier.
Atlee and Kallie Evans posted doubles.
Jordan Otis led off the game with a solo home run, sending C.M. Russell to an easy victory.
Kaydee Parsons homered for the Rustlers in the fifth, a solo shot to start things off, and Alissa Keller smacked a three-run shot in the same inning.
Glacier had just two hits — singles by Jena Willis and Evans.
“CMR is one of the top programs,” Bemis said.
“They hit the ball and don’t make many mistakes.”
CMR had 16 hits.
“If you don’t keep up with a team offensively like that, you will get beat,” Bemis said.
“We couldn’t find a rhythm at the plate ... we were kept off balance.”
Although the score did not show it, Bemis said his team played better in this outing.
Great Falls High 313 120 2 — 12 13 2
Glacier 000 031 1 — 5 7 1
Mercede Bourgeau and Katie Schermele; Jena Willis and Hannah Atlee. W — Bourgeau. L — Willis.
GREAT FALLS — Danica Wassman 1-5, Savannah Kynett 0-4, Schermele 3-4, Kelsey Devlin 0-4, Hali Gruntowicz 1-4, Jessica Keller 3-4, Bourgeau 2-3, Katie Dolan 1-2, Mikaela Kynett 2-4.
GLACIER — Kayla Russell 2-4, Katie McHugh 1-4, Shayna Atlee 2-4, Willis 1-4, Cassidy Mann 0-4, Marissa Rogozynski 0-2, Kallie Evans 1-2, H. Atlee 0-2, Taylor Riggles 0-2.
2B—Schermele, Keller (2), Bourgeau; S. Atlee, Evans; 3B—Schermele; HR—Gruntowicz, Bourgeau; RBIs—Schermele (2), Gruntowicz, Keller, Bourgeau, M. Kynett (3); McHugh (2), S. Atlee.
C.M. Russell 302 24 — 11 16 0
Glacier 000 00 — 0 2 1
R. Hartman and Haley Rowe; Willis and H. Atlee. W — Hartman. L — Willis.
C.M. RUSSELL — Jordan Otis 1-2, Jenni Peer 2-4, Kylie Otis 2-3, Alissa Keeler 2-3, Rowe 3-4, Heather Darby 2-4, Jess Della Rossa 1-3, Kaydee Parsons 2-3, Hartman 1-3.
GLACIER — Russell 0-2, McHugh 0-2, S. Atlee 0-2, Willis 1-2, Rogozynski 0-2, Evans 1-2, H. Atlee 0-2, Riggles 0-1, Mann 0-1.
2B—Darby, Peer; HR—Otis, Keeler, Parsons; RBIs—J. Otis, K. Otis, Keeler (4), Rowe, Parsons (2)