Wolfpack drops Bravettes in softball
<p>Glacier’s Shayna Atlee delivers a pitch Thursday afternoon during the first game of the crosstown doubleheader at Kidsports Complex. The Wolfpack beat Flathead twice to move to 3-1 versus the Bravettes this spring.</p>
<p>Flathead’s Kaylee Henderson (37) slides safely to third base Thursday afternoon during the first game of the crosstown doubleheader with Glacier at Kidsports Complex.</p>
Hits at the right times.
The Glacier Wolfpack (5-7 league, 8-11 overall) didn’t have a lot of hits in Thursday’s Western AA conference game against the Flathead Bravettes — but it strung a couple together at the right moment and came away with a 3-0 victory on a blustery, cold, but sometimes sunny day at Kidsports Complex.
It followed that up with a 4-1 second game win.
“We got hits when we needed them. We were able to put bunts down when we needed them. Sometimes it goes your way,” said Glacier coach Joel Bemis.
Glacier’s breakthrough came in the fifth inning — on defense.
It was a scoreless tie at that point — both teams playing good defense and neither really hitting the ball.
The defense was particularly impressive when taking the wind into account. One Glacier shot was headed into right field, then blew all the way back to the pitcher’s circle, where the out was made by a surprised Jenna Jensen.
Flathead (3-9, 5-13) looked to draw the first blood with a base runner on third with no outs in the top of the inning. But Glacier got a putout at first, then struck out the next two batters.
“We were able to hold defensively and keep (Flathead) from scoring. Sometimes you never know what that does mentally to a team,” Bemis said.
On this day, it lit a fire under the Wolfpack — leadoff Jena Willis singled to start the Glacier half of the inning. Kallie Evans got aboard on a Flathead error and Katie McHugh loaded the bases with a bunt single.
Flathead got one out, but Tacey Howe was able to sacrifice to left field and bring Willis home.
And that was just enough, although Glacier added two more for insurance on three Flathead errors in the sixth.
“We can’t expect our pitchers to hold them to zero runs. Next week, we are definitely going to be practicing our hitting all week,” said Flathead coach Ashley Fusaro.
“We just couldn’t execute a run. There were some errors that hurt us at the end, but the offense is really what killed us,” Fusaro said.
“Our pitchers did really well. Both Jenna (Jensen) and Carson (Dawson) pitched phenomenal games. But we’ve got to back them up on offense,” she said.
Still, there was a lot to like about how Flathead played.
“(The Bravettes) played well. They’re excited, but they’re disappointed not to get a ‘W,’” Fusaro said.
That win carried Glacier through the next contest — it had 12 hits, scored three runs early, then held on when the Bravettes rallied with a seventh inning score.
“For us, the pressure was off,” Bemis said.
“We had to win (the conference game) to stay in fifth and our girls were feeling some pressure,” he said.
The first game win “did carry us right into the next game.
“Our girls played together pretty well,” Bemis said.
“We’ve found a good combination with Shayna (Atlee) and Jena (Willis) pitching. Shayna keeps them off-balance with junk, then Jena comes in and throws the ball hard. She looked really good,” Bemis said of Willis.
“But Shayna really sets her up nicely. She’s just been relaxed. She’s done a really nice job for us,” he added.
Flathead looks to be on the road next week for the Class AA play-in game, most likely at one of the Missoula schools, Fusaro said.
Glacier isn’t quite sure where it will wind up.
It will likely stay in the No. 5 spot in the Western AA with a likely trip to Missoula as well.
“Whatever happens for the playoffs, we were happy to get that crosstown win and the conference game and secure where we are at,” Bemis said.
Glacier 3, Flathead 0
Flathead 000 000 0 — 0 2 6
Glacier 000 012 x — 3 5 2
Jenna Jensen and Kaylee Henderson. Shayna Atlee, Jena Willis (5) and Hannah Atlee. W — Atlee. L — Jensen. S — Willis.
Flathead — Julia Morrow 1-3, Jenna Jensen 0-3, Iris Matulevich 0-3, Cassidy Smith 1-3, Adrienne Carroll 0-3, Kaylee Henderson 0-3, Mackenzie Twichel 0-2, Carson Dawson 0-2, Taylor Twichel 0-2.
Glacier — Jena Willis 1-4, Kallie Evans 1-3, Katie McHugh 0-3, Shayna Atlee 0-3, Tacey Howe 0-2, Hannah Atlee 0-3, Kayla Russell 2-3, Marissa Rogozynski 0-3, Taylor Riggles 1-2.
RBI — Howe 1, Riggles 1.
Glacier 4, Flathead 1
Flathead 000 000 1 — 1 5 3
Glacier 210 010 x — 4 12 1
Jenna Jensen, Carson Dawson (2) and Kaylee Henderson. Shayna Atlee, Jena Willis (4) and Hannah Atlee. W — Atlee. L — Jensen.
Flathead — Morrow 0-4, Jensen 1-3, Matulevich 2-3, Smith 1-2, Carroll 0-3, Henderson 0-2, M. Twichel 0-3, Dawson 1-3, Norah Rashoodi 0-2.
RBI — Rashoodi.
Glacier — Willis 3-4, Evans 1-3, McHugh 1-3, S. Atlee 2-4, H. Atlee 1-3, Russell 2-2, Rogozynski 1-2, Riggles 1-3, Cassidy Mann 0-3.
2B — Rogozynski. RBI — S. Atlee, Willis, Rogozynski.