Pirates hang on, upend Wildkats in softball

POLSON — It sure got interesting right there at the end on Thursday night.

Polson led 7-1 in the bottom of the seventh with two outs when Columbia Falls’ Shaun Rowe cranked a grand slam right over the top of the Pirate scoreboard in left center field.

Polson (11-5 overall, 3-3 league) wound up with the 7-5 Northwestern A victory, but Pirate coach Larry Smith was impressed.

“She is quite the player. You don’t know where to pitch her. She can reach out and hit it anywhere. Hard,” he said.

Smith estimated the shot in the 250-foot range.

Shalaina Duford had pitched a 5-hitter until that point.

“She pitched very, very well,” Smith said.

And after the grand slam, Duford came back and got the last batter to pop out to her.

“This was a very good fastpitch game by two very good teams,” the coach said.

With two conference games remaining, “this was a big booster for us,” he said.

Smith complimented the efforts of catcher Jaylin Kenney, as well as Heidi Rausch and Martina Marquardt.

Kenney “did a fantastic job at bat and behind the plate. She’s really sold on the system of slapping and she has really picked it up well,” he said.

Kenney was 2-for-2 with a double and four RBIs. Rausch was 2-for-3 with a double and Marquardt was 2-for-4.

Smith also complimented Columbia Falls’ third baseman Kathrin Jetty.

“She made play after play against us. She really has a nice glove on her. I was very impressed,” he said.

The Pirates head to the Butte Central Tournament today. They play Fergus at 12:45 p.m. and Belgrade at. On Saturday they play Sidney at 12:30 p.m. and Hardin at 4 .

Columbia Falls 100 000 4 — 5 6 1

Polson 200 320 x — 7 12 1

Ashle Trueblood, Winter Kemppainen (6) and Erika Nelson. Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney. W — Duford (10-5). L — Trueblood.

Columbia Falls — Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Jaylynn Cantu 0-3, Shaun Rowe 2-3, Niki Birky 0-4, Madison Sandefer 1-3, Nelson 0-3, Kathrin Jetty 1-3, Jordan Lefebvre 0-2, Ciarra Holm 1-3, Tori Price 0-0, Catie King 0-1

HR — Rowe. 2B — Hummer, Rowe. RBI — Rowe 5

Polson — Ashley Johnson 2-3, Riley Kenney 0-3, Shalaina Duford 2-4, Martina Marquardt 2-4, Heidi Rausch 2-3, Jaylin Kenney 2-2, Jessica Bagnell 1-2, Makaliah Wilson 0-2, Jordan Evertz 1-3.

2B — Rausch 1, J. Kenney 1, Bagnell. RBI — Johnson 1, J. Kenney 4, Bagnell 1, Evertz 1.

Anaconda 22, Whitefish 6

ANACONDA — Three big innings gave Southwestern A’s Anaconda an easy nonconference victory over Northwestern A foe Whitefish.

The Copperheads scored seven times in the second inning, four times in the third and then exploded for 10 runs in the fourth.

Anaconda outhit Whitefish 17-7.

Whitefish had one big inning, scoring five runs in the third.

Margot Myers went 3-for-3 to lead the WHS offense.

Malia Morris doubled for the Bulldogs and drove in two runs.

Whitefish competes in the Butte Central Tournament today and Saturday.

Whitefish 105 00 — 6 7 3

Anaconda 174 (10)x — 22 17 2

Andrea Lemeroux and Peyton Twete. Karli King and Courtney Moodry.

WHITEFISH — Twete 1-2, Malia Morris 1-3, Lameroux 1-3, Margot Myers 3-3, Micah McFeely 0-2, Abby Taylor 1-3, Georgia Donaldson 0-2, Brynn Ingrahm 0-2, Hanna Lewis 0-2, Baylee Tveidt 0-0.

ANACONDA — Moodry 0-4, King 3-4, Brooke Chapman 4-4, Lauren Bolton 2-2, Abby Stanberry 2-4, Ali Forkan 2-4, Delanie Chapman 1-3, Hannah Anderson 2-2, Julia Peterson 1-3, Chloe Worl 0-0.

2B — Forkan, D. Chapman. 3B — Morris; King. RBI — Morris 2, Lameroux, Myers, McFeely, Taylor; King 4, B. Chapman 4, Forkan 4, Bolton 3, D. Chapman 2, Stanberry, Anderson.

Frenchtown 8, Libby 2

FRENCHTOWN — A six run fifth inning blew open a tight contest, giving Northwestern A leader Frenchtown the victory over Libby.

Kayla Weishaar doubled and homered to lead the Frenchtown attack and finished with four RBIs.

Morgan Ray tossed a 2-hitter for the Broncs.

Libby’s Lexie Hageness doubled and Devon Gallagher singled.

Libby will play in the Butte Central Tournament today and Saturday.

Libby 000 010 1 — 2 2 1

Frenchtown 001 160 x — 8 5 0

Hannah England, Alyssa Walker (5) and Lexie Hageness. Morgan Ray and Madison McGuire. W – Ray (4-0). L – England.

LIBBY – Walker 0-3, Mahalah Wedel 0-2, Kim Tangen 0-3, Hageness 1-2, Devon Gallagher 1-3, Kelsey Klin 0-2, Rebecca Kyriss 0-3, Dayln Germany 0-3, England 0-1.

FRENCHTOWN – Katie Kees 1-3, Kaitlyn Indreland 0-1, Keller Leishman 1-3, Abby Indreland 1-3, McGuire 0-3, Sarah Lester 0-1, Kayla Weishaar 2-3, Keegan Wickman 0-3, Emma Oostdyk 0-3.

2B – Hageness, A. Indreland, Weishaar. HR – Weishaar. RBIs – Kyriss, Weishaar 4, A. Indreland 2, Leishman, McGuire.