Softball: Kats upend Broncs

COLUMBIA FALLS — The clutch home runs keep coming for the Columbia Falls Wildkat softball team.

Third baseman Kathrin Jetty hit a leadoff home run in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and the Wildkats downed previously undefeated Frenchtown 4-3 on Friday.

“It was a great hit and she had a great game at third,” said Columbia Falls coach Dave Kehr.

This one was won with defense, he added.

The Wildkats turned three double plays and had just one error on the day.

“Ashley (Trueblood) pitched very well and defensively, (the Wildkats) were very good. That’s what kept us in it. As hard as (the Broncs) hit the ball, I thought it was a pretty good day. Niki Birky knocked a couple shots down at the end, kept them in the infield,” he said.

“(Frenchtown) is a good-hitting team. They score some runs,” he added.

Frenchtown 020 100 0 — 3 10 1

Columbia Falls 000 031 x — 4 7 1

Abby Indreland and Madison McGuire. Ashley Trueblood and Erika Nelson. W — Trueblood (5-3). L — Indreland.

Frenchtown — Katie Kees 0-3, Kaitlyn Indreland 0-4, Keller Leishman 3-4, Abby Indreland 2-4, Madison McGuire 1-4, Sarah Lester 2-4, Kayla Weishaar 2-2, Holly Jacobs 0-1, Emma Oostdyk 0-3.

2B — Leishman, Weishaar. HR — McGuire. RBI — McGuire, 1, Weishaar 1

Columbia Falls — Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Jaylynn Cantu 0-2, Winter Kemppainen 1-2, Shaun Rowe 1-2, Niki Birky 0-2, Madison Sandefer 0-2, Erika Nelson 1-2, Kathrin Jetty 1-3, Ciarra Holm 1-3, Ashley Trueblood 1-3.

HR — Jetty; 2B —Rowe; RBI — Kemppainen 1, Rowe 1, Jetty 1

Polson 6, Libby 3

LIBBY — A four-run fourth inning helped Polson pull away from Libby in Northwestern A play.

Libby (12-10 overall, 3-5) needed a victory and some help to finish third and earn a trip to next week’s Class A state tournament.

Polson (16-4, 5-3) advances as the third place team from the league.

“We played well,” said Libby coach Dean Thompson. “It was a well-fought game.

“They had that big inning on us,” Thompson continued. “We made a run at them in the seventh, got a run going.”

Columbia Falls and Frenchtown are Northwestern A’s other two state qualifiers.

“Good luck to our conference (at state),” Thompson said.

“We (league) have three of the toughest teams in the state.”

Polson 010 401 0 — 6 7 1

Libby 001 100 1 — 3 6 0

Shalaina Duford and Jaylin Kenney; Hannah England and Lexie Hageness. W — Duford. L — England.

POLSON — Ashley Johnson 0-4, Riley Kenney 0-4, Shay Duford 0-3, Martina Marquardt 2-4, Heidi Rausch 2-3, Jaylin Kenney 2-3, Jessica Bagnell 0-3, Makaliah Wilson 1-2, Colleen Jacobson 0-2, Sarah Rausch 0-1.

LIBBY — Alyssa Walker 1-4, Mahalah Wedel 2-4, Devon Gallagher 2-4, Hageness 0-2, Kelsey Klin 0-2, Dayln Germany 0-3, Rebecca Kyriss 1-3, Kim Tangen 0-1, England 0-3.

2B—H. Rausch; Kyriss, Gallagher; 3B—H. Rausch; RBIs—NA.