State A softball: Pirates hammer Hamilton
ANACONDA — The Polson Pirates got off to a slow start, but they put together a heck of a finish at the Class A state softball tournament on Friday.
Polson gave up three runs right away to the Hamilton Broncs, but rallied for a 25-3 undefeated quarterfinal victory and a spot in today’s undefeated game against Northwestern A rival Frenchtown.
Estimated time for for that game is 10 a.m. today in Anaconda, weather permitting.
Officials suspended play at the Charlotte Yeoman-Martin Softball Complex at 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Play was halted in two Class A games and a Class B-C game, while another Class B-C game was allowed to finish its last half inning of play.
Montana High School Association director Mark Beckman held a meeting after play was suspended and announced that tournament officials will attempt to restart the tournament at 8:30 a.m. today.
Games that were in progress will resume at that time.
“I was very impressed, especially the way it started. (Hamilton) came out with four hits,” Smith said.
After the Broncs scored their three runs, Smith admitted he “was a little bit concerned when our leadoff hitter got put out.”
But the Pirates followed that out with a couple of walks, then had a couple of hits — and then the dam broke.
“The hits started coming. We just bombarded them,” Smith said.
The Pirates scored six runs in the bottom of the first, then scored another 11 in the second inning.
Polson finished with 16 hits — and Hamilton never got another hit.
“That was the last of it. Shay (Duford) shut them down from there,” he said.
A mid-inning talk with Duford may have helped out, the coach said.
It snowed the entire game and Duford, who is of small stature, was bundled up.
After their visit, she took some of the layers off. “She had a great game, even hit a home run,” he said.
He also praised the efforts of Martina Marquardt.
“She’s been batting No. 4 for us all year long and she was struggling a little bit, pyschologically, I thought.”
She moved down to the sixth slot for Friday’s game.
“Boy, did she ever come through!” said Smith.
Marquardt was 3-for-3 with a home run.
Loser Out Games
Columbia Falls 13, Sidney 3
Sidney 200 10 — 3 6 4
Columbia Falls 353 11 — 13 11 2
Ashley Trueblood, Winter Kemppainen and Erika Nelson. Abby Haraldson and Abby Balcer.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 2-3, Jaylynn Cantu 0-2, Jordan Lefebvre 0-0, Niki Birky 2-3, Tori Price 1-1, Nelson 2-4, Kathrin Jetty 1-3, Madison Sandefer 2-2, Ciarra Holm 0-3, Trueblood 1-3.
SIDNEY - Morgan Thiel 1-3, Ashley Bjork 1-1, Lindsay Nesper 0-3, Balcer 1-3, Nichole Peters 1-3, Jaycee Searer 0-1, Alexis Dynneson 1-1, Jocelyn Murphy 0-2, Haraldson 0-3, Colleen Crosby 1-2.
Anaconda 17, Livingson 3
Anaconda 215 36 — 17 18 0
Livingston 120 00 — 3 6 3
Brooke Chapman and Courtney Moodry. Haley Dowdell and Cassidy Versland.
ANACONDA - Moodry 3-5, Karli King 3-5, Chapman 4-5, Lauren Bolton 2-3, Abby Stanberry 1-4, Ali Forkan 3-3, Delanie Chapman 1-3, Hannah Anderson 0-4, Julia Peterson 1-4.
LIVINGSTON - Alexandra Schaeffer 1-3, Dowdell 1-2, Kirstin Churchwell 1-3, Hailey Versland 0-2, Meadow Ingram 0-2, Katie Kraus 1-2, Jacey Schleicher 1-2, C. Versland 0-2, Vanessa Davaz 1-2.
Belgrade 14, Laurel 5
Laurel 140 00 — 5 11 2
Belgrade 245 03 — 14 17 2
Tara Russell and Kayla Hallock. Justine Taylor and Annie Prickett.
LAUREL - Brittany Goodson 2-4, Kelcie Wood 1-3, Haylee Gallegos 2-4, Hallock 1-3, Russell 1-3, Amanda Taylor 2-3, Emily Smarsh 0-3, Maurissa Gunn 1-2, Hailey Spitzer 1-3.
BELGRADE - Taylor 3-4, Kristina West 1-3, Morgan Wandler 2-4, Taylor Johnson 4-4, Taylor Hill 2-4, Prickett 0-3, Allison Alstrom 3-4, Joey Severson 1-3, Autumn Rollins 1-2, Marina Layman 0-0.
Billings Central 11, Butte Central 5
Butte Central 003 101 0 — 5 10 1
Billings Central 210 404 x — 11 12 1
Mikayla Boggs and Shannon McLaughlin. Alexa Rockwell and Jessica Moorhouse.
BUTTE CENTRAL - Danika Neumann 1-4, Katie Hogart 2-4, Angela Piazzola 0-4, Hannah Stajcar 0-4, Shannon McLaughlin 2-4, Taylor Marthaller 2-3, Shelby Pafhausen 1-3, Boggs 1-3, Carlee Norbeck 1-3.
BILLINGS CENTRAL - Ellie Bulltail Scalpane 2-3, Sarah Stringari 2-3, Michela Jacobson 3-4, Kehley Grosulak 1-3, A. Rockwell 1-3, Sarah Shaw 0-4, Taryn Francischetti 2-3, Skylar Rockwell 1-4, Moorehouse 0-3.
Undefeated Quarterfinals
Polson 25, Hamilton 3
Hamilton 300 00 — 3 4 2
Polson 6(11)4 4x — 25 16 0
Rebecka Hood and Candice Dunagan. Shalaina DuFord and Jaylin Kenney.
HAMILTON — R. Hood 0-2, Kendra Newton 1-3, Nichole Hood 1-3, Dunagan 1-2, Taylor Goligoski 1-2, Shaylan Mohn 0-3, Tayler Reynolds 0-1, Rebecca Lyons 0-1, McKayl Rothie 0-2.
POLSON — Ashley Johnson 2-3, Riley Kenney 1-4, DuFord 2-2, Heidi Rausch 2-2, J. Kenney 1-3, Martina Marquardt 3-3, Jessica Bagnell 3-5, Makaliah Wilson 2-2, Colleen Jacobson 0-4, Jaiden Toth 0-0.
HR — DuFord, Marquardt.
Frenchtown 14, Lewistown 4
Frenchtown 200 633 — 14 13 1
Lewistown 000 202 — 4 3 2
Abby Indreland and Madison McGuire. Allie Adams and Alyssa Yaeger.
FRENCHTOWN — Katie Kees 2-2, Kaitlyn Indreland 1-4, Keller Leishman 1-5, A. Indreland 3-5, McGuire 2-3, Sarah Lester 0-1, Kayla Blood 2-3, Holly Jacobs 0-4, Emma Oostdyk 2-3.
LEWISTOWN — Nadja Robertson 1-3, Yaeger 0-3, Adams 0-1, Amanda Stenseth 0-2, Mary Birdwell 0-2, Maddie Comes 1-2, Cassi Miller 0-2, Kylee Hould 1-1, Ashlee Jarvis 0-2, Teale Danell 0-3.
HR — Robertson.