A softball: Polson's title hopes on hold
ANACONDA — The Polson Pirates are in their third straight Class A state softball championship.
But ...
Games wound up being suspended late Saturday due to weather conditions at the Charlotte Yeoman-Martin Softball Complex.
The Pirates are scheduled to take on Belgrade at 2 p.m. Monday in Anaconda.
Riley Kenney was 3-for-4 and Shalaina Duford and Ashley Johnson were both 2-for-4 as the Pirates rolled Frenchtown 9-2 in Saturday’s undefeated semifinal.
“We were hitting their pitcher right away,” said Pirate coach Larry Smith.
“First inning, we scored two on them and left a couple base runners.”
And Shalaina Duford had a fantastic game — 10 strikeouts, no walks, seven hits and one hit batsman.
“We played errorless ball until the last inning,” Smith said.
The Pirates had one little bobble in the seventh inning, but other than that, “it was almost a perfect game for us,” he said.
They waited around the rest of the day to find out who they would play in the championship.
They were a little disappointed when the game was moved — Belgrade had played four times on Saturday and the Panthers were cold, wet and tired.
The Pirates still feel good about their chances.
They got 13 hits on the Panthers in their 8-4 victory in Thursday’s second round.
“We’re still feeling very confident. We’re hitting the ball really well.”
Columbia Falls fourth
The Northwestern A has three of Class A’s top four softball teams.
Polson can do no worse than second, Frenchtown finished third and the Columbia Falls Wildkats wound up fourth.
Columbia Falls defeated Anaconda on Saturday morning and followed that with a 4-3 win over Hamilton before falling 11-8 to Belgrade.
Columbia Falls scored five runs in the first inning against Anaconda and finished the game with 11 hits.
Tiffany Hummer, Jordan Lefebvre, Niki Birky and Madison Sandefer had two hits apiece.
The Wildkats jumped on Hamilton with three first-inning runs.
Sandefer led Columbia Falls at the plate, going 2-for-3.
Columbia Falls led Belgrade 5-2 midway through the fourth inning, but gave up five runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Wildkats never gave up, tying the game in the top of the sixth, but the Panthers scored three runs in their half of that inning to advance.
Columbia Falls had 10 hits. Ashley Trueblood batted 4-for-4 to lead the team with all but two Wildkat batters contributing at least one.
Undefeated Semifinal
Polson 9, Frenchtown 2
Frenchtown 002 000 0 — 2 7 1
Polson 200 700 x — 9 10 1
Abby Indreland and Madison McGuire. Shalaina DuFord and Jaylin Kenney.
FRENCHTOWN - Katie Kees 2-4, Kaitlyn Indreland 0-4, Keller Leishman 2-4, A. Indreland 0-4, McGuire 0-3, Sarah Lester 1-3, Kayla Weishaar 1-1, Josie Anderson 0-1, Holly Jacobs 0-3, Emma Oostdyk 1-3, Morgan Ray 0-0.
POLSON - Ashley Johnson 2-4, Riley Kenney 3-4, DuFord 2-4, Heidi Rausch 0-2, J. Kenney 1-4, Martina Marquardt 0-3, Jessica Bagnell 0-2, Makaliah Wilson 1-3, Jaiden Toth 1-3.
Third Round Loser-outs
Belgrade 20, Lewistown 9
Belgrade 1(12)2 000 5 — 20 27 0
Lewistown 502 110 0 — 9 12 0
Kristina West, Justine Taylor and Taylor Hill. Cassi Miller and Alyssa Yaeger.
BELGRADE - Taylor 4-6, West 3-4, Morgan Wandler 5-6, Taylor Johnson 1-6, Hill 3-5, Annie Prickett 4-5, Alyssa Alstrom 3-5, Joey Severson 2-5, Autumn Rollins 2-4.
LEWISTOWN - Nadja Robertson 3-5, Yaeger 3-4, Mary Birdwell 1-2, Amanda Stenseth 2-3, Maddie Comes 1-3, Miller 1-3, Allie Adams 0-4, Ashlee Johns 1-4, Kylee Hould 0-4.
Columbia Falls 4, Hamilton 3
Hamilton 201 000 0 — 3 3 2
C. Falls 300 001 0 — 4 5 2
Rebecka Hood and Candice Dunagan. Winter Keppainen and Erika Nelson.
HAMILTON - R. Hood 0-4, Kendra Newton 0-3, Nichole Hood 0-2, Dunagan 2-3, Taylor Goligoski 0-3, Shaylan Mohn 0-3, Tayler Reynolds 1-3, Rebecca Lyons 0-3, McKayl Rothie 0-3.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 0-4, Jordan Lefebvre 0-4, Shaun Rowe 0-2, Niki Birky 1-1, Kathrin Jetty 1-3, Madison Sandefer 2-3, Ciarra Holm 0-3, Kemppainen 1-3.
Second Round Loser-outs
Belgrade 12, Billings Central 0
Bil. Central 000 00 — 0 3 0
Belgrade 911 1x — 12 20 0
No battery available.
BILLINGS CENTRAL - Ellie Bulltail Scalpone 1-2, Sarah Stringari 1-2, Michela Jacobson 0-2, Kehleyh Grosulak 0-2, Alexa Rockwell 0-2, Sarah Shaw 1-2, Taryn Franschetti 0-2, Skylar Rockwell 0-2, Alison Walter 0-2.
BELGRADE - Justine Taylor 2-4, Kristina West 3-4, Morgan Wandler 4-4, Taylor Johnson 0-4, Taylor Hill 2-3, Annie Prickett 3-3, Allison Alstrom 1-3, Joey Severson 2-3, Autumn Rollins 3-3.
Columbia Falls 10, Anaconda 7
C. Falls 521 010 1 — 10 11 3
Anaconda 030 020 2 — 7 7 4
Ashley Trueblood and Erika Nelson. Brooke Chapman and Courtney Moodry.
COLUMBIA FALLS - Tiffany Hummer 2-5, Jordan Lefebvre 2-5, Shaun Rowe 1-4, Niki Birky 2-4, Nelson 0-2, Kathrin Jetty 1-4, Madison Sandefer 2-4, Ciarra Holm 0-4, Trueblood 1-4.
ANACONDA - Moodry 1-4, Karli King 0-2, Chapman 2-4, Lauren Bolton 0-3, Abby Stanberry 1-4, Ali Forkan 0-3, Delanie Chapman 0-3, Hannah Anderson 1-3, Julia Peterson 2-4.
Third Place
Belgrade 4, Frenchtown 3
Frenchtown 010 000 2 — 3 6 2
Belgrade 100 011 1 — 4 8 1
Abby Indreland and Madison McGuire. Kristina Wood and Annie Prickett.
FRENCHTOWN — Katie Kees 1-4, McGuire 1-4, Keller Leishman 2-4, A. Indreland 0-3, Sarah Lester 1-3, Kayla Weishaar 0-3, Keegan Wickman 0-2, Kaitlyn Indreland 0-1, Emma Oostdyk 1-3, Holly Jacobs 0-0.
BELGRADE — Justine Taylor 3-4, Wood 2-4, Morgan Wandler 0-2, Taylor Johnson 0-3, Taylor Hill 1-3, Prickett 0-3, Allison Alstrom 2-3, Joey Severson 0-3, Autumn Rollins 0-2, Marina Layman 0-0.
Fourth Place
Belgrade 11, Columbia Falls 8
C. Falls 002 303 0 — 8 10 2
Belgrade 011 513 x — 11 12 2
Ashley Trueblood and Erika Nelson. Justine Taylor and Annie Prickett.
COLUBMIA FALLS — Tiffany Hummer 1-4, Jordan Lefebvre 1-5, Shaun Rowe 1-1, Kathrin Jetty 1-2, Nelson 1-3, Winter Kamppainen 0-4, Madison Sandefer 1-3, Ciarra Holm 0-4, Trueblood 4-4.
BELGRADE — Taylor 1-1, Kristina West 0-4, Morgan Wandler 3-4, Taylor Johnson 1-4, Taylor Hill 3-4, Prickett 3-4, Allison Alstrom 0-3, Joey Severson 0-3, Autumn Rollins 1-3, Marina Layman 0-0.
State B-C
Saturday
At Anaconda
Undefeated Semifinal
Glasgow 10, Florence 9
Glasgow 011 102 5 — 10 13 1
Florence 009 000 0 — 9 10 2
Shyla Bergtoll and Mariah Stein. Courtney Byrne and Paige Bodner.
GLASGOW - Sadie Sukut 1-5, Sage Sukut 1-5, Stein 1-5, Tyana Rasmusan 3-5, Alex Page 0-5, Megan Rasmusan 3-4, Kenady Hall 2-3, Jessica Carson 2-4, Abby Dalbey 0-1.
FLORENCE - Bodner 1-4, Cass Skeers 0-4, C. Byrne 2-4, Hayley Cole 2-4, Megan Byrne 1-4, Cody Miller 1-4, Micayla Cole 1-4, Hailey Huot 2-2, Holly Hale 0-2.
Fourth-Place
Mission 11, Conrad 8
Conrad 320 021 0 — 8 4 3
Mission 401 240 x — 11 13 2
Rashelle Johns and Devon Rauscher. Loren Erickson and Alyssa Doty.
CONRAD - Erica Grubb 1-2, Michaela DeBoo 1-2, Johns 0-4, Brittany Greyn 0-4, Rauscher 0-3, Taylor Judisch 1-3, Morgan Fowler 0-3, Jackie Miller 0-4, Rachel Bokma 1-2.
MISSION - Sara Nerby 3-4, Erickson 1-5, Alyssa Doty 2-4, Kinley Pope 3-3, Janeal McDOnald 2-2, Serena Long 1-4, Sahrina Camacho 0-4, Connor Smith 0-3, Emily Gillingham 1-4.
Second Round Loser-out
Conrad 15, Shelby 6
—————
Second Championship Game
Will resume Monday at 2 p.m., but in Great Falls. The score will be 2-1 with Florence ahead in the top of the third inning. Glasgow is the home team for the game. The game was stopped because of bad weather.
First Championship Game
Florence 9, Glasgow 8
Glasgow 002 105 0 — 8 9 3
Florence 020 020 5 — 9 8 2
Shyla Bergtoll and Mariah Stein. Megan Byrne and Hayley Cole.
GLASGOW — Sadie Sukut 1-3, Sage Sukut 1-4, Stein 0-4, Tyana Rasmusan 2-4, Alex Page 1-4, Megan Rasmusan 3-4, Kenady Hall 1-2, Ellen Walstad 0-3, Abby Dalbey 0-3.
FLORENCE — Paige Bodner 1-4, Cass Skeers 0-3, Ava Kollman 0-0, Courtney Byrne 0-2, Hayley Cole 1-4, Megan Byrne 2-3, Cody Miller 2-3, Micayla Cole 0-2, Hailey Huot 1-4, Holly Hale 1-3.
Third-Place
Florence 6, Mission 2
Mission 000 000 2 — 2 8 3
Florence 231 000 x — 6 7 1
Loren Erickson and Alyssa Doty. Megan Byrne and Hayley Cole.
MISSION — Sara Nerby 1-3, Erickson 2-4, Doty 1-4, Kinley Pope 1-3, Janeal McDonald 1-2, Serena Long 0-1, Sahrina Camacho 0-3, Connor Smith 0-2, Emily Gillingham 2-2.
FLORENCE — Paige Bodner 2-4, Cass Skeers 0-2, Courtney Byrne 1-3, Hayley Cole 3-3, M. Byrne 0-1, Cody Miller 0-2, Micayla Cole 1-3, Hailey Huot 0-3, Holly Hale 0-2, Stephanie Drozdz 0-0.