Softball: Wolfpack claws back

A six-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Glacier softball team an 8-3 win over Missoula Hellgate in its conference opener at Kidsports Complex Tuesday.

Glacier (1-0) had one hit through five innings and trailed 3-2 before batting around in the sixth, swatting four hits and taking advantage of three walks to gain a five-run lead.

“I think it’s good for confidence,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said of the come-from-behind win. “If nothing else, it’s nice for them to believe that even when they’re down they can dig their heels in and hold it. All it took was one inning to kind of open it up for us.”

Glacier’s Kayleena Ikeda provided the spark the Wolfpack needed, smashing a single up the middle to lead off the sixth inning. After a groundout and a walk, Ali Williams singled to drive in Ikeda and tie the score at 3-3, then Taylor Riggles drove in the go-ahead run with sharp single past Hellgate third baseman McKaylen Albert. Four more runners touched home plate before Hellgate recorded the third out.

“When a girl gets a good hit, it’s always like a chain reaction,” Riggles said. “Girls start getting hits and we start playing better. It helps a lot when someone gets a good hit.”

Glacier’s Jena Willis pitched all seven innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and six walks. She struck out 13.

“I’ve been really working hard on my screw(ball) and my drop looked good, so that helped,” Willis said.

Ikeda batted 2-for-4 with two runs. She scored on a throwing error to give Glacier a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Hellgate (0-1) had most of the scoring opportunities early.

The Knights stranded four baserunners the first two innings before Hannah Boelman’s RBI single knotted the score in the third. Willis pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied, but Hellgate added another run in the fourth when Rory Anderson scored on a wild pitch.

Hellgate pitcher Talley Hill left in the second inning with a sore pitching arm and reliever Jodie-Lee Hostetler held Glacier hitless until the sixth inning.

“Their pitcher did a good job keeping us off-balance and we had a hard time making solid contact,” Fors said. “But we kept playing D and when we finally got the momentum we pulled ahead a little bit.”

Hellgate scored an unearned run in the fifth on a throwing error to take a 3-1 lead but Glacier answered with a run in the bottom of the inning and Willis pitched perfect innings in the sixth and seventh.

“We had some routine errors that we’ll have to work on and clean up, and early in the season that’s to be expected,” Fors said. “I thought in that situation Jena showed a lot of toughness and hung in there and kept pitching, so she did a nice job for us.”

Willis, one of two Glacier seniors, said winning the conference opener should provide a confidence boost for a young team that started three sophomores and one freshman.

“It feels good,” Willis said. “We have a really young team and I’m super proud of how the girls came back today. That was huge.”

The game was Glacier and Hellgate’s first meeting since last year’s playoff game, when the Knights defeated the Wolfpack 3-1 to advance to the state tournament.

“I needed a little bit of vengeance,” Willis said.

Glacier travels to Great Falls Thursday for a pair of nonconference games against C.M. Russell and Great Falls High.

Hellgate0011100—352

Glacier010016X—852

Talley Hill, Jodie-Lee Hostetler and Allie Allen. Jena Willis and Taylor Riggles. W - Willis. L - Hostetler.

HELLGATE - McKenna Gagner 1-3, Allie Allen 1-3, Talley Hill 1-1, Jodie-Lee Hostetler 0-2, Makaya Resner 0-1, McKaylen Albert 0-3, Katie Waletzko 1-4, Frankie Needles 1-4, Hannah Boelman 0-3, Morgan Tucker 0-3, Rory Anderson 0-0.

GLACIER - Jena Willis 0-1, Kayla Russell 0-2, Marysa Rogozynski 1-4, Kayleena Ikeda 2-4, Tacey Howe 0-2, Katie McHugh 0-1, Ali Williams 1-2, Taylor Riggles 1-3, Anna Jenks 0-1.

2B - Allen; Rogozynski. RBIs - Boelman; Rogozynski 2, Williams, Riggles, Russell.