Softball: Wolfpack slug 8 HRs; rip Big Sky, Sentinel

The long ball powered the Glacier softball team to a pair of conference wins over Missoula Sentinel and Missoula Big Sky on a chilly Tuesday at Kidsports Complex.

The Wolfpack smashed six home runs in a 10-3 win over Sentinel and homered twice in a 9-5 win over Big Sky (3-4 overall, 0-2 Western AA) to remain unbeaten in Western AA conference games.

Glacier coach Andy Fors said he knew his team had power potential, but it was still surprising to see such an explosive outburst.

“Not that I would doubt the kids that we have on our roster, but we’re not a program that’s really used to hitting a lot of home runs, so it is kind of surprising and exciting,” Fors said. “I think it’s a little bit contagious too. They see their teammates out there with confidence hitting the ball and it’s just one hit after another.”

Freshman Ali Williams led Glacier’s homer parade, swatting two longballs in the opener against Sentinel and adding a third against Big Sky. She finished the day with five hits in eight at bats.

“There aren’t a lot of girls that can step in as a freshman and have as big of an impact as Ali’s had for us so far,” Fors said. “Her future is very bright. She’s a kid that’s put in a ton of time in the offseason and I think it shows.”

Senior Marysa Rogozynski also homered twice against Sentinel and Jena Willis and Kayleena Ikeda had one home run apiece.

“I think we came together and we showed what we can do in the Western Conference,” Rogozynski said.

Glacier (3-2, 3-0) finished fifth out of seven teams in Western AA a year ago, but its hot start suggests this year could be different.

“We’re not the same team,” Willis said. “We’re a new program. I think people see that now and we’re out to prove it.”

The Wolfpack never trailed in either game. It scored three runs in the first inning and one in both the second and third against Sentinel to take a 5-1 lead. The Spartans cut their deficit with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, but Williams, Glacier’s pitcher in game one, hurled three shutout innings to finish the game and Glacier added three runs in the fifth and two in the six.

Williams and Ikeda each had three hits in four at bats while Willis, Kayla Russell and Rogozynski had two hits apiece.

Glacier also grabbed an early lead against Big Sky, scoring three runs in the first on an RBI single by Katie McHugh, a double by Ikeda and a fielding error on a fly ball off Williams’ bat.

In the circle, Willis mowed down Big Sky the first time through the order, retiring eight in a row with a heavy dose of mid-50s fastballs. She tallied six strikeouts the first three innings, punching out Big Sky’s Jessica Brady to end the third with runners on first and second.

Williams homered to center field in the bottom of the inning to put Glacier ahead 4-0, but Willis ran into trouble the second time through Big Sky’s batting order.

Big Sky catcher Jessica Schafer led off the fourth inning with a home run and Talia Zook reached second on a two-base fielding error by McHugh, Glacier’s right fielder. Morgan Johnson followed with an RBI single up the middle, cutting Glacier’s lead to 4-2.

Brady hit a 2-RBI double in the fifth to tie the score, but Glacier re-took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Williams scored on a wild pitch. Willis followed with a three-run homer, smashing a belt-high fastball over the left field wall.

“I always tell the girls to have fun, so that was what was going through my head,” Willis said.

Energized by her home run, Willis pitched a scoreless sixth before allowing an unearned run to score in the seventh.

“Credit to Jena,” Fors said. “She showed a lot of composure. She dug in and she finished out a great game.”

Glacier plays a nonconference game against Columbia Falls on Friday, then hosts Helena High and Helena Capital on Saturday.

Sentinel 010 200 0 — 3 10 1

Glacier 311 032 X — 10 14 3

Amanda Jackson, Taylor Laden and Bailey Deyle. Ali Williams and Hannah Atlee. W - Williams. L - Jackson.

SENTINEL - Nikki Schurg 0-4, Breezi Cuffe 1-4, Amanda Jackson 1-2, Taylor Laden 0-2, Timber Plenger 1-4, Lexi Miller 0-4, Bailey Deyle 3-3, Cady Lanzel 3-3, Abby Gillespie 0-3, Ashna Laird 1-3.

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

2B - Lanzel; Willis, Ikeda, Williams. HR - Rogozynski 2, Williams 2, Ikeda, Willis. RBIs - Lanzel 2, Deyle; Williams 4, Rogozynski 2, Ikeda 2, McHugh, Willis.

Big Sky 000 220 1 — 5 7 7

Glacier 301 041 X — 9 8 1

Brittani Foshag and Jesse Schafer. Jena Willis and Hannah Atlee. W - Willis. L - Foshag.

BIG SKY - Baylie Frost 1-3, Jessica Brady 1-4, Jesse Schafer 2-4, Talia Zook 0-4, Morgan Johnson 1-4, Lexi Crawford 0-3, Kendall Rauk 0-3, Kendall Mooney 1-3, Brittani Foshag 1-2.

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

2B - Brady; Ikeda, Williams. HR - Schafer; Williams, Willis. RBIs - Brady 2, Schafer 2, Johnson; Willis 3, Williams, McHugh