Softball: Columbia Falls rolls by Whitefish

WHITEFISH — The Columbia Falls softball team answered coach Dave Kehr’s questions about its offense with a 12-1 win over Whitefish on a wet Thursday at Smith Fields.

The Wildkats graduated three all-conference hitters from last year and Kehr said he wasn’t sure how the new-look offense would perform, but Columbia Falls (1-0) racked up 12 hits and ran the bases aggressively in its season opener.

“It was a good outing,” Kehr said. “It was exactly what we were looking for.”

Columbia Falls also got a strong pitching performance from Ashley Trueblood, who allowed five hits and two walks in seven innings while striking out eight.

“I wasn’t sure how much we would hit the ball,” Kehr said. “We hadn’t hit live pitching yet. We just hit off the machine, so we hadn’t seen much velocity. The offense concerned me more than anything. Ashley has been throwing real well, so I thought we could hold them to a minimum amount of runs.”

Trueblood pitched out of a pair of jams early, stranding two runners in the first inning and one in the third, before allowing just two runners to reach base the rest of the game. She retired 11 in a row after the rain stopped early in the fourth inning, a streak that included five strikeouts and saw just one ball reach the outfield.

“I loosened up and it got a little drier,” Trueblood said.

No. 2-hitter Carly Brown was Columbia Falls’ offensive catalyst, batting 3-for-4 with a walk, four runs and three stolen bases. Catie King batted 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run and two RBIs and Tiffany Hummer went 2-for-5 with a run and a stolen base.

Brown scored Columbia Falls’ only run in the first inning, reaching on a base on balls, stealing second and scoring on a single by Kathrin Jetty. She ignited a four-run rally in the second with an infield single and a stolen base.

“I get a little disappointed if I don’t steal,” Brown said. “That’s what I’m expecting when I get on first.”

Columbia Falls added three more runs in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead but Whitefish (0-3) halted the onslaught in the fifth when pitcher Andrea Lamaroux struck out Brown and induced groundouts from Courtney Murray and Trueblood.

Columbia Falls scored its ninth run in the sixth inning before Lamaroux pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the 10-run rule off the table.

Malia Morris led Whitefish with two hits, including a triple, in four at bats. She scored the Bulldogs’ only run in the third inning after an RBI groundout by Shannon Craft.

While Columbia Falls and Whitefish both compete in the Northwestern A conference, Thursday’s game did not count toward the conference standings.

For Whitefish, which went 0-8 in conference play a year ago, lasting all seven innings against Columbia Falls was a step in the right direction.

“Our goal this year is to close the gaps with these teams, because they normally stomp us,” Whitefish coach Carrie Lamb said.

“To take C-Falls to seven innings was a goal of ours.

“Last year we got run-ruled by a lot of teams and we’re definitely striving to play full games regardless of what we end with.”

Kehr also thinks Whitefish is making progress.

“Whitefish is much improved,” he said. “I thought the Whitefish pitcher did a great job hanging in there. I thought their girls had great attitudes.”

Columbia Falls 104 301 3 — 12 12 0

Whitefish 001 000 0 — 1 5 4

Ashley Trueblood and Courtney Murray. Andrea Lamaroux and Madison Davis. W - Trueblood (1-0). L - Lamaroux.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Tiffany Hummer 2-5, Carly Brown 3-4, Ashley Trueblood 0-3, Kathrin Jetty 1-4, Ciarra Holm 1-4, Amanda Morrison 0-3, Catie King 3-4, Lauren Fields 2-4, Courtney Murray 0-4.

WHITEFISH — Malia Morris 2-4, Andrea Lamaroux 1-3, Shannon Craft 1-3, Margot Myers 0-3, Micah McFeely 0-3, Madison Davis 0-2, Abbie Taylor 0-2, Halle Reading 0-3, Georgia Donaldson 1-3.

2B - King 2, Fields. 3B - Morris. RBIs - King 2, Jetty, Holm, Brown, Trueblood, Murray, Fields; Craft.