Errors sink Flathead in doubleheader losses to Hellgate

Flathead missed an opportunity to improve its softball playoff position with a 14-5 Western AA loss to Missoula Hellgate at Conrad Complex Friday.

Hellgate also won a non-league game 10-0.

The two teams entered the day tied for sixth in Western AA, but Flathead (6-12 overall, 3-8 Western AA) had trouble defending Hellgate’s small-ball approach, committing six errors in game one and five errors in game two.

“Disappointing day,” Flathead coach Ashley Fusaro said. “Errors really hurt us and we just mentally weren’t there.”

Hellgate (5-12, 4-7) pressured Flathead’s defense in game one with a combination of aggressive baserunning and bunting. The Knights executed three sacrifice bunts — including a safety squeeze — and three bunt singles.

“For us, aggressiveness is always something that we’re thinking of,” Hellgate coach Lisa Macki said. “If we can put pressure on them and mix things up, I think it helps us stay excited and intense and it makes it more difficult for the other team to play good defense.”

Raylene Kerney suffered both losses, allowing 20 hits in game one and 16 in game two. Regular pitcher and No. 3 hitter Sidney Alberts was sidelined with an injured finger, leaving the Bravettes without one of their best players and senior leaders.

“She brings a lot of positivity and intensity to the game that we lack sometimes,” Flathead third baseman Mackenzie Twichel said of Alberts. “She kind of brings us together. She’ll be back on Thursday hopefully so we can be a team again. Raylene came in and she did awesome. We couldn’t have been happier with the way she pitched, it’s just a little different without Sidney being there.”

Kerney held Hellgate in check the first three innings of game one, with Hellgate’s only run coming on a sacrifice fly in the second inning, but Flathead’s defensive woes became a factor in the fourth. McKaylen Albert led off with a single to center field and took second when outfielder Lynsey Potter misjudged the short hop. Allie Allen drove in Albert with a single to left field and advanced to third on an overthrow to home plate. Hannah Boelman also scored in the inning, giving the Knights a 4-0 lead.

After stranding seven baserunners the first three innings, Flathead mounted a two-out rally in the fourth. Shayla Tweet drew a walk to get things started, Abbie O’Brien reached on an error and Iris Matulevich and Twichel hit back-to-back singles to drive in three runs.

Hellgate went ahead 8-3 with four runs in the fifth, then added five in the sixth on five hits and three Flathead errors.

Albert and Frankie Needles each batted 4-for-5 to lead the Knights. Twichel, O’Brien and Cassidy Smith each had two hits for Flathead.

“We hit better than we have most of the season,” Twichel said. “But it was the infield errors that kind of got us. Once they got their hitting down and they were hitting the ball, we just couldn’t come back from our errors.”

Four Flathead errors and a two-run single by Needles gave Hellgate a 4-0 lead after the first inning of game two. The Knights added one run in the second, three in the third and two in the fifth to end the game via the 10-run-rule.

Makaya Resner tossed a 3-hit shutout with six strikeouts.

Flathead travels to Libby Tuesday for a nonconference contest, then closes out its regular season with a doubleheader against Glacier on Thursday.

Hellgate 010 345 1 — 14 20 1

Flathead 000 301 1 — 5 10 6

Talley Hill and Allie Allen. Raylene Kerney and Kaylee Henderson. W - Hill. L - Kerney.

HELLGATE - McKenna Gagner 2-4, Hill 2-5, Makaya Resner 0-5, Katie Waletzko 1-4, McKaylen Albert 4-5, Frankie Needles 4-5, Allen 3-4, Rory Anderson 2-4, Hannah Boelman 2-2.

FLATHEAD - Abbie O’Brien 2-5, Iris Matulevich 1-4, Mackenzie Twichel 2-2, Cassidy Smith 2-4, Henderson 1-3, Lynsey Potter 1-3, Kerney 1-3, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-4, Shayla Tweet 0-2, Nikki Kearney 0-1.

2B - Boelman, Albert; Potter, O’Brien. RBI - Needles 3, Boelman 3, Anderson 2, Gagner, Hill, Albert, Allen; Twichel 2, O’Brien, Matulevich, Henderson.

Hellgate 413 02 — 10 16 0

Flathead 000 00 — 0 3 5

Makaya Resner and Allie Allen. Raylene Kerney and Kaylee Henderson. W - Resner. L - Kerney.

HELLGATE - McKenna Gagner 3-4, Talley Hill 3-3, Resner 2-4, Katie Waletzko 2-4, McKaylen Albert 1-3, Frankie Needles 2-3, Allen 0-3, Rory Anderson 2-3, Hannah Boelman 1-2.

FLATHEAD - Abbie O’Brien 0-2, Iris Matulevich 1-2, Mackenzie Twichel 1-2, Cassidy Smith 0-2, Lynsey Potter 0-2, Henderson 0-2, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Kerney 0-2, Shayla Tweet 1-2.

2B - Waletzko, Needles, Hill. RBI - Hill 3, Needles 2, Resner, Waletzko, Anderson.