State softball: Glacier third in AA
GREAT FALLS — Billings West ended Glacier’s season with a 13-0 win in a loser-out semifinal game at the Class AA state softball tournament Saturday.
Glacier defeated West 7-4 earlier in the tournament, pounding 10 hits against the pitching duo of Katie Zink and Meghan Dahlquist, but mustered only one hit in the elimination game against Jaleen Creech.
“Billings West pitched a different girl and I think she deserves a lot of credit,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said. “She threw hard and had some movement on her pitches. We made some contact, but were just not able to find any holes.
“On the other side, just the opposite. It seemed like every hit Billings West had found a hole or was a solid shot. It was just one of those days, things didn’t roll our way.”
West tallied 12 hits in five innings against Glacier pitcher Ali Williams, including two home runs by Ashley MacDonald and one by Creech.
Jena Willis had Glacier’s only hit.
Great Falls High defeated West 6-4 in the championship game. Glacier (16-7) finished third.
“It’s hard to end the season on a game like that, but I could not be more proud of this group of girls,” Fors said. “It was the best finish that we’ve ever had at Glacier High School and I think their determination through the long season really paid off.”
Glacier00000—011
West3208X—13120
Ali Williams and Hannah Atlee. Jaleen Creech and Haley Swan. W - Creech. L - Williams.
GLACIER – Jena Willis 1-1, Kayla Russell 0-3, Kayleena Ikeda 0-2, Ali Williams 0-1, Hannah Atlee 0-2, Marysa Rogozynski 0-0, Katie McHugh 0-2, Tacey Howe 0-2, Taylor Riggles 0-2, Anna Jenks 0-0.
BILLINGS WEST – Taylor Ostwald 1-3, Ashley MacDonald 2-3, Jessica Lampi 1-2, Haley Swan 2-3, Rachel Dillon 1-3, Miranda Ratcliff 1-2, Makenzie Shellnut 1-3, Ashley Davis 0-2, Jaleen Creech 3-3, Kelly Brotzell 0-0.
2B - Ostwald, Dillon, Creech 2. HR - MacDonald 2, Creech. RBI - MacDonald 3, Swan 2, Dillon, Ratcliff, Shellnut 2, Creech 4.
Championship game
Great Falls High 6, Billings West 4
Great Falls0000123—651
Billings West0301000—482
Marina LaRocque, Mercedes Bourgeau (5) and Markaela Francis. Alexis Mayhood, Jaleen Creech (5) and Haley Swan. W - Bourgeau. L - Creech.
GREAT FALLS – Jessica Keller 1-3, Mercedes Bourgeau 0-2, Kelsey Devlin 1-3, Markaela Francis 0-4, Hailey Houck 0-3, Marina LaRocque 0-1, Hailey Felice 1-2, Alyssa Marez 0-3, Brooke Gruntowicz 1-2, Mikaela Kynett 1-3.
BILLINGS WEST – Taylor Ostwald 1-4, Ashley MacDonald 1-4, Jessica Lampi 0-4, Haley Swan 0-2, Rachel Dillon 1-3, Katie Zink 2-3, Makenzie Shellnut 1-3, Ashley Davis 0-2, Alexis Mayhood 1-2, Jaleen Creech 1-1, Kelly Brotzell 0-0.
2B - Ostwald. HR - Keller, Devlin, Gruntowicz, Zink 2. RBI - Keller, Devlin 2, Gruntowicz, Ostwald, Zink 3.