Glacier spills Flathead twice

Dark clouds swarmed over Conrad Complex on Thursday as Glacier battled the elements to sweep Flathead 13-5 and 14-6 in a crosstown softball doubleheader.

The first game of the twinbill, a Western AA contest, was 3-2 in favor of the Wolfpack heading into the fifth inning.

Glacier (4-3-1 overall, 3-3 Western AA) erupted at the plate, connecting for three doubles and five runs for an 8-2 lead.

Second baseman Kayleena Ikeda started the rally with a hard double to the right-center field gap.

Pitcher Ali Williams followed with a double to score Ikeda from second.

Third baseman MacKenzie Brester-Knight reached on an error before left fielder Hannah Atlee hit a double, scoring both Williams and Brester-Knight.

Right fielder Anna Jenks had an RBI single, as did Katie McHugh, before Flathead shortstop Abbie O’Brien made a diving catch on a line drive from Glacier center fielder Taylor Riggles.

O’Brien fired to third and forced out McHugh for a double play, and Ikeda, who started the inning, flew out to first base to end the rally.

The Bravettes (2-5, 1-4) put up two runs in the bottom half of the fifth on an O’Brien base hit that scored first baseman Cassidy Smith.

O’Brien eventually scored on a wild pitch before the inning was over, and Flathead trailed 8-4.

The sixth inning saw some power from both clubs.

Hannah Atlee, who broke out for two doubles and six RBIs, took a pitch deep over the outfield wall for a two-run home run.

“Hannah played great. She hit the ball hard all day long,” Glacier head coach Andy Fors said. “She was our spark. I’d say if we had to credit our bats finally getting hot there, it would be for Hannah Atlee. She got us going.”

In the bottom of the sixth, Bravettes catcher Kaylee Henderson responded with a solo home run, a deep drive to right center, but that’s all Flathead would muster as Glacier tacked on three more runs in the seventh for a Western AA road victory.

“(Kaylee Henderson) is hitting well. She’s hitting the ball really nicely and leading as a senior. She’s been really focused for us,” Flathead coach Ashley Fusaro said.

“The girls competed really well in the first game. (Glacier) hit the gappers, nothing we could do about it. We had a couple untimely errors and unfortunately our bats kind of died.”

The Flathead bats woke up in the beginning of the second game, which was  a nonconference matchup.

After holding Glacier to one run in the top of the first, the Bravettes used three walks and three base hits to manufacture five runs.

Flathead left fielder Lynsey Potter had an RBI single before Smith hit one of her own.

Center fielder Shayla Tweet had the last base hit to drive in another run for the Bravettes, who took a 5-1 lead.

Glacier put up one run in the second and two in the third before a tremendous fourth-inning rally.

The Wolfpack sent 15 batters to the plate in a nine-run inning that saw freshman pitcher Erin McHugh hit a two-RBI single for her fourth RBI of the game to tie the contest at five.

Glacier first baseman Tacey Howe hit a towering two-run home run to break the tie. Howe’s bomb gave Glacier a 7-5 lead as the rally continued.

Kayla Russell’s RBI single was the last run to score before the third out was finally recorded.

When it was all said and done, Glacier lead 13-5.

Each team added another run before the clouds opened up. The game was called after five-and-a-half innings as the downpour flooded the field, and Glacier claimed the 14-6 nonconference victory.

Wolfpack pitcher Ali Williams, who had five hits on the day, threw all seven innings in the first game, striking out six Bravettes, and closed out the second game in the circle.

“She’s throwing really hard out there,” Fors said.

“In that second game we had a chance to mix it up with some other pitchers come in and finish with her.”

Glacier will look to continue its success today against visiting Missoula Hellgate with first the pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.

The improving Bravettes, lead by Smith’s 2-for-3 effort in the second game, will look to regroup this Saturday with a doubleheader in Missoula against Hellgate. The first game is scheduled for 11 a.m.

“We’re looking to win some games,” Fusaro said.

“We’re starting to get some things done out there. Now we just have to start to look for the win.”  

Game 1

Glacier     012     052     3     —     13     15     2

Flathead     200     021     0     —     5     6     4

Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. Kylee Beccari, Niea Sutton (5) and Kaylee Henderson. W — Williams. L — Beccari.

GLACIER — Kayla Russell 2-5, Taylor Riggles 1-5, Kayleena Ikeda 2-4, Ali Williams 4-5, MacKenzie Brester-Knight 0-4, Hannah Atlee 3-4, Anna Jenks 3-4, Kristina Dufor 0-1, Katie McHugh 1-4, Christine Connolly 1-4.

FLATHEAD — Abbie O’Brien 1-3, Iris Matulevich 1-3, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Kaylee Henderson 2-3, Lynsey Potter 0-3, Cassidy Smith 1-3, Kylee Beccari 0-2, Niea Sutton 0-1, Shayla Tweet 1-3.

2B — Williams 2, Atlee 2, Ikeda. HR — Atlee. Henderson. RBIs — Atlee 6, Williams 3, Brester-Knight, Jenks 2, McHugh. O’Brien, Henderson 2, Meredith.

Game 2

Glacier         112     910    —     14     15     0

Flathead         500     01x     —     6     4     3

Hannah Atlee, Erin McHugh (2), Ali Williams (5) and Christine Connolly. Kylee Beccari, Niea Sutton (4), Beccari (4) and Kaylee Henderson. W — McHugh. L — Beccari.

GLACIER — Kayla Russell 2-3, Taylor Riggles 1-2, Kayleena Ikeda 1-5, Ali Williams 1-1, MacKenzie Brester-Knight 0-2, Hannah Atlee 1-1, Erin McHugh 2-3, Anna Jenks 4-4, Katie McHugh 1-3, Tacey Howe 2-4.

FLATHEAD — Abbie O’Brien 0-1, Iris Matulevich 0-2, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Kaylee Henderson 0-1, Kylee Meredith 0-1, Lynsey Potter 1-3, Cassidy Smith 2-3, Niea Sutton 0-2, Shayla Tweet 1-2.

HR — Howe. RBIs — Russell, E. McHugh 5, Howe 3, Atlee, Brester-Knight, Jenks 2, K. McHugh. Potter, Smith, Tweet.