Glacier rolls by Hellgate in softball

Glacier took advantage of sloppy play on the other side of the diamond and scored in double figures for the third-straight game, clubbing Missoula Hellgate 12-2 on Friday in a Western AA conference softball contest at Kidsports Complex.

The Wolfpack (5-3-1 overall, 4-3 Western AA) scored three of its first four runs on errors as Hellgate (2-5-1, 1-2-1) committed 10 in all. After the Knights walked in the first Glacier run, they dropped a routine pop-up, threw a pick-off at second base into center field and overthrew third base to hand Glacier a 4-0 lead after the third inning without much effort from the home team.

Hellgate scored its first run in the top of the fourth inning, senior Frankie Needles connecting with a change-up and sending it over the foul pole in left field.

Glacier quickly answered in the bottom of the inning, the first two batters reaching safely, the second on a fielders’ choice, before junior Kayleena Ikeda knocked a no-doubt homer to dead center, scoring two runs and giving the Wolfpack a 6-1 lead.

Hannah Atlee led off the fifth inning with another home run, straightening out a long foul ball she hit on the previous pitch and sending it deep to left-center. The Wolfpack would score two more runs in the inning to take a seven-run lead heading into the sixth.

Glacier pitcher Ali Williams was superb in the circle, striking out five and walking none, and her defense backed her up. After giving up just three hits in the first five innings, Hellgate got two with one out in the sixth to move a pair of runners into scoring position. Williams got the next two batters to pop out and end the threat.

Williams started the bottom of the inning with a hit, the first of four batters to single to open the frame.

With the bases loaded and one out, junior Tacey Howe finished the game off with a hard grounder to first base. For the 10th time in the game, the Knights mishandled the play as two runs scored and the Wolfpack walked off victorious.

“We’re all clicking, playing together as a team,” Atlee said. “We get the feel for it all.”

Four Glacier batters had two hits, the team recording 12 in all. It’s the third-straight game the Wolfpack has had double-digit hits and runs, doing so in both games of the doubleheader against Flathead on Thursday.

“We built some confidence and it showed offensively today,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said.

“We had girls 1-9 put the ball in play and hit it pretty hard.

“I think so much in this game comes down to confidence and how they’re feeling. This is a good spot for our team right now. They’re feeling really confident in the box. That’s a good pitcher that we faced from Hellgate and they found the ball today.”

There’s a quick turnaround for the Wolfpack, which heads to Butte today for a nonconference game at noon. The Bulldogs are 6-5 this season.

Hellgate 000 110 — 2 5 10

Glacier 121 233 — 12 12 2

Talley Hill and Sierrah Hardy. Ali Williams and Hannah Atlee. W - Williams. L - Hill.

HELLGATE — Adessa Gagner 2-3, Hill 0-3, Callie McKillop 0-3, Hardy 1-2, Frankie Needles 2-3, Ambria Elliott 0-3, Rory Anderson 0-3, Madison Albert 0-2, Katie Packard 0-1.

GLACIER — Kayla Russell 2-4, Taylor Riggles 1-3, Kayleena Ikeda 2-4, Williams 1-4, Mackenzie Brester-Knight 0-2, Christina DuFour 1-1, Atlee 2-4, Anna Jenks 1-4, Katie McHugh 0-2, Christine Connolly 0-2, Tacey Howe 2-3.

2B — Gagner. HR — Needles. Ikeda, Atlee. RBIs — Gagner 1, Needles 1. Riggles 1, Ikeda 2, Williams 1, Atlee 1, Jenks 1.