State softball: England's no-hitter puts Libby in semis
POLSON — Libby’s Hannah England tossed a no-hitter and Devon Gallagher drove in two runs in the third inning of a 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Hamilton at the Class A state softball tournament on Friday.
England (18-5) struck out 16 batters and walked four.
“A little bit of everything,” Libby coach Dean Thompson said of what was working for England in the circle.
“She kept them on their toes. She kept their big hitters off balance.
“She had good stuff on the outside, the inside, some rise balls. She had real good control today.”
Thompson said the defense also played exceptionally well.
Libby (20-5) advances to the semifinal contest today versus Frenchtown at 9:30 a.m. in a matchup of Northwestern A rivals. That winner moves on to the title game in the double-elimination tournament.
Frenchtown beat Libby twice during the regular season, 10-1 and 4-0.
The no-hitter for England was her fourth this season. She allowed just one hit in victories over Butte Central and Belgrade on Thursday during first-day action at state. Libby won those matchups 2-0 and 2-1, respectively.
“They have really come together,” Thompson said of his squad.
“We won a couple close ones (on Thursday).”
Gallagher went 3 for 3 and Mahalah Wedel and Staci Regh both had two hits versus Hamilton.
Wedel and England also had RBIs.
Frenchtown advanced to the semifinal by downing Billings Central 7-0. Morgan Ray’s bid for a perfect game ended when Jessie Schmitz hit a bloop single down the right-field line in the sixth inning with two outs.
Ray struck out nine.
Polson was eliminated on the second day, falling to Belgrade 7-5. The Pirates won their first loser-out contest on Friday, whipping Anaconda 18-2.
In the win over Anaconda, Kaeden Wall and Hannah Potter homered for Polson and Jessica Bagnell doubled.
Potter, 2 for 3, had four RBIs and Wall three.
Wall, 2 for 4, also hit a home run in the loss to Belgrade and drove in three runs. Polson outhit the Panthers 11-10 with Jaylin Kenney going 4 for 4. Belgrade led 7-2 after four innings.
Quarterfinals
Hamilton 000 000 0 — 0 0 0
Libby 003 010 x — 4 8 1
Brie Clifford and Katie Wickham. Hannah England and Devon Gallagher. W – England. L – Clifford.
HAMILTON – Sydney Bergren 0-3, McKayl Rothie 0-2, Taylor Goligoski 0-3, Clifford 0-3, Kloie Nye 0-1, Lacey Dolcater 0-1, Tayler Reynolds 0-2, Lauren Dolcater 0-3, Shaylan Mohn 0-3.
LIBBY – Madisen Monigold 0-3, Mahalah Wedel 2-3, Auria Benefield 0-2, Staci Regh 2-3, Kelsey Klin 1-3, Abbey Ennenga 0-1, England 0-3, Gallagher 3-3, Dayln Germany 0-3, Rachel Rebo 0-2.
2B – Gallagher. RBIs – Gallagher 2, Wedel, England.
Billings Central 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
Frenchtown 102 220 x – 7 9 0
Molly Day and Addy Daubert. Morgan Ray and Brooke Yarnall. W – Ray. L – Day.
BILLINGS CENTRAL – Aubrey Walter 0-3, Day 0-3, Skylar Rockwell 0-3, Daubert 0-3, Allison Walter 0-2, Morgan Smith 0-2, mackenzie Redman 0-2, Maggie Meyer 0-2, Sammy McNeely 0-1, Jessie Schmitz 1-1.
FRENCHTOWN – Kayla Blood 2-4, Josie Anderson 1-3, Ray 2-4, Vanessa Stavish 1-4, Keegan Wickman 0-4, Krista Hebnes 1-1, Brooke Yarnall 1-2, Kaylee Prather 0-2, Emma Pyron 1-2, Laci Willett 0-1, Haley Cyr 0-1.
3B – Blood, Ray. RBIs – Ray 2, Stavish, Wickman, Pyron.
Loser Out
Polson 782 01 — 18 9 4
Anaconda 000 02 — 2 9 7
Jessica Bagnell, Emma Shaw (3) and Jaylin Kenney. Michaela Courtright, Andi Mavrinac (2) and n/a. W – Bagnell. L – Courtright.
POLSON – Jaylin Kenney 1-5, Jaiden Toth 1-3, Jessica Bagnell 1-4, Hannah Potter 2-3, Talia Sanderson 0-1, Taylor Brackey 1-3, Kaeden Wall 1-2, Natalie Slonaker 1-1, Kyrie Bitterman 1-3, Ashley Benson 0-3, Lydia Dupuis 0-1, Emma Shaw 0-1.
ANACONDA – Courtney Moodry 2-3, Lacee Moodry 2-3, Delanie Chapman 0-3, Sarah Schaefer 1-2, Julia Peterson 2-3, Kassandra Flores 0-3, Chloe Worl 1-3, Andi Mavrinac 1-2, Shea Forsberg 0-1.
2B –Bagnell. HR – Wall, Potter. RBIs – Kenney 2, Toth 2, Bagnell, Potter 4, Brackey, Wall 3, Shaw; Peterson 2.
Polson 110 003 0 — 5 11 1
Belgrade 022 300 x — 7 10 0
Pitching statistics n/a.
POLSON – Kenney 4-4, Toth 0-3, Bagnell 1-4, Potter 0-4, Brackey 0-4, Wall 2-4, Bitterman 0-3, Benson 1-3, Dupuis 1-3, Shaw 0-1, Rausch 1-1.
BELGRADE – West 0-4, S. Neubauer 2-4, Branch 2-4, Rollins 0-4, Alstrom 0-3, Cygan 3-3, Bethke 0-3, Taylor 1-3, Neubauer 2-3.
2B – Benson; S. Neubauer, Branch. HR – Wall. RBIs – Kenney, Potter, Wall 3; Branch, Cygan 2.
Friday’s Scores
Loser Out
Park 11, Laurel 10
Havre vs. Butte Central, loser-out, 9 a.m.
Polson 18, Anaconda 2, loser-out
Belgrade 8, Custer County 6
Quarterfinal Championship
Frenchtown 7, Billings Central 0
Libby 4, Hamilton 0
Loser Out
Park 11, Butte Central 2
Belgrade 7, Polson 5
Park 8, Hamilton 6
Belgrade 5, Billings Central 4
Today’s Schedule
Semifinal
9 a.m. — Libby vs. Frenchtown
Loser Out
9 a.m. — Park vs. Belgrade
Third Place
11 a.m. — Libby/Frenchtown loser vs. Park/Belgrade winner
Championship
1 p.m.
Class AA State Tournament
Friday
At Great Falls
Multi-Sports Complex
Championship Game
Billings West 3, Missoula Big Sky 2
Big Sky 100 010 0 — 2 7 4
West 100 001 1 — 3 4 1
Newbary and Schafer; Creech and Ratcliff. WP: Creech. LP: Newbary
Big Sky: Johnson 4-4, Mooney 2-3, Newbary 0-4, Schafer 1-2, Preston 0-3, Todd 0-3, Snow 0-3, Rauk 0-3, McCracken 0-3.
West: Mayhood 1-3, Ostwald 0-2, Watterud 0-2, Davis 1-3, Dillon 0-2, Ratcliff 1-3, Creech 1-2, Shellnutt 0-3, Boltz 0-3.
2B: Johnson, Mooney. 3B: Davis. HR: Johnson. RBIs: Johnson, Mooney, Davis, Ratcliff
Semifinals
Missoula Big Sky 3, CMR 2
CMR 000 100 1 – 2 7 0
MBS 000 003 x – 3 3 0
Quinn Hartman and Erika Lankford. Macie Newbary and Jaime Schafer. WP – Newbary. LP – Hartman.
CMR – Kylie Otis 1-3, Caitlin Soltesz 1-3, Savanna Voyles 0-3, Quinn Hartman 2-3, McCall Enott 0-2, Madi Mahoney 3-3, Kaydee Parsons 0-3, Erika Lankford 0-3, Tiffany Lefebre 0-3, Shelby Vernon 0-0.
MBS – Morgan Johnson 0-1, Kendall Mooney 0-3, Macie Newbary 1-3, Jaime Schafer 1-3, Quincy Preston 0-3, Chelsea Todd 0-2, Kiley Snow 0-2, Kendall Rauk 0-2, Hope McCracken 0-2, Kennedy Bahm 0-0.
2B – Mahoney 2. HR – Mahoney, Newbary, Schafer. RBI – Mahoney 2, Newbary 2, Schafer.
Loser Out
Billings West 8, Helena Capital 0
Billings Skyview 10, Great Falls High 8
Billings West 9, Billings Skyview 2
Billings West 5, C.M. Russell High 4
Billings West 2, Missoula Big Sky 0
Class B-C State Tournament
Friday
At Great Falls
Multi-Sports Complex
Quarterfinals
Florence 12, Glasgow 1
Conrad-Choteau 4, Plains/Hot Springs 1
Ronan 7, Stillwater 6 (8/lo)
Stillwater 010 012 11 – 6 14 3
Ronan 100 400 02 – 7 13 1
Stillwater – 2-5, Shayna Howell 1-4, Hailee Gregerson 1-2 (rbi), Hannah Hedtke 1-4, Madi Sheppard 1-4, Kayla Bradon 0-4, Mykaila Berry 4-4 (5 rbi), Shelby McMillen 3-4, Maci Sheppard 0-2, Erin Campbell 0-0.
Ronan – Alaina Madsen 3-4 (rbi), Kaitlyn Sassaman 3-5 (2 rbi), Alison Roberts 3-5 (3 rbi), McKenzie Dulmes 1-5 (rbi), Kendra Starkel 0-4, Amanda Morency 0-4, Danielle Richwine 1-4, Courtney Taylor 0-2, Jordyn Clairmont 2-4, Jasmine Bocksnick 0-0.
2B—Howell, Berry, Madsen 2, Roberts.
3B—Sassaman.
HR—Berry.
St. Ignatius 6, Huntley Project 2 (lo)
Plains/Hot Springs 10, Ronan 6 (lo)
PHS 100 031 5 – 10 11 3
Ronan 122 000 1 – 6 11 2
Tia Thompson and Alex Green. Alaina Madsen and Kaitlyn Sassaman. WP—Johnson. LP—Madsen.
Plains/Hot Springs – Diana Woodward 0-3, Danika Witcomb 0-2 (rbi), Jena Peterson 3-4 (2 rbi), Sami Kinze 0-3, Alex Greene 2-4 (3 rbi), Tia Thompson 0-4 (rbi), Josey Carr 2-4 (3 rbi), Hailey Coe 3-5, Kristen Josephson 1-3, Shaira Caldwell 0-0.
Ronan – Alaina Madsen 1-4, Kaitlyn Sassaman 2-4 (2 rbi), Alison Roberts 2-4 (rbi), McKenzie Dulmes 1-4, Kendra Starkel 1-2 (rbi), Amanda Morency 2-4, Danielle Richwine 0-4 (rbi), Courtney Taylor 1-3, Jordyn Clairmont 1-3, Jasmine Bocksnick 0-0.
2B—Roberts.
3B—Madsen.
Glasgow 12, St. Ignatius 8 (lo)
Semifinal
Florence 6, Conrad-Choteau 3
Florence 100 500 0 – 6 9 2
Conrad 001 040 0 – 5 8 1
Sarah Schurg and Stephanie Drozdz. Tristin Achenbach and Michaela DeBoo. WP—Schurg. LP—Achenbach.
Florence – Holly Hale 1-4 (rbi), Megan Byrne 2-2 (3 rbi), Nikki Schurg 1-4 (2 rbi), Micayla Cole 1-3, Sarah Schurg 0-3, Stephanie Drozdz 3-4, Josie McCann 0-2, Hailey Huot 0-2, Kristyne Drozdz 1-3, Chloe Arthur 0-0.
Conrad-Choteau – Michaela DeBoo 0-4, Gabby Drishinski 1-4, Tristin Achenbach 2-3 (rbi), Emily Harwood 0-3 (rbi), Kaylee Taule 2-4, Hanna Bowers 1-4 (rbi), Danielle Moritz 1-4 (2 rbi), Jade Breding 1-3, Kinsey Harris 0-2, Sheridan Johnson 0-0.
2B—Cole, Drinshinski.
HR—Byrne, N. Schurg.
Plains/Hot Springs 12, Glasgow 6 (lo, Glasgow finishes fourth)
Today’s Schedule
Third Place
9 a.m. — Conrad vs. Plains
Championship Game
11 a.m. — Florence vs. Third-place winner
If necessary, second championship game will be played at 1 p.m.