AA softball: Great Falls, CMR defeat Flathead
GREAT FALLS — The shorthanded Flathead Bravettes softball squad dropped two matchups on Friday, falling to the Great Falls C.M. Russell Rustlers 13-1 and the Great Falls High Bison 12-2.
Opening up the day with CMR, Flathead played aggressive from the opening pitch.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Flathead’s Kylee Meredith hit an RBI double on a hit and run to score Kaycee Smith. It was the Bravettes only hit of the contest as CMR’s Courtney Schroeder cruised in the circle for the Rustlers, who scored five runs in both the second and third innings.
“We saw gradual improvement from yesterday through today,” Flathead coach Tasia Gates said.
“We hit better against CMR. We came out off the bat with a hit and a run. I think CMR came out strong and we quieted down after that.”
In Game 2, the Bison wasted little time jumping on the Bravettes. It scored eight runs in the bottom of the second to break open a scoreless ballgame.
Flathead scored a run in both the fourth and fifth innings, but the deficit was too much.
Smith finished 2 for 3 at the plate as did Bailey Nunn for Flathead, who slapped five hits off Great Falls’ Hannah Schaffer. Smith and Nunn each had doubles and drove in a run.
Rebecca Knutson also had a base hit for the Bravettes, who were missing four starters.
Flathead travels to Missoula on Tuesday to face Missoula Big Sky at 3 p.m. and Missoula Sentinel at 5.
Flathead 100 00 — 1 1 5
CMR 255 1x — 13 11 0
Kylee Beccari and Kaycee Smith. Courtney Schroeder, Julia Schearer (5) and Katie Huisman. W — Schroeder. L — Beccari.
FLATHEAD — Rebecca Knutson 0-2, Grace Cady 0-2, Smith 0-1, Kylee Meredith 1-2, Beccari 0-2, Bailey Nunn 0-2, Kamryn Farmer 0-2, Hailey Gauthier 0-2, Greta Cole 0-1.
C.M. RUSSELL — Savanna Voyles 1-1, Caitlin Soltesz 1-1, McCall Enott 1-2, Quinn Hartman 3-3, Schroeder 0-3, Myla Robbins 1-3, Brenna Bushard 1-3, Huisman 1-2, Laura Poitra 1-3, Tanaya Krenik 0-1, Kierstin Evenson 1-1, Katie Heryla 0-1, Madi Payne 0-1.
2B — Meredith, Robbins, Poitra. RBI — Meredith, Soltesz 2, Enott, Hartman 2, Robbins 2, Poitra, Evenson.
Flathead 000 110 — 2 5 3
Great Falls 080 103 — 12 15 1
Rebecca Knutson, Kylee Beccari (3) and Kaycee Smith. Hannah Schaffer and CJ Konesky. W — Schaffer. L — Knutson.
FLATHEAD — Knutson 1-3, Grace Cady 0-2, Smith 2-3, Kylee Meredith 0-3, Beccari 0-3, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Bailey Nunn 2-3, Hailey Gauthier 0-2, Greta Cole 0-2.
GREAT FALLS — Mari Held 2-5, Alyssa Marez 1-3, Konesky 2-4, Marina LaRocque 2-2, Tierney Weinholz 2-3, Bailey Durnell 2-4, McKenzie Staats 1-2, Schaffer 0-2, Erin Hocker 2-3, Kelsey Walker 0-1.
2B – Smith, Nunn, Held, Durnell. HR — Marez. RBI — Smith, Nunn, Held 4, Marez 2, Durnell, Staats, Hocker 3.