Bravettes lose to Helena, Capital in softball

Howling winds hampered any long-ball opportunities at Conrad Complex, but there were still plenty of hits in the Flathead Bravettes’ doubleheader against Helena High and Helena Capital on Saturday afternoon.

The vehement gusts knocked over a tree just beyond the outfield wall and rattled the dugouts throughout the games, neither of which went past the fifth inning as Flathead fell 15-5 to the Bengals and 11-1 to the Bruins, dropping two consecutive Western AA contests.

An eight-run second inning paced the Bengals in Game 1. Helena tallied seven base hits in the inning with catcher Jordan Hinman’s single scoring two runs.

The Bengals (5-4 overall, 3-1 Western AA) tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth.

But the Bravettes refused to roll over.

Flathead (0-7, 0-4) rallied in the fifth, scoring five runs on four hits and nearly pushing the contest to the sixth inning.

Third baseman Kylee Meredith’s bases-clearing triple scored catcher Kaycee Smith and right fielder Becca Knutson before Terra Gilchrist struck out consecutive Bravettes to end the game.

It was more of the same in Game 2; Capital put up six runs in the second inning and scored in both the fourth and fifth to put the game out of reach.

Flathead pushed one across the plate in its final at-bat. Knutson, the starting pitcher against the Bruins, ripped an RBI single to drive in her reliever, pitcher Kylee Beccari, who started Game 1.

The two combined to strike out four Bruins after Beccari sent down four Bengals in the opener.

“I thought our pitchers did really well even though the score doesn’t necessarily show that,” Flathead coach Tasia Gates said. “The pitchers did what they needed to do. They struck girls out, gave us ground balls and easy fly outs. We just didn’t back up our pitchers the way we should on defense.

“We can start either one of them and know the other is going to come in and keep the other team off balance. It’s a nice thing to have.”

Flathead plays Glacier on Thursday at Kidsport Complex in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

Helena High 080 43 — 15 14 1

Flathead 000 05 — 5 5 3 Terra Gilchrist and Jordan Hinman. Kylee Beccari and Kaycee Smith. W — Gilchrist. L — Beccari.

HELENA — Emma Meredith 3-4, Tylar Holland 3-4, Erin Emanuel 0-4, Jordan Hinman 1-4, Anna Fischer 1-2. Taryn Holland 3-4, Ashley Nash 0-1, Hailey Crawford 2-4, Abby Romine 1-4.

FLATHEAD — Abbie O’Brien 0-3, Becca Knutson 1-3, Kaycee Smith 1-3, Kylee Meredith 1-3, Kaitlyn Torgeson 0-2, Bailey Nunn 0-3, Makela Jorgeson 1-2, Kylee Beccari 1-2, Grace Cady 0-0.

2B — Ta. Holland, Romine. 3B — K. Meredith. RBI — E. Meredith, Ty. Holland, Emanuel 2, Hinman 2, Ta. Holland 3, Smth, K. Meredith 2, Beccari.

Helena Capital 260 12 — 11 11 1

Flathead 000 01 — 1 7 4

Brittany Smith and Jaley Priddy. Becca Knutson, Kylee Beccari (4) and Abbie O’Brien. W — Smith. L — Knutson.

CAPITAL — Sydney Ladas 0-2, Shelby Vanhemlryk 1-3, McKenzie Johnston 2-4, Smith 1-3, Priddy 1-3, Caroline Rosling 2-3, Marlin 2-3, Taylor Matthews 1-3, Madi Quick 1-3.

FLATHEAD — Abbie O’Brien 1-2, Becca Knutson 1-3, Kaycee Smith 0-3, Kylee Meredith 1-2, Kaitlyn Torgeson 0-2, Bailey Nunn 0-2, Makela Jorgeson 1-2, Grace Cady 1-2, Kylee Beccari 2-3.

2B — Priddy Rolsing, K. Meredith. RBI — Vanhemlryk 2, Smith, Rosling Knutson