Glacier splits on diamond

In a home doubleheader with Helena Capital and Helena High, the Glacier Wolfpack softball team was handed its first loss of the season before utterly dominating Game 2 on Saturday.

Glacier (5-1 overall, 3-1 Western AA) fell to Capital 3-2 in the opener and shut out the Bengals 3-0 for the spilt.

The Capital Bruins (5-2, 2-0) held off a late Wolfpack rally to earn the conference victory.

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the Wolfpack made things interesting. Senior Katie Wiley ripped an RBI double to score Christina DuFour for Glacier’s second extra-base hit of the game. Wiley reached third on Kayla Russell’s single before scoring when Erin McHugh reached on an error.

Alas, the Wolfpack stranded two runners on the final out of the game.

It was the Bruins’ three-run fifth inning that did Glacier in. With runners at second and third, Sydney Ladas bunted on a squeeze play. Glacier committed an error trying to tag Emily Hill out at home.

After a sacrifice fly and base hit, the Wolfpack finally halted the Bruins rally.

“Capital is always very well coached. They do the little things well,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said.

“Offensively, they put the ball in play and made some things happen playing small ball.

“I was pleased that the girls rallied. We had a chance in the seventh to win that game. It was just too little, too late. We went six innings without any pressure before our surge in the seventh inning and it wasn’t enough.”

Game 2 saw the Wolfpack rebound emphatically.

Glacier scored three runs in the third and let pitcher Ali Williams do the rest.

The junior allowed just three Bengals to reach base on two walks and an error. She struck out 13 in the no-hitter.

“Obviously, in the second game, Ali was pretty dominant in the circle. She did great job,” Fors said.

“Overall, this can be viewed a step forward for us. It was a little bit of a reality check. There were some things that Capital exposed, but in the big picture and going down the stretch this will be very good for us.”

Glacier takes on Flathead in a crosstown double-header on Thursday at Kidsport Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.. Game 2 will be at 5.

Capital 000 030 0 — 3 5 2

Glacier 000 000 2 — 2 5 1

Toree Remsen, Shelby Martin (6) and Jaley Priddy. Ali Williams Christine Connolly

Capital — Sydney Ladas 0-4, Shelby Vanhemelryk 0-4, McKenzie Johnston 1-3, Brittany Smith 1-3, Priddy 1-3, Kamrin Rosling 0-3, Shelby Martin 0-3, Emily Hill 2-3, Madi Quick 0-1.

Glacier — Kayla Russell 2-4, Erin McHugh 0-3, Ali Willaims 1-3, Kayleena Ikeda 0-3, MacKenzie Brester-Knight 0-3, Ali Newton 1-3, Christine Connolly 0-1, Sarah Stern 0-1, Chrisitna DuFour 0-3, Katie Wiley 1-3.

2B — Williams, Wiley. RBIs — Ladas, Vanhemelryk, Johnston, McHugh, Wiley.

Helena 000 000 0 — 0 0 2

Glacier 003 000 x — 3 5 1

Terra Gilchrist and Jordan Hinman. Ali Williams and Christine Connolly

Helena — Emma Meredith 0-2, Tylar Holland 0-3, Erin Emanuel 0-2, Hinman 0-3, Anna Fisher 0-3, Taryn Holland 0-3, Ashley Nash 0-2, Hailey Crawford 0-2, Justine Christianson 0-2.

Glacier — Kayla Russell 1-3, Christina DuFour 0-2, Ali Williams 1-3, Erin McHugh 1-2, Kayleena Ikeda 1-3, Ali Newton 1-3, MacKenzie Brester-Knight 0-3, Emma Shew 0-2, Katie Wiley 0-3.

RBIs — McHugh 2.