Wolfpack wallops Bravettes in softball
As the fans were settling into their seats, the Glacier Wolfpack had already claimed the lead.
Ali Williams led off Thursday’s crosstown softball contest with a solo home run and Glacier never looked back, tacking on five more runs in the top of the first inning en route to a 14-1 Western AA victory over the Flathead Bravettes in the regular-season finale at Boyle Field.
With the win, Glacier (18-3 overall, 10-2 Western AA) clinched a bye to the state tournament in Missoula on May 21-23.
“Anytime you can have a lead-off hitter, in the first at-bat of the game, put one over the fence, the tone is set from there,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said.
“It does a ton for our hitters’ confidence. It rattles the defense a little bit. It just takes a little pressure off us.”
Williams, batting lead-off in the recently adjusted Wolfpack batting order, hit her second home run of the game in the third inning, a two-run shot after working the count full against Flathead pitcher Kylee Beccari.
“We’ve struggled a little bit in our previous meetings with being able to hit against Beccari. We spent some time this week making some adjustments. The girls were ready, they had excitement and they came out and hit today,” Fors said.
The Wolfpack tallied six extra-base hits in the contest. Mackenzie Brester-Knight finished 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles and freshman Alivia Atlee belted a two-run home run in the second inning, a no-doubter over the right-center field fence. She finished with four RBIs.
In the circle, Williams was grooving, striking out 10 batters and scattering three hits in five innings.
But the Bravettes battled.
Flathead (2-17, 1-11) also had a new face batting lead-off and it looked to pay off from the opening at-bat. Shortstop Kylee Meredith drove Williams’ 3-2 pitch to the right-center field gap for a stand-up double to start the bottom of the first for Flathead.
“A lot of girls can be afraid of that lead-off spot, but we talked to Kylee before hand and she was really confident being put in that spot,” Bravettes coach Tasia Gates said.
Meredith reached third base on a sac bunt by Becca Knutson, but the Wolfpack ace was unfazed, striking out the next two batters to escape the frame without conceding a run.
The Bravettes got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Relief pitcher Knutson sent a drive to left field, which hopped over the fence for a ground-rule double. Two batters later, center fielder Kaitlin Torgerson bounced a base hit between first and second base, scoring Knutson to avoid the shut out.
“I though we looked better at the plate. We looked better all around,” Gates said. “At the plate, the girls looked more confident than last time out. I think that reflects a lot of growth on our end. Defensively, the girls are learning and they’re getting smarter so it’s good to see.”
A long layoff awaits the Wolfpack while the rest of the state battles their way to the Garden City. Flathead won’t know its state play-in opponent until the conference schedule is concluded on Saturday.
Glacier 622 40 — 14 12 0
Flathead 000 10 — 1 4 7
Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. Kylee Beccari, Becca Knutson (3) and Abbie O’Brien. W — Williams. L — Beccari.
GLACIER — Williams 2-2, Kayla Russell 0-3, Erin McHugh 1-2, Kayleena Ikeda 1-3, Alivia Atlee 2-4, Mackenzie Brester-Knight 3-3, Connolly 1-4, Christina DuFour 0-3, Katie Wiley 2-3.
FLATHEAD — Kylee Meredith 1-3, Knutson 1-2, Kaycee Smith 0-2, O’Brien 0-2, Kaitlin Torgerson 1-2, Grace Cady 1-2, Mikaila Jorgenson 0-2, Beccari 0-2, Dana VanLuven 0-2.
2B — McHugh, Brester-Knight 2, Wiley; Meredith, Knutson. HR — Williams 2, Atlee. RBIs — Williams 3, McHugh, Atlee 4, Connolly, Wiley; Torgerson.