State softball: Glacier to play for AA crown
MISSOULA — The Ali Williams show strikes again.
The junior pitcher shut out the Missoula Big Sky Eagles, striking out 12 batters in a 2-0 victory at the Class AA state softball tournament at the Fort Missoula Softball Complex on Friday to send the Wolfpack into the championship game.
In need of run support during a scoreless tie, Williams took matters into her own hands. Her two-run home run in the fifth inning was all Glacier would need to reach its first softball title game in school history.
While Williams allowed just two hits in seven innings of work, counterpart Macey Newberry scattered three hits in the contest.
Erin McHugh and Kayla Russell also had hits for Glacier.
The Wolfpack beat Billings West 10-7 earlier in the day to reach the semifinals and will take on the winner of Big Sky and West today at noon. Regardless of the winner between the Eagles and Golden Bears, Glacier is one win away from the state championship and will need to be beaten twice to surrender the title.
Semifinals
Big Sky 000 000 0 — 0 2 1
Glacier 000 020 0 — 2 3 0
Newbary and Johnson. Williams and Connolly. W – Williams. L – Newbary
GLACIER – Ali Williams 1-3, Kayla Russell 1-3, Erin McHugh 1-2, Kayleena Ikeda 0-3, Mackenzie Brester-Knight 0-2, Anna Schrade 0-2, Alivia Atlee 0-1, Christine Connolly 0-2, Christina Dufour 0-2.
BIG SKY – Macey Newbary 0-3, Kiley Snow 0-3, Morgan Johnson 0-2, Jaime Schafer 2-3, Kendall Mooney 0-3, Kendall Rauk 0-3, Chelsea Todd 0-2, Quincy Preston 0-0, Frankie Schwenk 0-1.
HR – Williams. RBIs – Williams 2.
Glacier 10, Billings West 7
Box score not available
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Class AA State Softball Tournament
Missoula
Friday’s Scores
Quarterfinals
Glacier 10, Billings West 7
Big Sky 6, C.M. Russell 5
Semifinals
Glacier 2, Big Sky 0
Fourth Place
Billings West 8, Great Falls 4
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Today’s Games
Third Palce
10 a.m. — Big Sky vs. Billings West
Championship
Game 1
Noon — Big Sky/West winner vs. Glacier
Game 2
2 p.m. — Big Sky/West winner vs. Glacier, if necessary
Class A
ANACONDA — Splitting the regular season series, the Polson Lady Pirates and Libby Loggers squared off in a rubber match game.
Polson, having dropped a championship bracket quarterfinal contest to Frenchtown 3-0 earlier in the day, met Libby in the third round of the consolation bracket.
It was the Loggers third game of the day as they defeated Livingston, 3-0, and host Anaconda 10-5 to come within two victories of guaranteeing a top-four finish.
It was Polson, however, who would come away with the victory, squeaking past Libby 5-4.
The Lady Pirates tied the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth inning before taking the lead for good with three more runs in the fifth.
Polson’s Taylor Brackey finished 3 for 4 against the Loggers, and teammate Haley Fyant was 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Libby’s Devon Gallagher went 2 for 4 with a home run.
Polson takes on Hamilton today at 9 a.m. with the winner advancing to the third-place game with a chance to reach the state finals.
Friday’s Scores
Championship Bracket
Frenchtown 3, Polson 0
Belgrade 11, Hamilton 2
Consolation Bracket
Libby 3, Park 0
Anaconda 2, Miles City 1
Butte Central 6, Laurel 2
Billings Central 6, Havre 2
Libby 10, Anaconda 5
Butte Central 4, Billings Central 2
Polson 5, Libby 4
Hamilton 9, Butte Central 5
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Libby 100 110 1 — 4 10 1
Polson 000 230 x — 5 8 3
Camas Renault, Haley Fyant (7) and Sarah Rausch. Hannah England and Devon Gallagher. W - Renault. L - England.
LIBBY - Madisen Monigold 3-4, Mahalah Wedel 0-4, Abby Ennenga 1-4, Gallagher 2-4, Dayln Germany 0-4, Rachel Rebo 0-4, Staci Regh 0-3, Auria Benefield 2-3, England 2-3.
POLSON - Jaiden Toth 0-4, Kaelen Wall 1-4, Taylor Brackey 3-4, Rausch 0-3, Lydia Dupuis 0-2, Kaelyn Smith 0-3, Fyant 2-3, Hannah Fryberger 1-1, Skyla Krantz 1-3.
HR - Gallagher. RBIs - Gallagher 2, Ennenga, Monigold; Fyant 3, Krantz.
Polson 000 000 0 — 0 1 1
Frenchtown 000 300 x — 3 6 1
Camas Renault, Haley Fyant (5) and Sarah Rausch. Morgan Ray and Brooke Yarnall. W – Ray. L – Renault.
POLSON – Jaiden Toth 1-3, Kaelen Wall 0-2, Taylor Brackey 0-3, Rausch 0-3, Lydia Dupuis 0-3, Kaelyn Smith 0-3, Fyant 0-2, Hannah Fryberger 0-1, Skyla Krantz 0-2.
FRENCHTOWN – Emma Pyron 0-3, Yarnall 0-3, Ray 2-2, Krista Hebnes 2-3, Haley Cyr 1-3, Shelby Shourds 1-3, Laci Willett 0-2, Megan Delaney 0-2, Taylor Rockwood 0-2.
2B – Hebnes. RBIs – Hebnes.
Libby 121 015 0 — 10 10 2
Anaconda 000 410 0 – 5 7 5
Hannah England, Khalyn Hageness (3) and Devon Gallagher. Michael Cortright and Hanna Schaefer. W – Hageness. L – Cortright.
LIBBY – Madisen Monigold 1-4, Mahalah Wedel 2-5, Abby Ennenga 2-4, Gallagher 1-5, Dayln Germany 1-3, Rachel Rebo 1-4, Staci Regh 1-2, Jordan Turner 0-4, England 1-3.
ANACONDA – Lacee Moodry 0-3, Randee Jo Johnson 1-4, Schaefer 1-3, Kassandra Flores 1-3, Cortright 0-3, Shea Forsberg 1-4, Andi Mavrinac 1-3, Shelbie Roche 1-3, Kristy Hayden 1-2.
2B – Wedel, Regh. RBIs – Monigold, Wedel 2, Gallagher, Germany, Regh, Moodry, Johnson 2, Roche.
Livingston 000 000 0 — 0 2 1
Libby 000 003 x — 3 5 3
Sierra Higgs and Cassidy Versland. Hannah England and Devon Gallagher. W — England. L — Higgs.
LIVINGSTON — Meghan Gibson 1-2, Emily Cornell 0-3, Versland 0-3, Shyann Mushrush 0-3, Breanna Murphy 0-3, Carson Ooley 0-3, Paige Gavne 1-3, Micaela Murphy 0-3.
LIBBY — Madisen Monigold 0-3, Mahalah Wedel 2-3, Abby Ennenga 0-3, Dayln Germany 1-3, Rachel Rebo 1-2, Staci Regh 1-2, Jordan Turner 0-2, England 0-2.
HR — Gallagher. 2B — Germany. RBI — Gallagher 3.
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Today’s Games
Undefeated Semifinals
9 a.m. — Frenchtown vs. Belgrade
Consolation Semifinals
9 a.m. — Polson vs. Hamilton
Consolation Finals
11 a.m. — Polson/Hamilton winner vs. Frenchtown/Belgrade loser
Championship
1 p.m. — Frenchtown vs. consolation finals winner
3 p.m. — Championship Game 2, if necessary
Class B-C State Softball
At Belgrade
Friday’s Games
Championship quarterfinals
Conrad 7, Ronan 3
St. Ignatius 13, Florence-Carlton 7
Semifinals
Conrad 7, St. Ignatius 1
Loser-out
Great Falls Central 14, Plains 10
Glasgow 8, Sheperd 6, 8 inn.
Florence-Carlton 11, Great Falls Central 7
Ronan 10, Glasgow 5
4th Place
Ronan 9, Florence-Carlton 5
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Today’s Games
3rd place
11 a.m. — St. Ignatius vs Ronan
Championship
Game 1
1 p.m. — St. Ignatius/Ronan winner vs Conrad
Game 2
3 p.m. — St. Ignatius/Ronan winner vs Conrad, if necessary