Glacier powers way to first Class AA softball title
MISSOULA — The Glacier Wolfpack went out with a bang — a couple, actually.
With two home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Wolfpack took down Missoula Big Sky 6-3 on Saturday at the Class AA state softball tournament to win their first fastpitch title in school history.
Glacier senior Kayleena Ikeda hit a solo home run to break a 3-3 tie, and three batters later, junior Christine Connolly launched a two-run homer to left field, propelling the Wolfpack’s three-run inning on the way to the championship.
“This is something that every program works towards. When you start the season, you set your sights on the state tournament and hope to have the opportunity to play in the championship game,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said.
“With such a great group of girls, we talked a lot of about our goals and what we wanted to do as a team and as a program. For them to make some history and have an opportunity to set the bar even higher for future teams to come, that was huge.”
It was a back-and-forth contest that didn’t skimp on the dramatics.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Glacier responded with two runs in the bottom half of that inning.
Big Sky tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth before the Glacier home runs.
Down to their final at-bats, the Eagles’ Frankie Schwenk sent a deep drive to right field in the top of the seventh. Glacier right fielder Christina DuFour had it tracked off the bat, robbing Schwenk of a home run by making the catch while falling over the right-field fence.
From there, Glacier pitcher Ali Williams retired the side for the trophy.
“I think it lived up to its billing. In a state champion game against a great opponent, it was definitely back and forth,” Fors said. “Our girls dug in. They wanted an opportunity to win this. They knew they’d have to earn it and they did just that.”
Williams finished with seven strikeouts in the circle for the Wolfpack.
Counterpart Macey Newbary, of Big Sky, struck out five. She hit a home run and a double, finishing with a 4 for 4 effort at the plate.
Ikeda was 2 for 3 for the Wolfpack, who went 4-0 at the state tournament to finish the season with a 22-3 record — the most wins in program history.
Big Sky 100 002 0 — 3 6 3
Glacier 200 103 x — 6 5 1
Macey Newbary and Morgan Johnson. Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. W – Williams. L – Newbary.
BIG SKY – Macey Newbary 4-4, Kiley Snow 1-4, Morgan Johnson 0-3, Jaime Schafer 0-1, Kendall Mooney 0-3, Kendall Rauk 1-3, Kennedy Baum 0-2, Frankie Schwenk 0-3, Natalie Schwab 0-1.
GLACIER – Ali Williams 0-2, Kayla Russell 1-3, Erin McHugh 0-3, Kayleena Ikeda 2-3, Mackenzie Brester-Knight 1-3, Alivia Atlee 0-3, Christine Connolly 1-3, Christina Dufour 0-3, Katie Wiley 0-2
2B – Newbary. 3B – Brester-Knight. HR – Newbary; Ikeda, Connolly. RBIs – Newbary, Rauk, Snow; Atlee, Ikeda Connolly 2.
Late Friday box
Glacier 10, Billings West 7
Glacier 001 303 3 — 10 13 0
Billings West 004 000 3 — 7 7 1
Ali Williams and Christine Connolly; Lexi Mayhood and Kylee Koch. WP: Williams. LP: Mayhood.
GLACIER — Ali Williams 2-3, Kayla Russell 2-5, Erin McHugh 2-4, Kayleena Ikeda 1-4, Mackenzie Brester-Knight 1-3, Anna Schrade 2-4, Christine Connolly 1-3m Christina Dufour 1-3, Serra Monroe 1-4. 2B: Russell, McHugh, Schrade, Connolly. HR: Monroe, Williams 2. RBIs: Williams 2, Russell 2, Connolly 2, Monroe 2
WEST — Lexi Mayhood 1-3, Cody Rogers 1-4, Mackenzie Mayhood 3-4, Kendyl Boltz 1-4, Erin Watterud 0-3, Kylee Koch 0-2, Meghan Dahlquist 0-2, Bailey Scott 0-1, Ashley Davis 1-2, Kelly Brotzel 0-2, Ashley Costello 0-1. 2B: M. Mayhood. HR: M. Mayhood, Boltz. RBIs: Rogers, M. Mayhood 2, Boltz 3.
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Class AA State Softball Tournament
Missoula
Saturday’s Scores
3rd Place
Missoula Big Sky 6, Billings West 1
Championship
Glacier 6, Missoula Big Sky 3
Class A
ANACONDA — The Polson Lady Pirates fell to Belgrade 13-7 after defeating Hamilton 8-7 on Saturday at the Class A state softball tournament, taking home the third-place trophy.
Polson trailed the Hamilton Broncs, 7-2 in the first game of the day, heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lady Pirates scored four runs in the inning and added two more in the seventh for the walk-off victory.
Hannah Fryberger finished 3 for 4 with a double against Hamilton.
The victory put Polson in the third-place match against Belgrade with the winner moving on to the title contest against Frenchtown.
Despite a six-run fourth inning, the Lady Pirates couldn’t complete another comeback as the Panthers scored in six out of seven inning for the win.
Haley Fyant was 2 for 3 against the Panthers with an RBI.
“They were feeling really good about it,” Polson coach Larry Smith said of the third-place finish.
“It was one of those seasons. It was a tough one, but they scratched and fought for everything. At least they come home with some hardware and some memories.”
Belgrade lost 11-1 to Frenchtown, who won its third straight state championship.
Belgrade 302 322 1 — 13 18 3
Polson 001 600 0 — 7 9 1
Judy Taylor, Shania Neubauer and Kindall Bethke. Camas Renault, Haley Fyant (4) and Sarah Rausch. W – Taylor. L – Renault.
BELGRADE – Skyla Neubauer 4-4, Taylor 1-4, Jordan Branch 3-5, Hanna Goulet 2-4, Bethke 2-5, Ty Atwood 2-5, Sh. Neubauer 1-4, Jennie Maczewski 1-1, Nicole Schlatedetsch 0-2, Madison Cade 2-3.
POLSON – Jaiden Toth 1-4, Kaelen Wall 1-4, Taylor Brackey 1-4, Sarah Rausch 2-3, Lydia Dupuis 0-4, Kaelyn Smith 1-3, Ashley Benson 0-1, Haley Fyant 2-3, Hannah Fryberger 0-2, Skyla Krantz 1-3.
2B – Branch 2, Bethke, Sk. Neubauer, Cade. 3B – Atwood.
HR – Atwood. RBIs – Toth, Wall, Smith, Fyant, Atwood 5, Branch 3, Sk. Neubauer 2, Sh. Neubauer 2, Bethke.
Hamilton 023 110 0 — 7 7 1
Polson 100 014 2 — 8 0 3
Sky Lopez, Hayley Hudgins (6) and Rachael Ringer. Camas Renault, Haley Fyant (3) and Sarah Rausch. W – Fyant. L – Hudgins.
HAMILTON – Caitlin Dillon 0-2, McKayl Rothie 2-4, Taylor Goligoski 2-4, Tayler Reynolds 1-4, Ringer 1-4, Lauren Dolcater 0-2, Shaylan Mohn 1-2, Lacey Dolcater 0-3, Kloie Nye 0-3.
POLSON – Jaiden Toth 1-4, Kaelen Wall 0-3, Taylor Brackey 1-4, Rausch 1-2, Lydia Dupuis 1-1, Kaelyn Smith 1-3, Fyant 0-4, Hannah Fryberger 3-4, Skyla Krantz 2-4.
2B – Goligoski, Reynolds, Ringer, Fryberger. 3B – Mohn. HR – Goligoski. RBIs – Goligoski 3, Mohn, Rausch, Dupuis.
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Class A State Softball Tournament
Anaconda
Saturday’s Scores
Loser-out
Polson 8, Hamilton 7
Third-place
Belgrade 13, Polson 7
Championship
Frenchtown 11, Belgrade 1
Class B-C State Softball Tournament
Belgrade
Saturday’s Scores
Third-place
Ronan 13, St. Ignatius 1
Championship
Conrad 12, Ronan 2