SOFTBALL: Bravettes battered in sweep
<p>Flathead's Kylee Meredith is tagged out by Missoula Big Sky's Morgan Johnson as she slides into home during the bottom of the second inning of the Bravettes' 12-0 loss at Gene Boyle Field on Tuesday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
With injuries starting to heal and the lineup back at full strength, Flathead’s offense found its groove in the second game of a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader and put up seven runs on 11 hits.
Unfortunately for the Bravettes, the rest of the game is still a work in progress.
Flathead dropped a pair of Western AA conference home games at Boyle Field at the Conrad Complex, falling 12-0 in five innings to Missoula Big Sky, then 15-7 to Missoula Sentinel in the nightcap.
The two Missoula schools combined for 28 hits and only a three-run Flathead fifth against the Spartans prevented both games from being called early due to the 10-run rule.
“We have some improving to do and some work to do,” Flathead coach Tasia Gates said. “I saw moments of what I want to see from them but we’ve just got to be more consistent with it.”
Flathead’s best flashes came late in the second game. Sentinel raced in front 9-0 after just an inning and a half, but the Bravettes would outscore the Spartans from there.
Sophomore Bailey Nunn keyed a four-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the second with a two-run triple. The Bravettes got three more in the fifth, including a two-run double off the bat of fellow sophomore Kaileight Denna.
Flathead (0-5, 0-2 Western AA) was also boosted by the return of Rebecca Knutson. The junior came on to pitch in relief in both games and, after allowing three runs in the third against Sentinel, limited the Spartans to one earned run in the final four innings.
“She kind of came in when she wasn’t ready, so it took her awhile to get in the groove but I thought she pitched well,” Gates said.
Knutson fired eight total innings on the day and batted third in the lineup, although she went 0-for-6.
“It’s good to have her back, really good,” Gates said of Knutson. “She’s been out a solid week of practice so she’s got some catching up to do.
“She’s a fighter. I love her mentality so I’m really happy to have her back.”
Freshman Riley Chouinard collected three hits in the two games to lead the Bravettes offensively. Abbie O’Brien, Dana VanLuven and Nunn added two hits against the Spartans.
The top three hitters in the Sentinel order — Brittany Delridge, Kayla Daily and Brooklyn Weisgram — all had three hits and combined to score 10 runs.
In the first game, Flathead was limited to just two singles by Big Sky’s Kendall Rauk. The Eagles pushed nine runs across in the third inning to break a scoreless tie and got home runs from Jamie Schafer, Morgan Johnson and Chelsea Todd in the victory.
Flathead returns to the diamond Saturday with games at Helena High and Helena Capital at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.
Big Sky 009 21 — 12 12 0
Flathead 000 00 — 0 2 1
Kendall Rauk and Morgan Johnson (MBS). Kylee Beccari, Rebecca Knutson (3) and Jayden Russell (FLT). WP — Rauk. LP — Beccari.
BIG SKY — Macey Newbary 2-2, Julia Riekena 0-1, Brylee Meisinger 1-4, Johnson 2-4, Jamie Schafer 1-3, Kendall Mooney 1-3, Rauk 0-2, Chelsea Todd 3-3, Kylie Snow 1-2, Melissa Hiniker 0-0, Quincy Preston 1-3.
FLATHEAD — Russell 0-2, Abbie O’Brien 0-1, Knutson 0-2, Kylee Meredith 1-2, Maitlynn Betts 0-1, Riley Chouinard 1-1, Kaileight Denna 0-2, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Dana VanLuven 0-1, Bailey Nunn 0-1, Beccari 0-0.
2B — Johnson, Preston (MBS). 3B — Newbary (MBS). HR — Johnson, Schafer, Todd (MBS). RBIs — Schafer 3, Todd 3, Newbary, Meisinger, Johnson, Snow, Preston (MBS).
Sentinel 364 100 1 — 15 16 2
Flathead 040 030 0 — 7 11 4
Amber Hickethier and Taylor Holmes (SEN). Kylee Beccari, Rebecca Knutson (2) and Jayden Russell (FLT). WP — Hickethier. LP — Beccari (0-3).
SENTINEL — Brittany Delridge 3-5, Kayla Daily 3-5, Brooklyn Weisgram 3-5, Hickethier 0-4, Taylor Brinkman 2-2, Emily Earl 1-2, Holmes 2-5, Chrissy Hartman 0-5, Halle Nurse 0-3, Serina Breum 0-1, Mariel Warren 2-3.
FLATHEAD — Russell 1-4, Abbie O’Brien 2-4, Knutson 0-4, Kylee Meredith 1-4, Riley Chouinard 2-4, Kaileight 1-4, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-4, Dana VanLuven 2-3, Bailey Nunn 2-3, Beccari 0-0.
2B — Daily 2, Brinkman (SEN); O’Brien, Denna (FLT). 3B — Nunn (FLT). HR — Holmes (SEN). RBIs — Brinkman 3, Daily 2, Weisgram 2, Holmes 2, Hickethier (SEN); Denna 2, Nunn 2, Russell, Meredith, VanLuven (FLT).