SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Big Sky edges Glacier in marquee diamond rematch
MISSOULA — Big Sky senior Macey Newbary picked up just the third hit of the day for her team, hitting in teammate Natalie Schwab in the bottom of the sixth inning to edge Glacier 1-0 in a Western AA softball game on Thursday.
The run proved the only one needed in a pitching duel between the two powerhouse programs. Big Sky’s Kaylee Rosenbaum threw a complete game, three-hit shutout in the win to counter a three-hit pitching performance from Glacier’s Ali Williams.
Glacier won the first meeting of the season, a rematch of last season’s Class AA title game, 7-1 with Williams tossing 17 strikeouts.
“We felt like we had a lot of opportunities (against Big Sky),” Glacier coach Andy Fors said.
“We stranded nine baserunners and so to go seven innings with nine baserunners on and not be able to come up with a run that was kind of frustrating. We didn’t hit the ball real well. Credit to Big Sky and credit to their pitcher for keeping us off balance, but we have to be able to make sure that we don’t miss those opportunities.
“I think part of it is just coming up with that timely hit. In those situations, when we have runners in scoring position, we need to have more of a sense of urgency at the plate and take advantage when we can. I think we have to find a way to capitalize on those baserunners.”
Glacier rebounded with a 5-0 win over Sentinel in its nightcap, picking up eight hits in the win. Williams allowed only one hit against the Spartans.
Alivia Atlee led the Wolfpack from the plate, going 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs in the win. Atlee also had one of three hits for the Pack in the loss to Big Sky.
Glacier 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
Big Sky 000 001 X – 1 3 0
W – Kaylee Rosenbaum. L – Ali Williams.
GLACIER – Ali Williams 0-3, Christina DuFour 1-4, Erin McHugh 0-3, Alivia Atlee 1-2, Sarah Stern 0-0, Anna Schrade 0-2, Christine Connolly 0-2, Serra Monroe 0-3, Emma Shew 1-1, Meg Hornby 0-2.
BIG SKY – Macey Newbary 1-2, Kendall Mooney 0-2, Morgan Johnson 1-3, Jamie Schafer 0-3, Kendall Rauk 0-2, Kiley Snow 0-2, Quincy Preston 0-2, Frankie Schwenk 1-2, Natalie Schwab 0-2.
RBIs – Newbary.
Glacier 103 100 0 – 5 8 0
Sentinel 000 000 0 – 0 1 3
Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. Amber Hickethier and Taylor Holmes. W – Williams. L – Hickethier.
GLACIER – Williams 1-2, Christina DuFour 1-4, Erin McHugh 1-3, Alivia Atlee 2-3, Anna Schrade 1-4, Connolly 1-4, Emma Shew 0-4, Sarah Stern 0-2, Sarah Frandsen 1-1, Meg Hornby 0-4, Serra Monroe 0-0.
SENTINEL – Brittany Delridge 0-3, Holmes 1-3, Brooklyn Weisgram 0-3, Hickethier 0-3, Taylor Brinkman 0-2, Kayla Daily 0-2, Mariel Warren 0-2, Halle Nurse 0-2, McKenna Liechty 0-2.
2B – Schrade, Atlee 2; Holmes. RBIs – McHugh, Atlee 2, Schrade 2.
Flathead 7, Sentinel 6 | Big Sky 11, Flathead 0
MISSOULA — Missoula Big Sky cooled off the streaking Flathead Bravettes, rolling to an easy victory in the second game of Western AA play.
Flathead slipped by Missoula Sentinel in the first outing for its fourth-straight victory.
Sentinel scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to make it close.
Bailey Nunn, 2 for 4, drove in three runs for Flathead. She doubled once.
Kylee Beccari, 1 for 4, had a double and Abbie O’Brien, 2 for 4, doubled twice for Flathead.
The Bravettes totaled 10 hits.
Big Sky’s Macey Newbary, however, held Flathead to three singles.
Flathead 101 130 1 – 7 10 4
Sentinel 001 110 3 – 6 11 1
Kylee Beccari, K. Devera (5) and Jayden Russell. Taylor Brinkman, Amber Hickethier (4) and Taylor Holmes. W – Beccari. L – Brinkman.
FLATHEAD – Russell 0-3, Abbie O’Brien 2-4, B. Knutson 0-2, K. Devera 0-1, Kylee Meredith 1-3, Kaileigh Denna 1-4, Kaitlyn Torgerson 2-4, Bailey Nunn 2-4, Riley Chouinard 1-3, Beccari 1-4.
SENTINEL – Brittany Delridge 2-4, Holmes 1-4, Brooklyn Weisgram 1-4, Hickethier 0-4, Brinkman 2-3, Kayla Dialy 2-4, Mariel Warren 2-3, Halle Nurse 0-3, Serina Breum 1-4, Emily Earl 0-0.
2B – Nunn, Beccari, O’Brien 2, Torgerson. HR – Brinkman. RBIs – Meredith, Torgerson, Nunn 3, Beccari; Brinkman, Warren, Nurse, Bruem.
Flathead 000 00 – 0 3 1
Big Sky 203 06 – 11 8 1
Kylee Beccari, Becca Knutson (5). Macey Newbary. W – Newbary. L – Beccari.
FLATHEAD – Jayden Russell 1-3, Abbie O’Brien 0-2, Becca Knutson 0-2, Kylee Meredith 1-2, Kaitlin Torgerson 0-2, Kaileight Denna 0-2, Bailey Nunn 0-2, Riley Chovinard 0-2, Kylee Beccari 1-2.
BIG SKY – Macey Newbary 0-3, Kendall Mooney 0-1, Melissa Hiniker 0-0, Morgan Johnson 3-3, Jamie Schafer 3-3, Kendall Rauk 0-3, Kiley Snow 0-2, Chelsea Todd 1-3, Quincy Preston 0-2, Kaylee Rosenbaum 0-1, Frankie Schwenk 1-2.
2B – Schafer, Schwenk, Johnson. 3B – Meredith. HR – Schafer, Johnson 2. RBIs – Schafer 3, Todd, Schwenk 2, Johnson 5.