SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Helena Capital ends Flathead's season in playoff sweep
HELENA — Flathead softball battled Helena Capital to a draw for five innings before the wheels fell off on a wet Saturday in the Western AA playoffs.
Capital swept a series that oscillated between a pair of rain-soaked fields and included a brief delay as Mother Nature refused to agree with the games. Already postponed from Friday, the fields took water overnight and were in rough shape by the time play arrived Saturday morning.
Each team had trouble controlling the ball in the early innings as Capital took a 4-2 lead after the first.
Flathead fought back to bring the score to 5-5 in the fourth inning and trailed just 6-5 entering the bottom of the sixth, when Capital exploded for eight runs to end the game early with a 14-4 win.
The Bruins scored 11 runs in the first inning of the second game and kept adding runs, piling up 17 hits, to end the series with an 18-4 win in five innings.
Kaileigh Denna was 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles in the first game and Abbie O’Brien had two hits in the contests and a home run. Kylee Beccari was 2 for 2 from the plate in the final game with a homer and a pair of RBIs.
Flathead finished the season with a 6-16 record, the most wins the Bravettes have posted since 2013.
Game 1
Capital 14, Flathead 4 (6)
Flathead 201 100 — 4 7 2
Capital 401 018 — 14 13 3
Becarri, Knutson (1), Betts (6) and Denna. Martin and Priddy. WP – Martin (11-6). LP – Becarri.
Flathead – O’Brien 1-3, Nunn 1-4, VanLuven 2-4, Meredith 0-3, Knutson 1-3, Liebeg 0-0, Denna 2-3, Chouinard 0-2, Morrison 0-3, Betts 0-2. Totals 7-27.
Capital – Kamrin Roslin 0-1, Nicole Ames 1-1, Madi Quick 1-3, Taylor Mathews 1-3, Shelby Martin 1-4, Amber Brown 0-0, Jaley Priddy 2-4, Emily Hill 2-4, Caroline Rosling 2-3 Toree Rensmon 1-3, Rena Belcourt 2-4. Totals 13-30.
2B – Denna 2, Knutson, Priddy, Mathews, Hill, C. Rosling, Ames. HR – Belcourt, Priddy, C. Rosling. RBIs – Denna, Knutson 2, Belcourt 2, Rensmon, Priddy 2, Mathews 2, Martin, Hill, C. Rosling.
Game 2
Capital 18, Flathead 4 (5)
Capital (11)10 24 — 18 17 2
Flathead 101 20 — 4 5 1
Rensmon, Ames (5) and Belcourt. Knutson, Becarri (1) and Denna. WP – Rensmon (4-4). LP – Knutson.
Capital – Kamrin Rosling 4-4, Madi Quick 2-3, Jade Turner 0-1, Taylor Mathews 1-3, Amber Brown 0-2, Shelby Martin 2-3, Toree Rensmon 0-0, Jaley Priddy 2-3, Morgan Rehm 0-1, Emily Hill 1-3, Madi McMahon 1-1, Caroline Rosling 2-3, April Davis 0-1, Nicole Ames 0-2, Shaina Silvonen 1-1, Rena Belcourt 1-3. Totals 17-34.
Flathead – O’Brien 1-3, Nunn 1-3, Torgerson 0-3, Meredith 0-3, Knutson 1-3, Denna 0-2, Chouinard 0-2, Becarri 2-2, Liebeg 0-0, Betts 0-1. Totals 5-22.
2B – K. Rosling, Martin. HR – Priddy Martin, Hill, O’Brien, Becarri. RBIs – K. Rosling 4, Belcourt, Priddy 2, Quick 2, Davis, Martin 5, Hill, McMahon, O’Brien, Becarri 2.
Ronan wins Western B/C
ANACONDA — Ronan came back from five runs down to win the Western B/C divisional tournament.
The Maidens, who relied on big run rallies to win their first two games, scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of the championship game to top host Anaconda 9-8 on Saturday.
With two outs in the inning and a pair of runners on base, the Maidens’ Jordyn Clairmont hit a triple to tie the game and scored the winning run in the next at bat on a passed ball to win the championship.
Ronan had beaten Anaconda earlier in the day in more conventional style. The Maidens scored in every inning, piling up 18 hits and 14 runs to beat the Copperheads 14-10.
Libby was eliminated early in the morning in a loser-out game against Plains.
The Loggers took a 11-9 lead into the final inning of play, but fell apart, giving up nine runs to the Trotters. Libby got three back in the bottom of the frame, but it wasn’t enough to come back as Loggers lost 18-14.
Florence beat Missoula Loyola in a loser-out game to open the day, then Plains in the fourth place game. The Trotters will be the fourth seed from the West.
Anaconda beat the Falcons 13-8 in a third place game to move back into the championship with Ronan, leaving Florence as the third seed.
Western B/C Divisional
Championship
Anaconda 412 010 0 – 8 9 2
Ronan 111 000 6 – 9 12 4
Michaela Cortright and Hannah Schaefer. Carston Rhine, Gabby Wirz (5) and Sadie Wirz. W – G Wirz. L – Cortright.
ANACONDA– Erin Chapman 1-4, Sydnie Peterson 0-5, Hannah Schaefer 1-3, Andi Mavrinac 1-3, Shea Forsberg 2-3, Randee Jo Johnson 0-2, Kassandra Flores 1-4, Michaela Cortright 0-3, Johannah Forsberg 1-4.
RONAN – Kaitlyn Sassaman 3-4, G. Wirz 1-4, Carston Rhine 2-4, Amanda Morency 2-4, Kiana Brown 0-4, Sadie Wirz 1-4, Jordyn Clairmont 1-3, Shailee Courville 0-2, Courtnee Clairmont 1-2.
2B – Kassandra Flores. 3B – G. Wirz, Jordyn Clairmont. RBIs – Erin Chapman 2, Cortright, Randee Jo Johnson, Shea Forsberg, Clairmont 2, Rhine 2, Kaitlyn Sassaman, S. Wirz.
Third place
Anaconda 112 153 0 – 13 17 5
Florence 131 001 2 – 8 13 2
Andi Mavrinac and Hannah Schaefer. Shannon Byrne, Sarah Schurg (3), Brooklyn Little (5), Schurg (5), Byrne (5) and Chloe Arthur, Little (5). W – Mavrinac. L – Little.
ANACONDA – Erin Chapman 3-5, Sydnie Peterson 1-4, Schaefer 2-4, Michaela Cortright 1-4, Shea Forsberg 1-4, Randee Jo Johnson 3-5, Kassandra Flores 2-4, Mavrinac 3-5, Johannah Forsberg 1-3.
FLORENCE – Natalie Drozdz 2-4, Byrne 1-3, Natalie Dulac 1-3, Arthur 1-2, Rilee Mangun 0-1, Shay Waldbillig 0-3, Brooklyn Little 0-2, Sarah Schurg 1-3, Kali Leibenguth 1-2, Jewel Zeiler 0-2, Destini Greer 0-2.
2B – Peterson, Schaefer, Johnson 2, Flores; Drozdz, Schurg. 3B – Chapman; Leibenguth. RBIs – Chapman, Peterson 3, Schaefer, Johnson, Flores, Mavrinac, J. Forsberg 2; Drozdz 2, Byrne, Dulac, Waldbillig, Schurg.
Fourth place
Florence 246 02 – 14 13 0
Plains 100 01 – 2 6 2
Shay Waldbillig and Chloe Arthur. Jessica Thompson, Kassidy Kinzie (3) and Kenzie Angle. W – Waldbillig. L – Thompson.
FLORENCE – Natalie Drozdz 3-5, Shannon Byrne 1-3, Natalie Dulac 2-3, Arthur 1-3, Waldbillig 3-4, Brooklyn Little 0-2, Kali Leibenguth 0-1, Sarah Schurg 2-4, Destini Greer 1-3.
PLAINS-HOT SPRINGS – Diana Woodward 1-3, Danika Whitcomb 2-3, Kassidy Kinzie 0-3, J. Thompson 1-3, Hailey Coe 0-1, Kirsten Josephson 0-2, Keelie Crabb 0-2, Kenzie Angle 0-2, Karley Lawson 2-2.
2B – Dulac, Waldbillig, Schurg. 3B – Byrne Dulac, Arthur; Lawson. RBIs – Drozdz 3, Byrne, Dulac 3, Arthur, Waldbillig 2, Schurg, Greerg; Whitcomb.
Semifinal
Anaconda 010 612 0 – 10 10 3
Ronan 123 242 x – 14 18 5
Andi Mavrinac, Michaela Cortright (2) and Hanna Schaefer. Carston Rhine, Gabby Wirz (5) and Sadie Wirz. W – G. Wirz. L – Cortright.
ANACONDA – Erin Chapman 1-4, Sydnie Peterson 0-5, Schaefer 1-2, Cortright 2-4, Shea Forsberg 1-5, Randee Jo Johnson 0-3, Kassandra Flores 2-4, Mavrinac 1-4, Johanna Forsberg 2-4.
RONAN – Kaitlyn Sassamn 4-5, G. Wirz 3-5, Rhine 0-5, Amanda Morency 2-5, Kiana Brown 2-4, S. Wirz 2-5, Jordyn Clairmont 3-3, Shailee Courville 2-2, Courtnee Clairmont 0-3.
2B – Cortright; Morency. 3B – J. Clairmont. HR – Flores. RBIs – Chapman, S. Forsberg, Flores 2, J. Forsberg; Sassaman, G. Wirz 2, Rhine, Morency, Brown 2, Clairmont 2, Courville 3.
Loser out
Loyola 101 300 1 – 6 9 4
Florence 001 061 x – 8 8 2
Hannah Hirning and Carly Tipp. Sarah Schurg, Shannon Byrne (4), Shay Waldbillig (5) and Chloe Arthur. W – Waldbillig. L – Hirning.
LOYOLA SACRED HEART – Maggie Miltko 0-4, Hirning 3-4, Joslynn Haran 0-1, Natalie Goodman 1-3, MJ Jackson 0-4, Tipp 2-4, Josie Anderson 1-2, Molly Miltko 1-4, Stephanie Radcliff 0-0, Ivvy Solomon 1-4, Sydney Sandefur 0-1.
FLORENCE – Natalie Drozdz 0-3, Byrne 1-1, Natalie Dulac 1-4, Arthur 1-3, Waldbillig 2-4, Brooklyn Little 1-2, Kali Leibenguth 0-2, Schurg 1-3, Destini Greer 1-3.
2B – Tipp 2; Schurg. RBIs – Hirning 2, Goodman, Solomon; Arthur 2, Waldbillig 2, Little, Schurg.
Plains 013 041 9 – 18 15 7
Libby 106 202 3 – 14 16 6
Kassidy Kinzie, Jessica Thompson (4) and Natalee Deschamps. Khalyn Hageness, Lindsey Walker (7) and Sammee Bradeen. W – Walker. L – Thompson.?PLAINS-HOT SPRINGS – Diana Woodward 1-4, Danika Whitcomb 1-4, Kinzie 2-4, Thompson 3-5, Hailey Coe 3-6, Kristen Josephson 1-4, Keelie Crabb 2-5, Deschamps 1-4, Kenzie Angle 0-0, Karly Lawson 1-5.
LIBBY – Madisen Monigold 2-4, Hageness 1-4, Ashley Walker 2-4, Jordan Turner 3-5, Alyssa Marshall 2-5, Haylee Cannon 2-5, L. Walker 2-5, Bradeen 1-4, Emily Carvey 0-0, Taryn Luscher 1-3.
2B – Kinzie, Coe, Lawson; Monigold, Turner, Cannon, Marshall, L. Walker. HR – Thompson; Hageness. RBIs – Whitcomb 2, Kinzie 2, Thompson 3, Coe 2, Crabb, Lawson; Hageness, A. Walker, Turner 2, Marshall 2, Cannon 2, L. Walker 2, Luscher.
Frenchtown blanks Whitefish
WHITEFISH — Frenchtown scored 13 runs in the first inning to blow away Whitefish in the final game of the regular season for both teams.
Frenchtown was led by Meg Delaney with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate with her double, home run and five RBIs. The Broncs had 12 hits and held Whitefish to four hits.
Frenchtown, the three-time defending state champions, will advance to this weekend’s state tournament as the top seed from the Northwest, clinching a 5-1 record in conference with the win over Whitefish. Columbia Falls is the second seed and Polson the third.
Frenchtown (13)00 33 – 19 12 0
Whitefish 000 00 – 0 4 2
Laci Willett, Meg Delaney (3) and Brooke Yarnall, Allie Hochhalter (3), Dana Jacobs (5). Jordan Stetten and Baileigh Krause. W – Willett. L – Stetten. S – Delaney.
FRENCHTOWN – Meg Delaney 3-4, Kylie Willett 0-0, Alli Moe 1-3, Morgan Snow 0-1, Brooke Yarnall 1-2, Kira Oliver 0-2, Shelby Shourds 2-2, Kyla Schuldheisz 1-1, Laci Willett 2-2, Brynn Leishman 1-2, Dana Jacobs 0-0, Lexi Statelen 0-2, Allie Hochhalter 0-2, Taylor Rockwood 1-2, Carly Thompson 0-1, Jordan Cole 0-1, Calli Bagnell 0-2.
WHITEFISH – Jordan Sletten 0-2, Michaela McDowell 0-2, McKenzie Carl 1-3, Baileigh Krause 0-2, Abby Carson 1-2, Abby Reese 0-2, Isabelle Klempel 1-2, Abbey Nelson 0-2, Lily Stedman 1-2.
2B – Delaney. HR – Delaney, Shourds. RBIs – Delaney 5, Shourds 3, Hochhalter 2, Yarnall 2, Moe, Oliver, Schuldheisz, L. Willett, Leishman, Rockwood, Cole.