SOFTBALL: Columbia Falls, Polson both fall at Class A tournament
BELGRADE — Columbia Falls scored 21 runs in a wild opening round win at the Class A state tournament at the Belgrade Softball Fields on Thursday but couldn’t scratch across a single tally in a second round loss, sending the Wildkats to the consolation bracket alongside Northwestern A rival Polson.
The ‘Kats led 17-6 after four innings but had to withstand a late rally to beat Corvallis 21-11 in their first game of the day. The Blue Devils scored five times in the fifth to pull within six runs before Columbia Falls walked off with a win by scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth.
Peyton Kehr went 3 for 3 with two home runs, Jewels Laycock and Samantha Collins also went deep, and Lottie Ellis and KJ Schweikert had three hits in the win.
Columbia Falls met Central A champion Belgrade in round two, where the Wildkats were held in check by Shania Neubauer, who allowed only four hits. Belgrade scored three times each in the fourth and fifth innings to pull away.
The Wildkats will tangle with Miles City at noon today in an elimination game.
Polson hung with Hamilton in round one before a seven-run fifth inning gave the Broncs a 12-2 win. Hannah Fryberger went 2 for 2 with a home run in a losing effort. Laurel Bitterman and Ashley Benson added two hits apiece.
The Pirates meet Havre in a loser-out contest at noon today.
Class A state tournament
At Belgrade Softball Fields
Round Two
Belgrade 8, Columbia Falls 0
C. Falls 000 000 0 — 0 4 0
Belgrade 011 330 x — 8 11 2
KJ Schweikert and Samantha Collins. Shania Neubauer and Kindall Bethke. W — Neubauer (9-1). L — Schweikert.
COLUMBIA FALLS (15-8) — Katie Price 1-3, Peyton Kehr 0-2, Collins 0-3, Lottie Ellis 1-3 (2B), Schweikert 0-3, Sydney Hovde 1-3, Hannah Freeman 1-3, Taylor Putnam 0-2, Morgan Cambell-Queen 0-2.
BELGRADE (18-1) — Skyla Neubauer 2-4, Judy Taylor 0-3, Jordan Branch 0-2, Ty Atwood 1-1 (2B), Bethke 3-3, Shania Neubauer 1-3, Kalista Pachl 0-2, Shaina Krone 2-3 (2B), Anna Cox 2-3.
Round One
Columbia Falls 21, Corvallis 11
Corvallis 111 350 — 11 8 2
C. Falls 418 404 — 21 21 5
Kayla Fields, Taia Tully (6) and Tully, n/a. KJ Schweikert, Taylor Putnam (3), and Samantha Collins. W — Schweikert. L — Fields.
CORVALLIS (13-7) — Nicole Turner 0-3, Tully 2-3 (2B, HR), Kambrey Powell 1-2, Hannah Capko 1-3, Hannah Brown 0-4, Kiley Mullen 0-2, Megan Bradshaw 1-2, Kira Doyle 1-3, Bobbi Stephen 2-4, Kayla Fields 0-3.
COLUMBIA FALLS (16-7) — Katie Price 2-3 (2B), Peyton Kehr 3-3 (2HR), Jewels Laycock 2-2 (HR), Collins 3-5 (HR), Lottie Ellis 3-4 (2B), Sydney Hovde 1-5, Schweikert 3-5, Hannah Freeman 1-3, Morgan Campbell-Queen 1-3, Kaylee Ashe 0-1, Putnam 2-4.
Hamilton 12, Polson 2
Polson 100 10 — 2 8 3
Hamilton 005 07 — 12 17 1
Camas Renault, Haley Fyant (3), Renault (3) and Kelsie Meis. Jorden Taggart and Ashley Benson. W — Taggart. L — Renault.
POLSON (13-9) — Kaelyn Smith 0-3, Laurel Bitterman 2-3, Benson 2-3 (2B), Lydia Dupuis 1-3, Hannah Potter 0-3, Quinn Motichka 0-1, Hannah Fryberger 2-2 (HR), Makayla Croft 0-1, Renault 1-2.
HAMILTON (13-8) — Kloie Doyle 3-4 (2B, HR), Caitlin Dillon 1-3 (3B), Rachael Ringer 3-4 (2B, HR), Mallory McGill 3-4 (HR), Meis 1-3, Rachel Richardson 3-3 (HR), Tessa Della Silva 1-2, Brooke Huxtable 1-3, Sophia Doyle 1-3.