Wolfpack clinches division with crosstown win
Glacier's Halle Schroeder steals third base ahead of the tag by Flathead shortstop Riley Chouinard after a fake bunt in the bottom of the first inning at Glacier High School. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead pitcher Ilyssa Centner works in the second inning against Glacier at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Addie Labrum rips an RBI single in the bottom of the third against Flathead at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier pitcher Sage Vanterpool pitches in the second inning against Flathead at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Kenna Vanorny scores on a sacrifice fly by Addie Labrum in the bottom of the first against Flathead at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead shortstop Riley Chouinard holds her throw to first after Glacier's Allee Meyer legged out an infield single in the bottom of the third at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier pitcher Sage Vanterpool works in the third inning against Flathead at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead pitcher Ilyssa Centner works in the second inning against Glacier at Glacier High School on Thursday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Daily Inter Lake
Glacier Wolfpack softball clinched the Western AA Division title with its 11th straight win, beating the Flathead Bravettes 13-3 at Glacier High School on Thursday.
“I was just truly pleased with the girls performance and hitting through the lineup,” Glacier coach Abby Connolly said.
“A great pattern and trend to take to the postseason. Good to have that confidence building up to it.”
Connolly said the last time Glacier was at the top of its division was 2015, when it claimed the state title.
“It was pretty cool for these girls to watch that because they were 7th and 8th graders and now they get to be part of that tradition,” Connolly said.
Glacier (16-3 overall, 10-2 conference) scored its 13 runs on eight hits.
Megan Eckert doubled, had one hit and one RBI.
“It’s telling that on different days we’ve had different players step up,” Connolly said.
Kynzie Mohl homered in the fourth inning, where Glacier scored four runs.
“Kynzie Mohl has really stepped up, at the plate and taken a larger role pitching,” Connolly said.
When Mohl isn’t in the pitching rotation, she’s the Wolfpack’s starting catcher.
“Not easy to do,” Connolly said.
Mohl also had two RBI and hit 1 for 2 at the plate.
Sage Vanterpool pitched five innings, with nine strikeouts. She also doubled.
“Sage continues to pitch harder and better every game,” Connolly said.
Sammie Labrum hit 2 for 3 at the plate. Addie Labrum had two RBI.
Allee Meyer doubled and had one RBI
Connolly praised Meyer’s “quiet leadership.”
Sydney Olson and Maddie Engle combined for Flathead’s two total hits.
Engle also homered and had two RBI.
Illysa Centner, who pitched six games in seven days last week, again took the mound for Flathead (2-15, 2-10).
Up next for Glacier and Flathead is the Western AA Divisional tournament in Missoula May 16-17. State play follows May 23-25 in Butte.
Flathead 100 20 — 3 2 1
Glacier 324 04 — 13 8 1
W — Sage Vanterpool and Kynzie Mohl.
L — Illysa Centner and Sydney Olson.
FLATHEAD — Macy Craver 0-2, Olson 1-2, Riley Chouinard 0-3, Centner 0-2, Nevaeh Lacroix 0-1, Brianna Morales 0-1, Kayla Kallis 0-2, Lexi Longtin 0-2, Maddie Engle 1-2, Jaden Rush 0-1.
GLACIER — Sammie Labrum 2-3, Halle Schroeder 1-2, Kira Barney 0-0, Mohl 1-2, Allee Meyer 1-2, Kenna Vanorny 0-1, Vanterpool 1-1, Megan Eckert 1-1, Addie Labrum 0-2, Sophie Smith 0-2, Jennifer Wallace 1-3.
2B — Meyer, Eckert, Vanterpool; HR — Engle; Mohl; RBI — Morales, Engle (2); Schroeder, Mohl (2), Meyer, Eckert, A. Labrum (2), Wallace.