Farrell helps Glacier to crosstown sweep

The Glacier Wolfpack didn’t have all its usual suspects for a conference crosstown softball game with Flathead Tuesday, so somebody had to come up large.

Enter freshman Ella Farrell, who struck out 15 Bravettes while throwing a two-hitter and also delivered a 2-run, seventh-inning double in the Pack’s 4-0 win at Kidsports.

The win moved Glacier to 4-1 in Western AA games, and a second nonconference game went Farrell and Glacier’s way as well, 8-7. Farrell got the win in relief in that one. The Pack is 8-1 overall.

“Ella did a great job for us on the mound,” Glacier coach Abby Connolly said. “To put a freshman in a cross-town game — her first crosstown game — she really came through for us.”

Both Flathead hits in the first game came from Alyssa Cadwalader: A fourth-inning grounder that crawled up the first-base line, and a solid single through the middle in the seventh.

After that second hit Farrell retired the next three Bravettes via strikeout, foul out and strikeout.

The freshman said she knew she was pitching Tuesday, then added: “And kind of yesterday, because Kynzie (Mohl) is hurt. … I was ready. I want to pitch.”

Mohl is dealing with a leg issue that kept her from pitching or catching in Helena over the weekend.

She couldn’t do either Tuesday, either, but she could hit: She came up in the seventh and roped a pinch-hit double through the left-center gap.

It was a certain RBI until the ball went under the fence. Farrell was up next and she hit a double (Glacier’s third of the inning; Sammie Labrum led off with one) to make it 4-0.

“I just knew that I had to hit,” Farrell said. “I know that I’ve been kind of in a slump, so it was good to hit it.”

Avery Anderson singled and scored on Labrum’s hit in the second inning for Glacier, and Labrum scored in the seventh on Halle Schroeder’s base hit.

Ilyssa Centner was the tough-luck loser for Flathead. Through six innings she’d allowed just one run though she gave up four hits and put seven hitters on either by walk or hit by pitch. Centner struck out six.

Farrell, who was a tough-luck loser against Helena High Saturday, threw well.

“That was the first time we held a team scoreless all season,” said Connolly. “For her, personally, to come off giving up a walk-off home run against Helena High and come back and hold that team to two hits? Great dominating performance.”

In the second game Farrell came in after Flathead (1-7, 1-4 in league) batted around on Glacier pitcher Kenadie Goudette in the second inning.

Cadwalader had a double off the fence in that frame, in which several Bravettes refused to make the third out.

Flathead led 7-0 after scoring twice in the fourth, but Glacier worked back, getting 2-run home runs from Farrell and Anderson in the sixth to close to 7-6.

In the seventh Labrum, Goudette and Teagan Powell went double, double and single to push the Pack ahead, 8-7.

Farrell went 5.1 innings, allowing two hits and two runs. She struck out eight. Goudette also tripled in the game. The Bravettes couldn’t hold on.

“We played much better,” Flathead coach Jack Foster said of his squad. “We played good defense and Ilyssa pitched pretty well. We had a chance. They’re starting to get confidence in themselves. We just need to get over the hump and take the next step.

“I’m proud of the girls. Hopefully we can build on this.”

The next action for Glacier is Thursday at Missoula Hellgate; Flathead heads to Butte for a doubleheader at Butte.

First game

Glacier 010 000 3 — 4 9 0

Flathead 000 000 0 — 0 0 2

Ella Farrell and Halle Schroeder. Ilyssa Centner and Laynee Vesser.

GLACIER — Kenna Vanorny 0-1, Sammie Labrum 2-2, Schroeder 2-4, Kenadie Goudette 1-3, Emma Cooke 0-3, Alli Kernan 0-3, Kynzie Mohl 1-1, Farrell 1-4, Teagan Powell 0-3, Avery Anderson 2-2, Avalone Viau 0-1.

FLATHEAD — Macy Craver 0-3, Alyssa Cadwalader 2-3, Centner 0-3, Karissa Comer 0-3, Brianna Morales 0-3, Kaidyn Lake 0-2, Vesser 0-2, Alyssa Poe-Hatten 0-2, Ellie Eve 0-2.

2B - Labrum, Mohl, Farrell. RBIs - Farrell 2, Labrum, Schroeder.

Second game

Glacier 000 024 2 — 8 12 2

Flathead 050 200 0 — 7 7 1

Goudette, Farrell (2) and Schroeder. Comer, Centner (7) and Vesser.

GLACIER — Vanorny 2-3, Schroeder 0-4, Labvrum 1-4, Goudette 2-3, Kernan 0-1, Farrell 3-4, Cooke 0-4, Powell 1-2, Z. Allen 1-1, Viau 1-4, Anderson 1-3.

FLATHEAD — Craver 1-4, Cadwalader 2-3, Centner 0-3, Comer 1-3, Morales 0-3, Lake 0-3, Vesser 1-3, Poe-Hatten 0-4, Eve 1-3.

2B - Viau, Labrum, Goudette, Cadwalader. 3B - Goudette. HR - Anderson, Farrell. RBIs - Craver, Cadwalader, Comer, Eve.