Flathead softball bows out of Western AA divisional

HELENA — The Flathead Bravettes had some big hits and big rallies Tuesday, before Helena closed the door on their season with a 19-9 win in Western AA softball loser-out action.

Flathead (6-16) went 1-2 at the divisional tournament, falling 18-7 to Helena Capital and then rallying past Missoula Big Sky, 12-11.

Helena (13-10) nailed down a spot at the next week’s State AA tournament, at the KidSport Complex in Kalispell. The Bengals play crosstown rival Capital Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. in the consolation game.

Helena 19, Flathead 9

Flathead cut a 9-0 gap to 9-6 in the third, but the Bengals’ bats remained hot.

Brooke Richardson hit a 2-run homer in the fifth, a solo shot in the sixth and had seven RBIs for Helena. Her second homer started a 4-run surge that ended the game under the mercy rule.

Karissa Comer homered for Flathead, a 3-run shot in the second. Brianna Morales had a 2-run double in the third and came around on another double by Kaidyn Lake.

Flathead 033 003 - 9 10 5

Helena 903 304 - 19 20 3

Karissa Comer, Gracie Morton (1), L Leimkuhler (6) and Laynee Vesser. Maloree English, Faith Manibusan (3), Rylie Schlepp (5) and Amber Countryman.

FLATHEAD — Macy Craver 2-4, Vesser 0-2, Alyssa Cadwalader 0-3, Ilyssa Centner 3-4, Brianna Morales 1-4, Ellie Eve 0-0, Comer 1-3, Kaidyn Lake 1-3, Gracie Morton 0-2, Leimkeuhler 0-1, Alyssa Poe-Hatten 2-3.

HELENA — Countryman 2-5, Reegan Walsh 0-5, Brooke Ark 4-5, Brooke Richardson 5-5, Alyssa Koenig 3-4, Manibusan 0-2, Kylee Wetzel 2-5, Ashlyn Lamping 2-4, Cassie Smith 0-1, English 2-4, Makenna Campbell 0-0.

2B — Poe-Hatten, Morales, Craver, Lake, Ark, Wetzel, English, Richardson. 3B — Countryman. HR — Comer, Richardson 2, Koenig. RBI — Comer 3, Morales 2, Cadwalader, Centner, Lake, Richardson 7, Koenig 4, Arke 3, Wetzel 2, Lamping 2.

Flathead 12, Big Sky 11

Ilyssa Centner’s 2-run home run in the sixth came in the midst of 10 straight runs for the Bravettes, who turned an 8-2 deficit into a 12-8 lead.

Big Sky hit two solo homers in its half of the sixth and closed to 12-11, then loaded the bases with none out in the seventh. The Eagles didn’t score: they hit into a force at home, then a grounder to the pitcher that — after the hitter was called safe at first — turned into double play when the runner on second tried to score and was caught in a run-down.

Flathead 112 216 0 - 12 17 3

Big Sky 440 003 0 - 11 16 3

Centner, Comer (2) and Vesser. Rogers and Hood.

FLATHEAD — Craver 0-3, Vesser 4-5, Cadwalader 3-5, Centner 4-5, Morales 0-2, Comer 0-3, Lake 3-3, Kyrah Farrington 1-4, Poe-Hatten 2-4.

BIG SKY — Whitmire 2-5, Baack 3-5, Hood 3-5, M. Hewitt 2-4, McPhillips 0-2, B. Hewitt 1-4, Nei 2-4, Rogers 1-3, Schaffer 2-4.

2B — Lake, Vesser, Whitmire, Hood. 3B — Baack. HR — Centner, M. Hewitt. RBI — Centner 3, Lake 2, Farrington 2, Cadwalader 2, Poe-Hatten, Baack 2, Hood 2, M.Hewitt 2, Nei 2, BHewitt.

Capital 18, Flathead 7

Laynee Vesser’s 2-run home run gave the Bravettes the lead in the top of the first, but Capital answered with Anna Cockhill’s solo shot in the bottom of the first — and kept the homers coming.

Amanda Nettleton’s 3-run homer gave the Bruins the lead for good, 5-2, and Cockhill added an RBI single for the inning ending to make it 6-2.

Jenna Priddy and Addy Gaub added solo shots in the second for the Bruins, and their lead eventually grew to 13-3 in the third.

Flathead scored four times in the top of the fifth to avoid the mercy rule; Capital answered with five in the sixth to close out the game.

Flathead 201 040 - 7 5 1

Capital 634 005 - 18 19 5

Comer, Morton (4) and Vesser. Nettleton, Herndon (5) and Sayers.

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

HELENA CAPITAL — Cockhill 2-2, Kent 1-5, Priddy 3-5, Sayers 4-5, Emmert 2-4, Nettleton 2-3, O’Mara 1-1, Herndon 1-3, Siegers 1-4, Moore 0-0, McNew 2-4, Rhodes 0-1, Solan 0-0, Glowacki 0-0.

2B — Comer, Emmert, Priddy. HR — Vesser, Cockhill, Herndon, Nettleton, Priddy. RBI — Vesser 2, Morales, Comer, Lake, Nettleton 5, Emmert 4, Cockhill 2, Priddy 2, McNew 2, Herndon, O’Mara, Sayers.