Bravette softball drops pair to Helena schools
Flathead's Reese Conley (17) connects on a two-run home run to right field in the first inning against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's MacKenzie Brandt (8) connects on a triple into right field in the first inning against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead second baseman Brynn Mailman (30) fields a ground ball for an out at first against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Laynee Vessar (12) connects on a double to right field in the first inning against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead centerfielder MacKenzie Brandt (8) makes a running catch off a line drive in the fourth inning against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead starting pitcher Ava Besson (16) delivers in the first inning against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead shortstop Kaidyn Lake (10) readies a throw across the diamond against Helena at Kidsports Complex on Saturday, April 15. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead Bravettes got their offense going early, but the Helena schools outscored them in the end while winning their Western AA softball matchups Saturday.
Sophomore Reese Conley hit a two-run home for Flathead (2-5 overall, 1-4 in league) in its first game against Helena High; then the Bengals scored the rest of the runs in a 15-2 win.
Ashley Koenig hit two doubles and Kendall Klemp doubled and drove in three runs for the Bengals, who also got a homer from Kylee Gardipee.
Faith Howard fanned 10 in six innings for Helena on the hill.
In the second game Flathead trailed 5-4 after one inning, 6-5 after two but then the Bruins ran away to a 16-7 victory.
Capital rapped out 15 hits and took advantage of eight Bravette errors to score eight unearned runs.
Conley had another strong game, going 4-for-4. Ava Besson, Conley, Sawyer VanCampben and Brynn Mailman — hitters 6 through 9 in the order — scored six runs between them.
Flathead’s next action is Thursday, against Glacier at 5 p.m. at KidSport.
Helena 032 244 - 15 13 3
Flathead 200 000 - 2 4 3 8
Faith Howard and Kendall Klemp. Ava Besson, Lacie Franklin (5) and Laynee Vessar.
HELENA — Campbell 1-3, Madi Lamping 1-1, Ashley Koening 2-5, Maloree English 1-5, Kendall Klemp 2-3, Richardson 1-4, Kailey May 1-4, Kylee Gardipee 2-4, Howard 3-4, Kelleigh McKay 1-2.
FLATHEAD — M McIlhargey 0-2, Mackenzie Brandt 1-3, Ellie Eve 0-2, Kaidyn Lake 0-3, Vessar 1-2, Besson 0-3, Reese Conley 1-1, Franklin 0-3, S VanCampen 1-3.
2B — Koening 2, Klemp, Vessar. 3B — May, Brandt. HR — Gardipee, Conley. RBIs — Klemp 3, Campbell 2, Koenig 2, English 2, Howard 2, Gardipee, May, Conley 2..
Capital 510 333 1 - 16 15 2
Flathead 410 002 0 - 7 13
Kathryn Emmert, Belle Glowacki (4) and
CAPITAL — Paige O’Mara 3-4, Cecily Blaz 1-4, Ali Miller 1-3, Nyeala Herndon 0-1, Kate Drynan 0-1, Taylor Sayers 3-5, Riley Chandler 0-1, Anna Cockhill 2-6, Emmert 2-5, Glwoacki 3-5, Kate Rhods 0-1, Jolee Burgoyne 1-4, Taylor Lay 0-2, Erin Hirschi 0-0, Audrey Williard 1-1.
FLATHEAD — McIlhargey 1-3, Lake 0-4, Brandt 2-4, Eve 1-4, Vessar 0-4, Besson 2-3, Conley 4-4, VanCamplen 2-4, Brynn Mailman 1-3.
2B — Sayers 2, Blaz, Emmert, Glowacki, Willard, Mailman. HR — Cockhill 2. RBIs — Sayers 4, Colckhill 3, Emmert 2, O’Mara, Miller, Glowacki, Burgoyne, VanCampen 2, McIlhargey, Brandt, Eve, Besson, Conley.
