Franklin tosses gem, Bravettes shut out Knights
Flathead pitcher Lacie Franklin (21) delivers in the first inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead third baseman Ellie Eve (9) charges a grounder but holds on to the throw in the fifth inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Ava Besson (16) scores Mackenzie Brandt from third with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Sawyer VanCampen (24) drives in a run in the third inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Mackenzie Brandt (8) rips a triple down the line in the fourth inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Kaidyn Lake (10) is brought home by Macey McIlhargey (3) in the first inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Macey McIlhargey (3) drives in two runs in the first inning against Missoula Hellgate at Kidsports on Thursday, May 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Lacie Franklin tossed a complete game shutout to lead the Flathead Bravettes to a 4-0 victory over Western AA foe Missoula Hellgate Thursday at KidSport.
Franklin struck out 10 while allowing one hit and racking up four 1-2-3 innings.
Flathead coach Jack Foster was enthusiastic about Franklin’s play in recent weeks.
“Lacie pitched a heck of a game, she’s come a long way…last two or three games she’s really come on and pitched really well and we played good defense behind her,” Foster said.
Mackenzie Brandt was a force at the plate, going 3-for-4 and coming around to score twice.
Offensively, the Bravettes wasted no time by getting on the board in the bottom of the first thanks to some small ball. Flathead used three walks, a fielder's choice and an error to bring home two runs and go up 2-0.
That was all Franklin would need, but the Bravettes followed up their strong first with a solid second that saw Brandt line a single to left field then steal second base and come around to score on a Sawyer VanCampen infield single with two outs.
Franklin strung together perfect innings in the third and fourth then struck out the side in the fifth.
Flathead’s final run of the day came in the fourth inning after Brandt ripped a grounder down the third baseline for a triple. With two balls and one strike, Ava Besson executed a sacrifice bunt to perfection that drove in Brandt bringing the score to 4-0. Besson also drew three walks.
Maddie Petrino pitched the complete game for the Knights and allowed two earned runs on six hits and six walks. She struck out four.
It was senior night for the Bravettes, who honored their lone senior Ellie Eve.
“Nice win for senior night for Ellie,” Foster said.
Hellgate 00 0 000 0 — 0
Flathead 210 100 X — 4
Maddy Petrino and Ella Lambert. Lacie Franklin and Laynee Vessar.
HELLGATE — Kaylie Moe 0-3, Petrino 0-3, Lambert 0-3, Keira Babbit 0-3, Olivia Schubert 0-2, Piper Wells 0-3, Nat Blaney 1-3, Haley Anderson 0-3, Amelia Richmond 0-1.
FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 3-4, Ava Besson 0-0, Sawyer VanCampen 2-4, Kaidyn Lake 0-3,Vessar 0-2, M. Mcilhargey 1-2, Ellie Eve 0-3, Kinsey Lake 0-3, Brynn Mailman 0-3.
