Glacier cruises, Flathead falls at State AA
HELENA — Ella Farrell hit a first-inning homer, then completed a two-hit shutout Thursday, leading Glacier over Missoula Big Sky 7-0 at the State AA softball tournament.
Catcher Cazz Rankosky added a two-run homer for the Wolfpack (17-2), which advanced to a Friday winner’s bracket game with Missoula Sentinel (15-6), at 1 p.m.
In other action Thursday, Great Falls beat Flathead 12-2 in six innings.
Rankosky’s shot made it 5-0, Glacier, in the fifth inning; Farrell gave herself all the runs she needed with a two-run homer in the first that made it 3-0.
Farrell allowed four walks along with the two hits, and struck out 11 Eagles.
“Ella was dominant in the circle,” Glacier coach Abby Snipes said. “To come out in the state tournament against a team we’ve already played twice and hold them to two hits is impressive.
“Our hitters also backed her up with some huge hits.”
Rankosky added an RBI single in the seventh, when the Wolfpack scored two unearned runs. Kenadie Goudette came in on a passed ball in the first inning, ahead of Farrell’s homer; she scored twice.
Big Sky was coming off a 15-5 first-round win over Belgrade in which the Eagles — getting a three-run homer from Delaney Laird — put up 10 runs in the first inning.
Sentinel won twice Friday, beating Bozeman 10-5 and Billings Senior 17-3. Against Senior, Emma Ries went 5-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs and Morgan Olson hit two home runs.
The Spartans narrowly lost both its regular-season games with the Pack, 15-14 and 8-7.
Big Sky 000 000 0 - 0 2 2
Glacier 300 022 x - 7 8 1
Liberty Rogers and Grace Hood. Ella Farrell and Cazz Rankosky.
MISSOULA BIG SKY — Kyler Latrielle 0-4, Hood 1-3, Delaney Laird 0-2, Brenna Hewitt 0-2, Myleigh Kukay 0-1, Logan Baack 0-0, Brooke Schaffer 0-3, Jordan Whitmire 0-3, Sadie McGuinn 1-3, Irene Griswold 0-3.
GLACIER — Kenadie Goudette 1-3, Nakiah Persinger 1-3, Rankosky 2-4, Emma Cooke 1-2, Farrell 1-2, Zoey Allen 0-3, Morgan Vivian 2-3, Avery Andrson 0-2, Brooklyn Imperato 0-2, Paishance Haller 0-1, Daytona Schuman 0-0.
2B — Persinger. HR — Rankosky, Farrell. RBIs — Rankosky 3, Farrell 2, Goudette.
Great Falls 12, Flathead 2
The Flathead Bravettes couldn’t recapture the magic of May 16, when they pinned a 3-1 loss on the Bison. Great Falls went up 5-1 after two innings and ended the game in six innings under the mercy rule.
Alex Bloomgren and Ashlyn Jones each homered and drove in three runs for the Bison.
Flathead had solo home runs by Macee McIlhargey and Mackenzie Brandt. Brandy had two of the Bravettes’ five hits.
“We didn’t play bad at all,” Flathead coach Jack Foster said. “They just hit it real well.
“We just need to bounce back tomorrow. We were pretty nervous to start the game, but we will be ready (Friday).”
Flathead (5-15) has a loser-out game with Billings Senor (12-7) at 9 a.m.
Flathead 011 000 - 2 5 1
Great Falls 320 304 - 12 12 0
Lacie Franklin, Ava Besson (5) and Laynee Vessar. Tehneson Ehnes, Kinslee Reeves (5) and Mackenzie Noble.
FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 2-3, Besson 0-3, Sawyer VanCampen 0-2, Kaidyn Lake 0-3, Vessar 0-3, Macee McIlhargey 2-2, K Lake 0-2, Ellie Eve 0-2, Brynn Mailman 0-2.
GREAT FALLS — Alex Bloomgren 3-3, Ashley Jones 2-4, Ehnes 2-3, Reeves 0-0, Ella Galloway 1-3, Dyna Timboe 0-1, Aletta Hagen 0-1, Mackenna Medina 1-3, Madison Davis 1-1, Dani Senger 0-3, Noble 1-2, Isabella Saunders 1-3.
2B — Vessar, Davis, Jones, Bloomgren. HR — McIlhargey, Brandt, Jones, Bloomgren. RBIs — McIlhargey, Brandt, Bloomgren 3, Jones 3, Hens, Reeves, Medina, Davis.