Wolfpack earns berth in AA softball title game
HELENA — Ella Farrell threw a six-inning one-hitter, drove in two runs and the white-hot Glacier Wolfpack advanced to the State AA softball championship with a 10-0 win over Helena Friday.
Farrell’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first inning gave Glacier (19-2) the only run the Wolfpack — and she — needed, although three more walks and a passed ball made it 4-0 before the inning ended.
Helena (18-4) replaced starting pitcher Rylie Schlepp with ace Faith Howard, but the damage was done.
In other action, Flathead bowed out of the tournament with a 12-4 loss to defending champion Billings Senior, which later lost out to Missoula Big Sky.
Glacier is in the championship for the first time since 2016, and the second time since winning the 2015 AA title. And the Pack made it in convincing fashion, beating Missoula Sentinel 9-5 earlier Friday and then 10-running the Bengals.
Glacier 10, Helena 0
For good measure Glacier piled on six more runs, though just one was earned, against Howard.
Emma Cooke hit an RBI single in the fifth inning; Kenadie Goudette hit a solo homer and Morgan Vivian had a two-run single in a fourth-run sixth.
The game ended after six innings. Goudette and Nakiah Persinger scored three times each and Cazz Rankosky crossed the plate twice for Glacier, which avenged one of its two losses this season.
Farrell struck out six and allowed just one walk. She threw just 78 pitches.
Howard fanned nine in five innings of work for the Bengals, who can do no worse than third. They’ll play Sentinel for another chance at the Pack on Saturday at noon. The Spartans beat Big Sky 17-13 in the loser-takes-fourth game late Friday.
Glacier 400 024 - 10 9 1
Helena 000 000 - 0 1 3
Ella Farrell and Cazz Rankosky. Rylie Schlepp, Faith Howard (2) and Kendall Klemp.
GLACIER — Kenadie Goudette 3-4, Nakiah Persinger 1-3, Cazz Rankosky 0-3, Emma cooke 2-4, Farrell 2-3, Zoey Allen 0-3, Morgan Vivian 1-3, Bella Hodous 0-0, Avery Anderson 0-2, Paishance Haller 0-1, Brooklyn Imperato 0-3, Daytona Shuman 0-0.
HELENA — Maloree English 0-3, Ashley Koenig 0-3, Ken.Klemp 1-2, Brooke Richardson 0-2, Kalley May 0-2, Makenna Campbell 0-2, Kylee Gardipee 0-2, Madi Lamping 0-2, Kamryn Klemp 0-1, Howard 0-0.
2B — Goudette. HR — Goudette. RBIs — Vivian 3, Farewell 2, Anderson, Goudette, Cooke.
Glacier 9, Sentinel 5
The Pack erased an early 2-0 deficit with six runs in the second inning — scoring five runs after two were out.
Avery Anderson and Kenadie Goudette drew bases-loaded walks to tie the game at 2-2, and after Nakiah Persinger hit an RBI single Rankosky cleared the bases with a triple for a 6-2 lead.
The Spartans closed the gap to 6-5, getting an RBI double from Morgan Olson and a 2-run homer from Haley Sellers in the fourth inning. But Glacier got some breathing room with a run in the fourth inning (Goudette walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch) and two more in the fifth, on RBI groundouts by Paishance Haller and Goudette scored Zoey Allen and Bella Hodous.
Farrell threw a complete game, allowing five hits and two walks. She fanned nine.
Sentinel 200 300 0 - 5 5 0
Glacier 060 120 x - 9 7 0
Jayden Gagner, Rylee Crane (2), Charlie Hoover (5) and Morgan Olson. Farrell and Rankosky.
MISSOULA SENTINEL C Gagner 0-4, Haley Wolsky 0-3, Stella Summerfield 1-2, Emma Reis 1-3, Hoover 0-3, Kennedy Dypwick 1-3, Morgan Olson 1-3, Haley Sellers 1-3, Crane 0-1, Samoury 0-1, Wright 0-0, Thorson 0-0.
GLACIER — Goudette 0-2, Persinger 1-4, Rankosky 1-3, Cooke 0-2, Farrell 2-4, Allen 2-3, Vivian 1-3, Hodous 0-0, Anderson 0-1, Haller 0-1, Imperato 0-2, Schuman 0-0.
2B — Olson. 3B — Rankosky. HR — Ries, Sellers. RBIs — Reis 2, Sellers 2, Olson, Rankosky 3, Goudette 2, Persinger, Anderson, Haller.
Senior 12, Flathead 4
The Bravettes’ first State AA appearance since 2007 ended at the hands of the Senior Broncs, who got home runs from Octavia Meyer, Viannah Meyer and Riley Tryan.
Broncs starting pitcher Reinhardt struck out 13 in six innings, allowing five hits — including Mackenzie Brandt’s 2-run home run in the fifth inning — and two walks.
Ava Besson added an RBI double in the seventh for Flathead. Macee McIlhargey had a double among her two hits for the Bravettes, who ended up 5-16.
Flathead 001 020 1 - 4 8 5
Senior 232 410 x - 12 9 2
Lacie Franklin, Macee McIlhargey (2) and Laynee Vessar. Riley Reinhart, Riley Tryan (7) and Octavia Meyer.
FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 1-4, Ava Besson 2-4, Sawyer VanCampen 0-3, Vessar 1-4, McIlhargey 2-4, Kaidyn Lake 1-4, Ellie Eve 0-3, Kinzey Lake 1-1, Brynn Mailman 0-2, Franklin 0-1.
BILLINGS SENIOR — Viennah Meyer 2-4, Isabella Dillon 0-3, Madi Ban 0-3, O.Meyer 2-4, Portia Bryant 1-3, Tryan 1-4, Viannca Martin 2-3, Kendal Sides 0-4, Lilah Chapel 1-3.
2B — Ki. Lake, Vessar, Besson, McIlhargey, Chapel, Bryant, Martin. HR — Brandt, O.Meyer, V.Meyer, Tryan. RBIs — Brandt 2, Vessar, V.Meyer 3, Bryant 2, Tryan 2, Chapel 2, O.Meyer.
State AA Tournament
Helena
Friday
Game 9: Big Sky 22, Capital 9, loser out
Game 10: Billings Senior 12, Flathead 4, loser out (5-15) vs. Billings Senior (12-7), 9 a.m., loser out
Game 11: CMR 11, Belgrade 4, loser out
Game 12: Great Falls 11, Bozeman 5, loser out
Game 13: Glacier 9, Sentinel 5
Game 14: Helena 2, Billings West 1
Game 15: Big Sky 7, Billings Senior 4, loser out
Game 16: Great Falls 12, CMR 11, loser out
Game 17: Big Sky 20, Billings West 15, loser out
Game 18: Sentinel 10, Great Falls 3
Game 19: Glacier 10, Helena 0, semifinal
Game 20: Sentinel 17, Big Sky 13, loser is fourth
Saturday
Game 21: Helena (18-4) vs. Sentinel (17-7), 10 a.m., loser is third
Game 22: Glacier (19-2) vs. Winner 21, noon, championship
Game 23: If necessary, 2 p.m.