Farrell pitches Glacier past Flathead
With the wind at her back Ella Farrell threw a two-hit complete game shutout for Glacier against crosstown rival Flathead Thursday, in a 7-0 Wolfpack win.
Farrell finished the day with eight strikeouts and just three walks, she didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning. The Wolfpack moved to 17-3 on the season, and 12-2 in Western AA games..
“It was just a great game, everyone performed well,” Farrell said. “My team played defense so well, I don’t think we made an error. I am really proud of how they played, even with the wind.”
After a scoreless first, Glacier took the lead in the top of the second on a Kenadie Goudette RBI ground ball to Reese Conley at short with the bases loaded. After that it was a defensive duel until the seventh when Glacier sealed the game with six runs..
“We need to try out a few different things with small ball,” Wolfpack head coach Abby Snipes said. “They just showed their discipline in practice and worked really hard for a good team win.”
Following the second, neither team put a runner on base until Flathead’s Laynee Vessar drew a walk in the fifth inning. She advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Nyman and a ground out from Sawyer VanCampen, but was stranded after Farrell struck out Lacie Franklin to end the inning.
Franklin went the distance in the circle for the Bravettes (, allowing seven runs (two earned) on nine hits. She walked four and fanned one.
Glacier threatened in the sixth inning as Emma Cooke and Olivia Warriner both reached base, but a diving grab from Conley on a Karley Allen pop-up ended the threat.
In the seventh, Glacier found their footing as Goudette doubled down the third base line, advancing Khirsten Terrell to third. Following a Nakiah Persinger bunt single, Cazz Rankosky scored Terrell on an infield single. Emma Cooke drew a bases loaded walk to make it 3-0 before Warriner drove one out to the wall in left-center field.
Two runs scored on the hit and two more — including Warriner — came home after a pair of throwing errors by the Bravettes. After two more walks, Franklin got out of the inning on a Terrell groundout.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bravettes broke up Farrell’s no-hit bid with a Conley single out to center field. Kaidyn Lake followed that with an infield single of her own. That would be all that Flathead (5-14, 3-10 in league) could get as Farrell shut the door.
“We have a bye in the first round of the state tournament,” Snipes said. “We are just looking to ride that momentum and go play whoever we get to play. You have to beat the best to be the best.”
Glacier 010 000 6 - 7 9 0
Flathead 000 000 0 - 0 2 2
Ella Farrell and Cazz Rankosky. Lacie Franklin and Laynee Vessar.
GLACIER — Kenadie Goudette 2-4, Nakiah Persinger 2-4, Rankosky 0-4, Emma Cooke 1-3, Farrell 1-3, Olivia Warriner 2-3, Paishance Haller 0-2, Karley Allen 0-1, Zoey Allen 0-3, Khirsten Terrell 1-4.
FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 0-2, Ava Bessen 0-2, Reese Conley 1-3, Kaidyn Lake 1-3, Vessar 0-1, Olivia Nyman 0-2, Sawyer VanCampen 0-3, Franklin 0-2, Kenzie Lake 0-2.
2B — Goudette, Warriner. RBIs — Warriner 2, Rankosky, Cooke, Farrell, Goudette.
Western AA Standings
Conf. Overall
W-L W-L
Big Sky 12-2 18-2
Glacier 12-2 17-3
Capital 12-2 16-4
Sentinel 5-8 7-12
Helena 5-8 8-11
Butte 4-9 6-13
Flathead 3-10 5-14
Hellgate 0-12 1-18
Tuesday’s Games
Flathead 5, Butte 4
Butte 3, Flathead 2
Missoula Big Sky 7, Helena 6
Helena Capital 17, Missoula Sentinel 4
Thursday’s Games
Glacier 7, Flathead 0
Helena Capital 6, Missoula Big Sky 1
Helena 4, Missoula Sentinel 2
Friday’s Games
Missoula Hellgate at Flathead (KidSport), 5 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Missoula Sentinel at Missoula Hellgate
Butte at Helena
End of regular season