Rensel, Moultray power C-Falls to Western A title
POLSON — Demye Rensel homered and drove in five runs, Maddie Moultray powered through another complete game and Columbia Falls beat Polson 9-5 Saturday for the Western A Divisional softball championship.
Rensel’s three-run home run staked the defending State A champion Wildkats (22-3) to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. She followed up Moultray’s RBI double with a two-run single in the second inning as Columbia Falls went up 8-0.
Moultray, who pitched the Kats past Dillon 6-1 in the semifinals earlier Saturday, threw 172 pitches in the championship. She was touched for two walks, two hits — Liz Cunningham and Kailey Smith had RBI singles — and two runs in the seventh inning, before fanning Jaja Nichols for her 16th strikeout.
She allowed six hits, six walks and two earned runs.
Tayler Lingle, Haden Peters and Alexa Friske scored two runs each for the Wildkats.
Cunningham had four hits and three RBIs for the Pirates (18-6), who got to the final via a 12-4 win over Frenchtown in the semifinals.
The top six teams in the tournament advanced to next week’s State A tourney in Billings. That includes Ronan (17-8), which rode three home runs and two excellent pitching outs from Nikki Kendall to three wins Saturday. The Maidens placed fifth.
Columbia Falls 6, Dillon 1
Moultray threw a six-hitter in this one, surrendering one walk and one unearned run while striking out 11.
It was Lingle’s RBI single that sparked a five-run fifth inning and gave the Kats a 6-0 lead. Onnika Lawrence’s RBI double made it 3-0; Peters followed with her second RBI single of the game, before Moultray added a sacrifice fly and Rensel smacked a double to bring in the fifth run of the rally.
Polson 12, Frenchtown 4
McKenna Hanson hit two home runs, one in the third inning and another in the seventh, drove in three runs and scored three times to lead a 10-hit attack for the Pirates.
Hanson’s solo homer to lead off the third sparked a six-run outburst, including a two-run single by Kailey Smith. Teammate Olivia Jore also hit a solo home run in the second inning, had three hits and scored three times.
Avery Starr and Rensvold combined on a seven-hitter, with Starr issuing the only walk while striking out three. None of Frenchtown’s runs were earned, though Alex Godin had a two-run homer for the Broncs.
Ronan 13, Hamilton 3
Nikki Kendall threw a six-inning two-hitter and hit a solo home run as the Maidens won the fifth-place game.
None of Hamilton’s three runs were earned, and Kendall walked three and struck out six.
Kaydnce Santos had two hits and scored twice; M Courm drove in two runs and scored three times for Ronan.
Neveah Perez and Kasey Kelch both scored twice as well.
Ronan 4, Stevensville 0
Kendall threw a three-hit shutout in this one, with six walks and eight strikeouts.
Her solo home run, the only run she needed, came in the second inning. The Maidens were held to just five hits.
Ronan 15, Browning 1
While Kailyn Marengo and Morgan Simpson handled the pitching, combining on a five-inning 1-hitter, Kendall and Perez each hit a three-run shot in the first inning. Kendall’s made it 12-0
Santos went 4-for-4 and she and teammate Bailee Woll each drove in two runs. Perez ended with three hits and four RBIs; Marengo, who struck out seven in four innings, also had three hits.
Western A Divisional
May 17-18, Polson
Friday
Game 1: Libby 21, Corvallis 20
Game 2: Hamilton 15, Browning 0
Game 3: Ronan 10, Butte Central 0
Game 4: Stevensville 3, Whitefish 0
Game 5: Frenchtown 7, Libby 1, quarterfinal
Game 6: Polson 10, Hamilton 0, quarterfinal
Game 7: Dillon 7, Ronan 6, quarterfinal
Game 8: Columbia Falls 12, Stevensville 4, quarterfinal
Saturday
Game 9: Stevensville 12, Corvallis 7, loser out
Game 10: Ronan 15, Browning 1, lo
Game 11: Hamilton 16, Butte Central 4, lo
Game 12: Libby 1, Whitefish 0, lo
Game 13: Polson 12, Frenchtown 4, semifinal
Game 14: Columbia Falls 6, Dillon 1, semifinal
Game 15: Ronan 4, Stevensville 0, lo
Game 16: Hamilton 12, Libby 9, lo
Game 17: Ronan 13, Hamilton 3, fifth-sixth
Game 18: Frenchtown 7, Dillon 5, third-fourth
Game 19: Columbia Falls 9, Polson 5, championship