Capital tops Glacier in 8th for State AA title

HELENA — The Glacier Wolfpack made Helena Capital work extra for it, but the Bruins won their first State AA softball title since 2009 Sunday, on Anna Cockhill’s trip around the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Bruins’ leadoff hitter started the inning with a single to right, and when that was misplayed Cockhill kept running, scoring just ahead of a relay throw for a 3-2 Capital win.

The Bruins walked off with their 21st victory in 25 games. Glacier, the defending state champion, ended up 21-5.

Three of Glacier’s losses came to Capital and pitcher Kathryn Emmert, who had a heck of a tournament. She threw 15 innings against the Wolfpack, and allowed 11 hits, three walks and four earned runs. She struck out 22, with 13 coming Sunday..

Glacier still led 2-0 in the third inning on Kenadie Goudette’s two-run home run, her second of the tournament and 11th of the season. But Capital got those runs back in their half of the inning when Belle Glowacki hit a two-run shot off Glacier’s Ella Farrell.

Farrell and Emmert then combined to put up nine zeroes before Cockhill made her circuit.

Farrell allowed one earned run in the rare Sunday championship game, necessitated by snow that canceled games in Belgrade Thursday and forced the tournament to move to Helena. 

She allowed six hits and one walk, and struck out 10.

For the tournament — and Glacier needed to beat Capital twice Sunday to repeat as champion — Farrell threw 32 innings allowing 30 hits, 14 earned runs and eight walks. She struck out 42.

Emmert threw 32 of Capital’s 36 innings at state, striking out 47. 

The powerful Pack fell to Capital early Saturday in the winner’s bracket, then rode Farrell and the big fly back to the championship round. Zoey Allen hit her 13th and 14th home runs; Emma Cooke hit her sixth and seventh as the Pack beat Helena, CMR and Billings West. 

Glacier hit 53 home runs as a team.

Glacier    002    000    00    -    2    6    2

Capital    002    000    01    -    3    5    0

None out when winning run scored. Ella Farrell and Cazz Rankosky. Kathryn Emmert and Tayer Sayers.

GLACIER — Kenadie Goudette 1-3, Nakiah Persinger 3-4, Rankosky 0-4, Ema Cooke 0-4, Farrell 0-3, Olivia Warriner 0-3, Karley Allen 1-3, Zoey Allen 0-3, Khristen Terrell 1-2.

HELENA CAPITAL — Anna Cockhill 1-4, Ali Miller 0-2, Belle Glowacki 2-3, Sayers 1-3, Riley Chandler 0-2, Kate Drynan 1-3, Audrey Willard 0-1, Ella Krepps 0-1, Jolene Burgoyne 0-2, Jaiden Grooms 0-1, Madi Emmert 0-3.

HR — Goudette, Glowacki. RBIs — Goudette 2, Glowacki 2, Cockhill.