Wildkats win twice at Frenchtown Invite

FRENCHTOWN — Annika Reid drove in five runs against Libby, Onnika Lawrence was a thorn for the Laurel Locomotives and Columbia Falls won twice Saturday at the Frenchtown Invitational softball tournament.

The Wildkats (7-6) displayed some power to beat Libby 12-7 and Laurel 6-4; Polson, Libby and Ronan split games at the tournament, which brought in 14 Class A teams. 

Columbia Falls 12, Libby 7

Lawrence hit a two-run double in the second inning to put the Wildkats up 4-3, and Reid’s RBI double made it 8-5 Columbia Falls in the fifth.  

In the seventh, Reid followed Lawrence’s triple with a two-run home run to make it 12-7. 

Alexa Friske had four hits and scored twice for the Kats. Kylee Gjesdal-Davis had a double and scored twice. 

Katie Bulawsky threw three innings in the circle, allowing two hits, a walk and two unearned runs. She struck out win. 

Libby led 3-2 in the first thanks to a two-run single from Rachel Kosters and an RBI grounder from Weslee MacDonald. MacDonald finished with two RBIs. 

Columbia Falls 6, Laurel 4

Lawrence’s two-run home run broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning, and the Wildkats’ Ella Branstetter retired Laurel in order in the bottom of the inning to close out the win. 

Branstetter threw the last four innings in relief of Bulawsky, allowing two runs — including Emerson Gunther’s solo home that tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth. Gunther also had a two-run double for Laurel (11-3). 

The Kats had gone up 4-3 on an RBI double by Reid and a run-scoring grounder from Sydnee Burke in the fifth. Lawrence had a double and scored three times. 

Polson 16, Corvallis 0

Jaliyah Pierre had two doubles, and four runs batted in, and Kendyl Jaeger and Madison Turner each drove in a pair of runs for Polson. Jorunn Johnson scored three runs; Olivia Jore, Jaeger and Aaliyah Adams all hit doubles. 

Samantha Rensvold and Turner combined on a one-hitter, with Turner surrendering the knock over three innings of work. She struck out five. 

Dillon 8, Polson 4

The Beavers (7-2) got to Rensvold for eight runs in 5 2-3 innings, though just two of the runs were earned. Rensvold allowed five hits and two walks and struck out 11. 

Kylie Konen had a double and a home run and drove in three runs for Dillon. Her two-run homer put the Beavers up 5-2 in the fifth inning. 

Adyson Creighton went the distance in the circle for Dillon, allowing five hits, no walks and no earned runs in seven innings. She fanned 14 Pirates. 

Jore hit a two-run home run in the seventh for Polson (11-2-1). 

Dillon 12, Ronan 11

Bridget Lovaas hit two doubles, with the second driving in a run to cap a three-run sixth inning for Dillon, erasing an 11-9 deficit. 

Creighton, who threw the last three innings, worked around a single and intentional walk in the seventh to put away the Maidens.  

Ronan led 4-1, then trailed 7-4, then led 11-7 in the back-and-forth game.  

Kailyn Marengo hit a double for the Maidens, and her two-run single put her team up 9-7 in the third inning. Marengo also pitched six innings, allowing eight hits and two walks but no earned runs. She fanned four. 

Kylee Kelch and Adrienne Crockett hit RBI doubles in the fourth to push the lead to 11-7. Crockett had three hits and scored three times. 

Nevaeh Perez hit a three-run home run in the first for Ronan; that’s who Creighton walked in the seventh.  

Ronan 8, Butte Central 0

Marengo and Alexa Youngren combined on a one-hitter in the circle; Marengo went 5 1-3 innings, allowing one hit and no walks. She struck out four. 

Kelch hit a solo home run among her two hits. Autumn Lozeau had three hits and scored twice for Ronan. Perez, Crockett, Hadassah Read and Shelby Taylor also drove in runs. 

Stevensville 8, Libby 1 

Maddix Yeager allowed one hit over three innings for the Yellowjackets. 

Madison Vincent singled and came around on a passed ball, bunt and wild pitch.