Reid, Brandt go yard in Veterans Memorial softball final

BELGRADE — Annika Reid, Mackenzie Brandt and Charity Dunn homered to help their team win the championship at the 12th Annual Veterans Memorial Classic softball tournament Sunday. 

Reid, from Columbia Falls, got the Richard Appelhans Air Force team on the board with a solo home run in the second inning. Braella Jennings of Billings Senior added a two-run single to make it a three-run rally in what became a 12-1 win over the Thomas Crotty Coast Guard. 

The Air Force’s five-run third inning was highlighted by a three-run homer from Dunn, out of Shepherd High School, as well as an RBI single by Brandt. Then Brandt, a Flathead High product, hit a two-run home run in a four-run fifth inning. 

In the circle, Krista Dunn combined with her sister Charity on a three-hitter. Krista Dunn went four innings and allowed two hits and a walk, with two strikeouts. The game ended after five innings under the mercy rule. 

Each year five All-Star teams are chosen to take part in this tournament, which honors Montana veterans that lost their lives in the line of duty. Teams play a round-robin before a championship round on Day 2.  

Several players were from the Flathead Valley and surrounding area competed, including Polson’s Olivia Jore on the winning Air Force team. 

Ronan’s Nevaeh Perez and Columbia Falls’ Onnika Lawrence played for the Darryl Juel Marines squad. Addy Bowler of Columbia Falls made the John Goodheart Army along with Olivia Warriner of Glacier and Samantha Rensvold of Polson. 

Glacier’s Olivia Gibbons and Cazz Rankosky played for Jack Nash Navy along with Libby’s Peyton Waggoner. Ava Grady of Glacier pitched for the Coast Guard.  

The tournament also included skills competitions, and Gibbons won the home run derby with six home runs. Reid was second with three, and Jore, Charity Dunn and Billings Senior’s Vienna Meyer all hit two.  

It was the second straight year a Glacier product won the derby; Ella Farrell won it in 2024. Thirty girls competed. 

Rankosky was second out of eight catchers in the Pop-to-Pop, completing the throw from behind the plate to second in times of 1.84 and 1.67 seconds. Dillon’s Kinzy Creighton won with times of 1.63 and 1.58.  

Fifteen girls competed in Base Running, with Maia Christopher of Mission-Arlee-Charlo winning with times of 5.67 and 6.00. She was followed by Helena Capital’s Madi Emmert (5.99, 6.02), Marley Chaiassoa of Lockwood (6.01, 6.09) and Glacier’s Warriner (6.10, 6.06). GG Hawk of MAC was seventh.