Bravettes undone by big innings

The Flathead Bravettes had their moments Thursday while taking on Great Falls High and C.M. Russell, but big innings led to losses in both their softball games at Glacier High.

Mackenzie Brandt and Olivia Nyman homered in the opener against Great Falls, but the Bison used a nine-run fifth inning to build a 10-3 lead. The final was 11-8. 

In the second game, CMR’s Emma Griffin and Ella Cron combined on a four-hit shutout and the Rustlers put up a four-spot in the third inning of a 9-0 win. 

The opener had the drama. 

The Bison took a 1-0 lead on Aletta Hagen’s solo home run in the first, but the Bravettes got three runs in the second, thanks to a passed ball that brought in Danica Hennell and Brandt’s two-run home run. 

The lead lasted until the fifth. There, three singles, a bases-loaded walk and another single that got past the right fielder to clear the bases put Great Falls up 5-3. An error let in another run to make it 6-3. 

Then, after two were out, Landry Moog and Elliana Frank hit RBI doubles and Isabella Sanders added an RBI single as the gap grew to 10-3. 

Flathead got one run back on Kinsey Lake’s RBI single in the fifth and then scored four times in the sixth: Reese Conley had an RBI single ahead of Nyman’s three-run shot. 

In the seventh Flathead brought the tying run to the plate with two out, but Brandt flied out to center to end it. 

Macey McIlhargey went the distance in the circle for Flathead, striking out six. She allowed six earned runs. 

In the second game CMR was already up 2-0 when Georgia Hatzenbeller clubbed a two-run home run in the third inning; the Rustlers added two more runs and led 6-0. 

Flathead got little going, though Hennell hit a leadoff triple in the second inning and Conley smacked a double to lead off the fourth. Griffin fanned five Bravettes and Cron four; each pitcher walked one. 

Hennell was a bright spot in the circle against CMR, coming on with one out in the third inning and allowing four hits and two earned runs. She walked one and fanned two. 

“For the first day out, I am proud of our group,” Flathead coach Brittany Williams said. “We battled hard all day and saw some really great at-bats and defensive plays. We have lots of positives to build on moving forward.” 

Flathead next plays at Western AA rival Missoula Big Sky at noon on Saturday. 

Great Falls    100    091    0    -    11    15    2 

Flathead    030    014    0    -    8    10    3

Harley Brown, Avery Rains (6) and Landry Moog. Macey McIlhargey and Lily Anderson. 

GREAT FALLS HIGH — Isabella Saunders 3-5, Ashley Little 1-5, Aletta Hagen 1-3, Ava Newmack 1-4, Harley Brown 2-4, Kinslee Reeves 2-4, Morgan Davis 0-4, Landry Moog 3-4, Elliana Frank 2-4. 

FLATHEAD — Mackenzie Brandt 1-4, Macey McIlhargey 1-4, Reese Conley 3-4, Olivia Nyman 3-4, Kinsey Lake 1-4, Danica Hennell 1-4, Lacie Franklin 0-3, Paulina Holland 0-1, Lily Anderson 0-4, Makenna Kort 0-1. 

2B —  Frank, Moog, Nyman. HR —  Hagen, Brandt, Nyman. RBIs —  Hagen 2, Saunders, Newman, Brown, Reeves, Moog, Frank, Nyman 3, Brandt 2, Conley, Lake. 

CMR    024    100    2    -    9    8    1     

Flathead    000    000    0    -    0    4    2

Emma Griffin, Ella Cron (5) and E. McGraw. Franklin, Hennell (3) and L. Anderson.  

GREAT FALLS CMR — Myli Adams 0-5, Ruby Dean 2-3, Aspen Zuelke 0-3, Georgia Hatzenbeller 1-3, A Wade 0-2, Signe Hanson 2-4, Taylor Thompson 1-3, Ellena Weidow 0-2, Cron 2-2, Emma McGraw 0-4. 

FLATHEAD — Brandt 0-2, McIlhargey 0-2, Conley 1-2, Nyman 1-3, Lake 0-2, Hennell 1-3, Frankling 0-2, J Anderson 0-0, L. Anderson 1-3, Holland 0-0, Kort 0-3. 

2B — Hanson, Conley. 3B — Hennell. HR — Hatzenbeller. RBIs — Hatzenbeller 2, McGraw 2, Thompson 2.