C-Falls drops state baseball opener to Billings Central

by Daily Inter Lake
| May 23, 2025 12:00 AM

HAMILTON — Jett Pitts arm was hot, the bats just weren’t there for Columbia Falls as the Wildcats dropped their first game at the state baseball tournament — and second all season — 6-2 Thursday.

Pitts finished the day with 10 strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings on the mound, he allowed four runs on four hits.

In the other openers, Billings West bested the top seed from the south Frenchtown 11-4 to advance.

The hosts Hamilton advanced to Friday’s semifinals with a 1-0 victory over Billings Skyview thanks to an RBI double from Hunter Harness.

In the nightcap, Belgrade rebounded from a 4- deficit to walk-off Missoula Big Sky 5-4.

Billings Central 6, Columbia Falls 2

The Rams got on the board in the first inning as Matteo Harris brought home Howie Martin on an RBI groundout to make it 1-0.

Billings Central (14-4) found some separation in the third inning as Jayden Ott drove in a pair of runs with a single to right to grow the lead to 3-0.

Reggie Sapa cut the deficit to 3-1 for the Wildcats (17-2) with a fielder’s choice that sent Cooper Ross home.

Next inning, Jaxson Cadwell scored with two outs on a passed ball that made it 3-2 Rams.

Thats all the runs Columbia Falls could find though as Central extended the lead back out to 4-2 in the fifth as Harris singled to center, bringing in Zach McDonald.

Harris doubled in the seventh to seal the Rams victory as Paxton Prill scored and the Rams led 6-2. Harris finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs. He also threw 4 2-3 innings on the mound, giving up four hits and two runs (one earned).

Sapa drove in the lone RBI for the Wildcats, who finished with just four hits on the day.

B.Central 102 010 2 - 6 5 3

C Falls 001 100 0 - 2 4 2

Matteo Harris, Ollin Kulaga (5), Howie Martin (7) and Jayden Ott. Jett Pitts, Reggie Sapa (5), Zeke Dunn (7) and Cooper Ross.

BILLINGS CENTRAL — Howie Martin 0-1, Paxton Prill 1-3, Zach McDonald 0-3, Matteo Harris 2-4, Jayden Ott 1-3, Oliver Prill 1-4, Ollin Kulaga 0-3, Porter Dahlberg 0-3, Brennan Harlan 0-2.

COLUMBIA FALLS — Cooper Ross 1-2, Nico Young 1-4, Reggie Sapa 0-3, Brady Matson 0-3, Jett Pitts 0-3, Jory Hill 1-3, Treysen Murphy 0-1, Zeke Dunn 0-1, Jaxson Cadwell 0-3, Wyatt Dodson 1-3.

2B — Harris, P Prill. RBIs — Harris 3, Ott 2, Sapa.

Billings West 11, Frenchtown 4

Payton Cicero and George Schwend drove in two runs each from the six and seven spot in the Billings West (18-1) lineup as the Golden Bears downed Frenchtown.

Cicero’s first inning double drove in two runs and put West ahead 3-0 before the Broncs had a chance to bat.

Schwend doubled in the top of the fifth and drove in Brady Randall to extend the lead to 6-0.

On the mound, Carson Steinmetz went five innings and allowed just one hit and two runs for the Golden Bears.

Braxton Rodoni went 4 1-3 innings for Frenchtown (17-5), striking out one.

Jordan Warner led the hitting for the Broncs, going 1-for-3 out of the leadoff spot and driving in three runs.

B.West 302 015 0 - 11 15 1

Frenchtown 000 020 2 - 4 3 0

Carson Steinmetz, Cooper Cavanaugh (6) and Grayson Baumann. Dawson Rodoni, Braxton Rodoni (2), Silas Zetterberg (6) and Joseph Alexander.

BILLINGS WEST — Jaxon King 0-2, Chase Wise 1-4, Colton Bush 2-4, Kyren Ballard 2-5, Brady Randall 2-5, Payton Cicero 1-4, George Schwend 3-4, Grayson Baumann 3-4, Bridger Leland 1-3.

FRENCHTOWN — Jordan Warner 1-4, Gabe Gibbs 1-4, Brooks Day 0-4, Cash Mickey 0-2, Konnor Klimpel 0-3, Kaden Blowers 0-2, Braxton Rodoni 0-1, Silas Zetterberg 0-0, Joseph Alexander 1-2, Brady Sypolt 0-3.

2B — Cicero, Schwend, Randall. Alexander. RBIs — Cicero 2, Schwend 2, Leland, Wise, Bush, Ballard, Randall. Warner 3, Gibbs.

Hamilton 1, Billings Skyview 0

After Boedy Tadvick reached on a fielder’s choice in the fourth, Harness doubled to centerfield to bring him home and that was all the offense Hamilton (15-2) needed to advance.

On the mound, Cash Lawrence threw a gem, allowing just one hit and no runs. He fanned nine in a complete game.

On the other side, Skyview (15-3) got a pair of solid performances on the mound with Trevor Golick allowing one run on three hits in four innings of work. Anthony Ferguson added three innings on one-hit baseball. The duo combined for three strikeouts.

Hamilton 000 100 0 - 1 4 1

B.Skyview 000 000 0 - 0 1 1

Cash Lawrence and Atticus Southwell, Trevor Gollick, Anthony Ferguson (5) and Anthony Williams.

HAMILTON — Jude Widmer 1-3, Jackson Lubke 0-3, Cash Lawrence 0-3, Boedy Tadvick 0-2, Atticus Southwell 0-3, Hunter Harness 2-2, Tyce O’Connell 1-3, Landon Ekin 0-3, Brady DeMoss 0-2.

BILLINGS SKYVIEW — Chaise Tracy 0-3, Connor Smith 0-3, Paxton Fitch 0-2, Camden Wilson 0-3, Anthony Williams 0-2, Brady Christianson 1-2, Roman Sload 0-2, Cohen Barnhart 0-1, Brady Baker 0-2.

Belgrade 5, Missoula Big Sky 4

Max Dunning took one for the team in the bottom of the seventh as Belgrade capped off a 5-4 comeback win with a walk-off hit-by-pitch.

A pair of singles in the second inning from Mathew Doty and Landin Ramsay gave the Eagles (13-5) a 4-0 lead.

The Panthers (17-2) finally got on the board in the fifth inning as Cade Thomas lined one to center and brought home Ryas Olson. Next batter, Sawyer Olson singled as well and suddenly it was 4-2.

Dunning tied the game with a lead-off home run in the sixth inning.

A pair of bean balls put two runners aboard for the Panthers in the seventh, Max Zimmer was intentionally walked after, bringing Dunning up again with the bases loaded. He took one off the leg to bring home Thomas and the Panthers started celebrating.

Brayton Van Dyken went five innings for Belgrade, allowing four runs on five hits.

Ethan Paugh started and threw five innings for Big Sky, striking out five.

Big Sky 130 000 0 - 4 6 2

Belgrade 000 031 1 - 5 8 4

Ethan Paugh, Kody Evans (6) and Kieran Cooney. Brayton Van Dyken, Fay Wells-Minthorn (6) and Andrew Hazen.

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Rowan Miculka 0-3, Landin Ramsay 2-3, Kody Evans, 0-4, Henry Wilson 2-4, Tait Ramsay 0-3, Mason Fulford 0-2, Isaac Thorne 0-2, Kieran Cooney 0-2, Mathew Doty 2-3.

BELGRADE — Ryas Olson 2-4, Gage Banks 0-4, Cade Thomas 1-2, Sawyer Olson 1-2, Keegan Cook 1-3, Mason Zimmer, 1-3, Max Dunning 2-3, Brandt Turcotte 0-2, Caleb Seaman 0-1, Andrew Hazen 0-2.

2B — Wilson. HR — Dunning. RBIs — Doty 2, Ramsay. Dunning 2, Thomas, Olson.