Pirates In Idaho?

For ex-Lady Pirates Strohm Fouty and Keely Torgison, softball certainly didn't come to an end when they graduated in 2005. In fact, both might need to build a new trophy case for all the awards they're winning.

After helping Polson win the state title in 2004 and making it to state again in 2005, both decided to play for North Idaho State junior college. Last season, they led the Cardinals to their second highest team finish in NIC history, placing second at the NJCAA National Tournament. Both received All-Tournament honors for their play at the national tournament in Florida.

Their success playing for North Idaho earned them the attention of many colleges and both will continue their education and softball careers this fall. Fouty will attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and Torgison recently signed a letter of intent to play for Division I Western Carolina.

"I am very excited," said Torgison about playing for the Catamounts in 2007-2008. "The coach came and watched us play at Nationals and was impressed."

Torgison will be receiving a full-ride scholarship to play but said she'll feel a little sad not to have Fouty sharing the field with her.

"It's going to be so much different not playing with her," she said.

During her sophomore season Torgison hit .292 with 27 runs, 54 hits and 41 RBIs.

Strohm Fouty also had a fantastic season and was selected as a third team All-American and first team All-Region last season with North Idaho. She also earned honors as co-offensive player of the 2007 season for the Cardinals, with a batting average of .389. Fouty also led the region in runs scored with 65, had 105 hits and set a single season NIC stolen base record with 63, besting the old record by 32 bases.

At Nationals North Idaho lost their first game of the double-elimination tournament but won the next six in a row to put them into the NJCAA National Championship game. NIC won the first championship game, but lost the final game 6-4 to take second place in the NJCAA tournament.

"It was great," said Torgison of the team's run. "We made it to nationals last year but that was our first year, and we didn't come prepared. This year we lost the first game but we came back and came and won seven in a row and lost the eighth."

"I definitely peaked at end of the season," continued Torgison. "I hit over .400 at regionals and .310 at nationals and had five home runs."

Fouty said she is a little nervous about moving to a big city like Phoenix after growing up in Polson, but noted that she is excited to play for Becky Owen, an assistant coach at Grand Canyon and a close friend of her family.

"It's big step," she said. "I am a little sad because I was so close to home at North Idaho and I will miss playing with Keeley. It seems like we've been playing together forever."