Polson hitters set sights on state records
Jaelin Vandeberg has already set the Polson record for most career home runs, and she's still got a half dozen games left in the season
Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa’s home run race in 1998 was exciting, but it really doesn’t compare to what’s happening in Polson this year.
The real match up is between sophomore Sarah Newton and senior Jaelin Vandeberg, with sophomore Amanda James nipping at their heels.
The Polson Lady Pirates are eyeing some school and state records right now, thanks to two blowout games against Browning last weekend, 30-1 and 42-0. While the games weren’t much competition, the six home runs hit in the doubleheader have put the team within a shot of the state home run record, while the high school’s personal record has already been broken by Newton and Vandeberg.
With their two home runs Saturday, both Newton and Vandeberg have six on the year, breaking the record of five held by Keely Torgison in 2005. James had two herself, bringing her total to four, and the team has six games left in the regular season.
Overall, the team has 21, compared to the state record of 25 held by Capitol High in 2005 and Billings Senior in 1995. Vandeberg’s career of 11 also beats the old Polson record of nine, and she’s two dingers away from second place all time in the state. Butte Central’s Kellie Johnson holds the record with 57 — no, that’s not a typo — set from 1994-1997, according to the Montana High School Association.
(Johnson hit 21 her freshman year alone.)
Newton has nine career home runs, to boot, with two more years left to play.
Saturday’s match-up featured a slug fest, with Dylen Zetterberg, Staci Benson and Maggie Gordon getting triples, and Newton led the team with four RBIs.
In the second match-up, James was 6-for-6 from the plate while Brittany Jones was 5-for-5. Benson led the team going 4-for-4 in the first game.
Zetterberg finished the second game with five RBIs, Vandeberg had four, James had four, Jones had two and Gordon added two.
Newton picked up the win in both games, but turned the pitching over to Cecilly Grant in the late innings, who held Browning in check.
Browning 000 10 - 1 4 8
Polson 887 7x - 30 27 2
W- Newton (4-0)
L- Johnson
McDonald 4-5, Zetterburg 4-5, Vandeberg 2-5, James 4-5, Newton 3-4, Peterson 0-1, Benson 4-4, Clairmont-Perez 2-3, Arlint 0-1, Gordon 1-4, Vasser 0-0, Grant 0-1
Browning 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 11
Polson (15)2(22) 2x - 42 29 0
McDonald 4-6, Zetterburg 2-4, Vandeberg 4-6, James 6-6, Newton 3-4, James 6-6, Newton 2-5, Jones 5-5, Gordon 2-5, Clairmont-Perez 3-5, Arlint 1-4, Benson 1-1, Grant 0-1