Polson takes one from top rival Libby

LIBBY — It was a big week for Polson softball. It always is if the Lady Pirates get a conference win over rival Libby on the road. Add a 10-0 win over Hamilton and a 12-7 win over Corvallis to the 8-4 win over the Loggers and you’ve got one good weekend of softball on the Lady Pirates’ behalf.

On Friday, Polson started things off with a big win over Hamilton. Sophomore Sallie Sams had been struggling hitting this season, but had one chance against the Broncs. With a 7-0 lead over Hamilton, Polson head coach Larry Smith put Sams into the lineup. With two on base, she blasted the first pitch during her first at-bat over the fence. It was good enough for ten 10 - which ended the game - and put Sams back on the radar.

“I haven’t been hitting very well this season. Now I’m back,” Sams said, who hit three homeruns the year before.

She wants to be an active part of the lineup, but isn’t concerned with going as big as she did against Hamilton every time, she said.

“I just like to make contact and give our team some help,” Sams said. “I’m not trying to hit bombs every game.”

Sams went on to bat 3-4 with four RBIs against Corvallis and went 2-3 with a double against Libby. She might very well be back with consistent numbers like those.

“I told her that she was due,” head coach Larry Smith said. “She’s a good hitter with great speed and she could be a great asset to us. I think after this weekend she worked her way into the starting lineup.”

Senior pitcher Dakota Peterson improved where her coach wanted her to and threw eight strikeouts in the shutout over Hamilton.

“She asked me what I wanted her to work on and I said, ‘Control, control, control,’” Smith said. “And this had to be a big confidence booster to come out with a win like that.”

The Pirates finished Corvallis by plain out-hitting them. They had 20 total hits in the win.

“Offensively we have to be very pleased with that,” Smith said.

Senior Charlee Jenson threw six strikeouts, senior Sarah Newton, sophomore Kayla Duford and freshman Riley Kenney each had a double and Duford also had a triple.

Senior SuSan Perez-Tenas went a perfect 4-4 from the plate.

Against Libby, Peterson earned a huge win from the mound and contributed an RBI. Again, Polson’s quickest player found her bat. Perez-Tenas had three RBIs in the game.

It was a defensive battle with plenty of hits on both ends but Polson took the win.

“It’s hard to go up there and win,” Smith said. “We don’t win a lot up there just like they don’t win a lot down here.”

Polson played Glacier in Kalispell on Tuesday and competes in the Butte Invitational on Friday and Saturday. They also play a makeup double header against Havre at 11:30 a.m. on Friday in Butte.