Polson softball takes crown

BILLINGS - Staci Benson knew this feeling, she had been there before. The senior knew how it felt to be in the state softball championship game. In 2007, Benson was on Polson's championship squad and told this year's team "you don't know how good it is until you're there," head coach Larry Smith said.

This year was no exception. For the second time since 2007, the Polson softball team is on top.

The Pirates beat Belgrade 6-3 in the championship game of the Class A State Softball Tournament last weekend.

Not only are the Pirates champions, but the Polson softball program becomes the winningest team of the decade in all classes, head coach Larry Smith said.

He has been at the helm since 1988 and his expertise was showcased before Polson stepped on the field for its first game.

"Going in as the first seed can be a disadvantage," he said. "The team you play in the first round is coming off a win and has gotten their first-game jitters out."

To combat that disadvantage, Smith woke his team up early last Thursday morning and took them to a practice field for a warm-up. The Pirates worked up a sweat by splitting into three teams and scrimmaging.

"It was in a different environment," Smith said. "I believe [that practice] is the reason they won."

Polson, the top seed from the Northwest conference, went on to win four straight games in the two-day tournament that was shortened because of the rainy weather.

In its first game of the tournament, Polson didn't have a problem with first-game jitters.

In an 11-1 crushing of Laurel, the Pirates also proved their youth wasn't going to hold them from a title run. Earlier in the season, Polson had to come from behind in the seventh inning to beat Laurel 4-3.

Freshman Shay Duford was on the mound and allowed only five runs from Laurel while her team provided 11 of their own. At the plate, she went 2-for-2 with four RBIs.

Junior Sallie Sams went 1-for-3 with four RBIs. Sophomores Makaliah Wilson and Ashley Johnson each went 2-for-3.

After the game, Smith was told the tournament was going to be shortened to two days because of the rainy forecast predicted for Saturday.

"It was funny because Saturday was the nicest day," hesaid.

The news concerned Smith because he said he had only one pitcher, Shay Duford, he expected to use on the mound. His concern was unnecessary.

"She was just as strong in the last inning of the last game as she was in the first inning in the first game," he said.

In Polson's first game on Friday, its second of the tournament, the Pirates had to come from behind and needed extra innings to secure the win against Billings Central.

"This was really a determining game to show what we were made of," Smith said.

Polson scored first, once in the first and again in the second, before Billings Central scored twice in each of the second and third innings.

Polson rallied to score three in the top of the fourth for a 5-4 lead.

The Rams tied things up in the bottom of the seventh and both teams scored in the eighth for a game tied at six runs each. Neither team scored in the ninth, but Polson put three across in the 10th inning.

Johnson, who went 2-for-5, singled and scored when Benson, who went 3-for-6, hit a double. Junior Kodi Woods walked and both her and Benson scored on junior Kayla Duford's sacrifice bunt.

"Kodi was burning around the bases, so I sent her," Smith said of the third run scored.

In the bottom of the inning, Billings Central flew out to left field and center field before Benson ended the game with a ground ball out.

Wilson also went 2-for-5.

Smith said his team felt pretty good about themselves after beating the hometown team.

"[Billings Central] got to sleep in their own beds and eat mom's cooking," he said.

Next up was Belgrade in a match up of the only two undefeated teams left in the tournament. In the Butte tournament earlier in the season, Belgrade beat Polson 2-0 in what Smith called a pitcher's duel.

"We also committed three errors," he said.

Polson again scored early in the game with five runs in the third before winning 5-1, earning a bid to the championship. During that inning every player batted. Benson was the first batter and she started with a double. Woods singled and Kayla Duford brought them in. Sophomore Riley Kenney doubled and Wilson singled, who went 2-for-3. Smith said Wilson had the best batting average in the tournament for the Pirates.

Next, Sams knocked a two-run home run to add to the damage.

"That took the wind out of their sails," Smith said.

After the game, Smith said Shay Duford's arm was sore, but she never complained about it. After icing it, she was good to go, but her arm wasn't what concerned Smith.

"I was never worried about her arm. I didn't know how injury prone she was until the tournament," Smith said. "I wanted to put her in a plastic bubble. She was always tripping. She got a cut on her knee from falling down in the parking lot, and that was just on the way to dinner."

With the loss, Belgrade had to beat Frenchtown to face Polson again in the title game.

Entering the championship, Polson knew it had to score early and often.

"We saw what it did to them in the previous game," Smith said.

That is exactly what the Pirates did. With 12 hits, Polson scored twice in the second inning and three times in the fourth, during the 6-3 win.

In the bottom of the fifth, Polson was up 6-0 as Belgrade made a run and scored twice.

Defense was the key in the win, Smith said.

"I always say ‘defense wins championships,' and that is what happened," he said.

Shay Duford threw two strikeouts but only walked one.

Woods, Wilson and Johnson each went 2-for-3. Benson added an RBI.

When the final out was called, the Pirates threw their gloves in the air and celebrated in the center of the infield.

"It's a great feeling," Smith said. "Staci was right, you really don't know how it feels until you get there."

Benson is the Pirates' only senior, and has been a four-year varsity player.

Smith said the quiet leader has taken some of the juniors under her wing and made leaders out of them to take the torch.

"She has big shoes to fill, more than that, she has a big heart," Smith said. "We have some good young kids, but nobody works harder than she does."