Pirates are softball champions
Senior shortstop Staci Benson winds up to throw to first for an out.
The 2010 State Class A Softball Tournament bracket
Sophomore Riley Kenney gets her bat on the ball during Polson's 7-3 win over Columbia Falls last Thursday.
Junior catcher Kayla Duford blocks the ball in Polson's win over Libby earlier in the month.
Junior Kodi Woods retrieves a ball that went into the outfield in Polson's game against Libby earlier this season.
Sophomore Makaliah Wilson makes the throw to first for an out against Libby last Friday.
Polson freshman Shay Duford winds up against Whitefish.
Sophomore Ashley Johnson hits the ball against Whitefish during an 11-1 Lady Pirate win last Thursday in Whitefish.
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 yesterday.
Polson, the top seed from the Northwest conference, won four straight in the two-day tournament that was shortened because of the rainy weather.
Polson had beat Belgrade earlier in the day to advance to the championship.
In the championship, Polson had 12 hits and scored early in the game, twice in the second inning and three times in the fourth, during the 6-3 win.
Freshman Shay Duford was steady on the mound, throwing the complete game.
Junior Kodi Woods and sophmores Ashley Johnson and Makaliah Wilson each went 2-for-3. Senior Staci Benson added an RBI.
This wasn't the first time Polson had to get past Belgrade. The Pirates faced Belgrade in the semifinals and, with a 5-1 win, took the automatic bid to the championship.
Polson again scored early in the game with five runs in the third.
Wilson went 2-for-3 while Benson and sophomore Riley Kenney notched doubles. Junior Sallie Sams drove in two runs with her home run in the third.
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.
Polson scored first, once in the first and again in the second, before Billings Central scored twice in each 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 eight for a game tied at six runs each. Neither team scored in the ninth, but Polson put three across in the 10th inning. The Rams managed one run, but that wasn't enough at Polson moved on.
Benson went 3-for-6 with a double. Wilson and Johnson each went 2-for-5.
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 proved their youth wasn't going to hold them from a title run.
Shay Duford was on the mound and allowed only five runs from Laurel while her team provided 11 of their own. At the plate, Shay Duford helped the cause, going 2-for-2 with four RBIs.
Sams went 1-for-3 with four RBIs. Wilson and Johnson each went 2-for-3.
For the full story, see this week's Leader.