Pirates take second seed into state tourney

Polson is heading into familiar territory in the form of the Class A state tournament in more than one way.

The Pirates have won three of the past four state titles, and this year they have the chance to win another in front of their home crowd.

Polson’s side of the bracket contains what head coach Larry Smith considers to be four of the top five teams in the state, including his Pirates. As the No. 2 seed from the Northwest, the 16-3 Pirates will have to get by two of Hamilton, Libby and Belgrade to get another crack at reigning state champ Frenchtown, which has handed the Pirates two of their three losses this year.

“They’re still the team to beat,” Smith said, but he noted that Frenchtown is certainly beatable. “It’s not like they’re dominating.”

The Pirates’ other loss came from Hamilton, and Belgrade beat Polson, 5-2, in a jamboree-style game early in the season.

“You’re going to have to beat everybody anyway, but it is a rough start,” the coach said.

Polson swept Libby in the regular season, but not without a scare. The Pirates scraped by to a 7-5 win despite some shoddy fielding.

“That was the errors. It should have been a 7-0 game in my mind,” Smith said.

The glove work will have to be much cleaner this weekend.

“Offense wins games in the regular season, but in championships it comes down to that defense and pitching,” said Smith.

The veteran coach hopes his senior leadership, catcher Jaylin Kenney, pitcher Jessica Bagnell and left fielder Kyrie Bitterman, can carry them through.

“We’ve got very good seniors and good leaders,” Smith said.

He said it’s those seniors, especially Kenney, who is 7-for-8 against Frenchtown’s all state pitcher, Morgan Ray, in their two clashes this season.

“Good players excel against other good players,” Smith said. “They want to be the ones that shine. … When it comes to the clutch times, she’ll come through.”

It was fielding that let the Pirates down in their second meeting with Frenchtown this season, a contest they lost 8-4 on May 1. Polson’s defense made five errors in the contest, and seven of the Broncs’ runs were unearned.

Smith, though, is confident that his team will come to play on their home turf on the state’s biggest stage.

from Friday, May 23

Polson 7, Libby 3

Polson 000 412 0 — 7 6 5

Libby 000 002 3 — 5 9 3

Jessica Bagnell and Jaylin Kenney; Hannah England, Staci Regh (7) and Devon Gallagher. W — Bagnell. L — England.

POLSON — Kenney 3-3, Jaiden Toth 0-4, Bagnell 1-2, Kaelen Wall 0-4, Hannah Potter 1-3, Taylor Brackey 1-4, Kyrie Bitterman 0-2, Sarah Rausch 0-1, Ashley Benson 0-4, Lydia Dupuis 0-3.

LIBBY — Madisen Monigold 0-4, England 0-3, Regh 1-1, Mahalah Wedel 1-4, Gallagher 4-4, Kelsey Klin 1-4, Auria Benefield 0-2, Taryne Lusher 0-1, Dayln Germany 0-1, Abbey Ennenga 1-2, Rachel Rebo 0-3, Brooke Rosling 1-2.

2B—Kenney (2), Potter; Wedel, Rosling; RBIs—Toth, Potter (2), Wall, Brackey (2); Wedel (2), Gallagher.

from Tuesday, May 20

Polson 22, Whitefish 0

Polson 061 5(10) — 22 13

Whitefish 000 00 — 0 2

Jessica Bagnell and Jaylin Kenney. Halle Reading and Jordan Sletten.

POLSON — Kenney 3-5, Jaiden Toth 1-2, Haley Fyant 0-1, Bagnell 2-3, Kaelen Wall 0-3, Hannah Potter 0-2, Taylor Brackey 1-5, Kyrie Bitterman 1-2, Sarah Rausch 0-0, Emma Shew 0-1, Ashley Benson 1-2, Lydia Dupuis 3-5, Kania Smith 1-1.

WHITEFISH — Malia Morris 1-3, Georgia Donaldson 0-2, Jordan Sletten 0-2, Kenzie Carl 0-2, Machaela McDowell 0-2, Madi Davis 0-2, Micah McFeely 1-2, Halle Reading 0-2, Savannah Eisenbarth 0-2.

2B — Bagnell, Bitterman. RBI — Kenney 4, Toth 2, Bagnell 4, Shew, Benson, Dupuis 3.