Charlo no-hits Deer Lodge as MAC rolls

DEER LODGE — Courtney Charlo forgot her Under Armour on Mission-Arlee-Charlo’s softball trip to Deer Lodge Saturday.

So when the senior found herself sleeveless in the wintry mix softballers in Montana have come to know and hate, she knew the quickest way back to the dugout was not to allow any hits. So she didn’t.

“It’s hard to pitch with a sweater on so I handled the cold, and got down to business so I could get back into the dugout where the coaches and teammates had blankets waiting for me,” she said.

Charlo’s no-hitter and a two-home run performance from shortstop Jordyn Eichert propelled MAC to a 16-0 win over the Wardens.

The Bulldogs weren’t aware of the no-hitter until after the game when scorekeeper Heather Currie notified the team, so there was no dogpile on the field or Gatorade shower.

“It was too cold anyway,” MAC coach Susan Weaselhead joked.

Every no-hitter, it seems, has a play or two that saves the day, and Charlo’s performance Saturday was no exception. Weaselhead recalled a stinger to left field that Shania Dubois snagged and another popup in the infield that third baseman Mikaylan Roylance hit the dirt to reel in.

Charlo struck out eight and walked five in the contest, and the Bulldogs committed one fielding error.

MAC beat Deer Lodge in the teams’ first meeting April 3 in St. Ignatius, 8-7, but this rematch was all Bulldogs.

“Once the bats got going, it was just great. The girls just fed off each other and Courtney as well,” Weaselhead said. “It was just a great morale builder for all the girls.”

The bats echoed that statement. Eichert’s two homers accounted for her four RBI, and Morgan Malatare laced a laser over the fence as well. Jaycee Andersen tacked on a pair of hits and a pair of runs driven in as well.

from Saturday, May 10

MAC 16, Deer Lodge 0

MAC 031 75 – 16 8 1

D. Lodge 000 00 – 0 0 2

Courtney Charlo and Alyssa Doty. Kelsie Gray, unavailable (5) and Dani Walker. W – Charlo. L – Gray.

MAC – Mikaylan Roylance 1-4, Jordyn Eichert 2-4, Connor Smith 0-3, Doty 1-1, Emilie Charlo 0-2, Morgan Malatare 1-3, C. Charlo 0-3, Jaycee Andersen 2-3, Shania Dubois 1-3.

DEER LODGE – Hunter Therriault 0-2, Gray 0-2, Walker 0-2, Michele Christnacht 0-1, Courtney Goff 0-2, Natalie Padovich 0-2, Sara Forbes 0-1, Elena Carroll 0-1, McKenna Stefalo 0-1, Elizabeth Barton 0-1.

2B – Roylance, Andersen, Dubois. 3B – Andersen. HR – Malatare, Eichert 2. RBI – Roylance, Eichert 4, Doty, Malatare 4, C. Charlo, Andersen 2, Dubois 2.