Area Softball Sparkles at 2016 Capital City Classic

| July 7, 2016 11:48 AM

By JOHN HEGLIE

Special for the Leader

At Helena the weekend of June 24-26 at the Capital City Classic, one area team competed for the top prize in the championship of their age bracket, but several other squads that made the gold medal round also featured players from the Mission Valley among their rosters. The 12U Silver Division bracket, the Polson Purple Wave edged the Missoula-based Montana Avalanche (Ries) during the semifinal, but fell to the Kalispell-based Lady Regulators in the championship to place second at the tournament. Two other Montana Avalanche teams that include Mission Valley area players competed in the 12U Gold Division bracket, but were derailed along the way before they could climb onto the top rung on the ladder.

In the 10U Silver Division bracket, the Missoula-based Lady Osprey won their championship. The Lady Os feature Chante LeaderCharge (Polson) and Sophia Forgey (Arlee) among their roster. In the 10U Gold Division bracket, the Missoula-based Montana Avalanche (Hanninen) were edged by the Force from Billings. The roster of Avs (Hanninen) includes Mission Valley area players Shanel Manuel and Payton Smith.

In the 14U Gold Division, the Missoula-based Montana Avalanche (Tipps) won their championship. Among the roster of the Avs (Tipps) are Destiny Manuel (Ronan), Josie Caye (Polson) and the second generation progeny of those raised in the Mission Valley area in Morgan Holmes (Ronan pedigree) and Grace Hardy (Charlo pedigree). The 14U Polson Lakers went 2-1 in pool play, losing their middle game by a mere run, but were derailed from advancing further into bracket competition by the Billings Force

In the 16U High School Division, three teams featured Mission Valley area players among their rosters. The Polson Purple Wave had hoped to fare better, but the competition in their age bracket entailed mostly all-star team from AA athletic talent pools further bolstered by older 18U players. The fact that the Purple Rain were able to manufacture runs and compete in a pair of their games should be viewed as an accomplishment in itself. Two Missoula-based Montana Avalanche teams also contended. Avs (Butler) won their first bracket game, but were knocked out by the eventual Silver Division champion Lightning. The roster of Avs (Butler) includes Emilie Corley (Polson) and Tomi Brazill (Mission). The 18U MT Avs (Earl) squad went 2-1 in pool play, but their further foray through the bracket portion of the competition was curtailed by a narrow opening round loss. Among the roster of Avs (Earl) is Polson Lady Pirate catcher Ashley Benson.

Most of these teams will contend in the State ASA Junior Olympic tournament in their respective age group brackets at Kalispell the weekend of July 8-10.

2016 Capital City Classic

Helena, MT

June 24-26, 2016

16/18U High School Age Group (16tms)

16/18U Gold Division Bracket

MT Warriors 4, Avs (Earl) 3

16/18U Silver Division Bracket

Liberty Lake Lightning 12, Avs (Butler) 6

Avs (Butler) 13, Belgrade Wolfpack 8

EC Heat 8, Purple Rain 4

The Polson Purple Rain took the lead on an early cloudburst, but the team from the Electric City heated up while the Rain cooled off. Mikayla Croft had the only extra base hit for the team, while Quinn Motichka delay the pilfer of two bases.

Purple Rain 030 001 – 4 7 0

EC Heat 000 413 – 8 12 0

Haley Fyant (5IP: 3K,8H,1W,2HB), Camas Renault and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Shea Laroque and McKenzie Staats. W – S.Laroque. L – Fyant.

PURPLE RAIN – Laurel Bitterman 2-3, Hannah Fryberger 0-3, Renault 2-3, Fyant 1-2, Addie McColl 1-3(FC),

Quinn Motichka 1-3, DesJarlais 0-3, Mikayla Croft 1-3, Paige Noyes 0-2.

EC HEAT – Marihelen Held 2-3, Twila Reovan 1-3, Staats 1-4, Marina Laroque 1-3, S.Laroque 2-4, Emma Pyette 1-2, Hannah Schaffer 2-3, Katie Nicholson 2-2, Bradi Thody 0-3.

2B – Croft; Held, S.Larocque, Nicholson. RBIs – Held 2, S.Laroque 2, Schaffer. BB – Held, M.Laroque, Nicholson. HB – Reovan, Pyette. SB – Motichka 2. (Su26Jun16gm4)

EC Heat roster derivations: GFH (Held, Reovan, Staats, S.LaRocque, Nicholson), Anaconda (Schaffer), CutBank (Pyette), CMR (Thody).

16/18U Pool Play Schedule

GF Big Sky Blitz (Bates) 7, Purple Rain 4

Purple Rain 001 021 – 4 12 2

BS Blitz 110 05x – 7 13 0

Camas Renault and Addie McColl. Kayla Braden and [ catcher ].

PURPLE RAIN – Laurel Bitterman 2-4(FC), Hannah Fryberger 2-3, Renault 1-3, Fyant 2-3, Mikayla Croft 0-3, Quinn Motichka 1-3(FC), McColl 2-3, Jaylynn LeaderCharge 0-3, Kaylanna DesJarlais 2-3, Paige Noyes 0-0.

BIG SKY BLITZ – Nicole Parsons 0-1, Denise LaFontaine 2-3, Wyniah Mintz 2-3, Jaclyn Bates 1-3, Jacey McDonald 2-3, Kayla Braden 3-3, Brooke Crabtree 1-3, Allison Cantley 1-3, Veda Root 0-2, Sarah Rydquist 1-3.

2B – DesJarlais; LaFontaine, Rydquist. RBIs – Fryberger, Renault 2, DesJarlais; Mintz 2, Braden, Crabtree, Cantley. SacB – Noyes. BB – Noyes 2; Parsons 2. HB – Motichka; Root. (Fr25Jun16gm3)

Glendive (Mintz), Laurel (Braden), Havre (Parsons, McDonald), GFH (Root), CMR (Crabtree), GFC (Cantley).

MT Avs (Earl) 6, Purple Rain 0

Purple Rain 000 000 – 0 3 0

MT Avs (Earl) – 301 020 – 6 11 0

Haley Fyant (2K,7H,2W, HB, 2A), Camas Renault (2K,4W) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Kylee Beccari and Ashley Benson. W – Beccari. L – Fyant.

PURPLE RAIN – Laurel Bitterman 1-3, Quinn Motichka 0-3, Hannah Fryberger 1-2, Fyant 0-2, Renault 0-2, Addie McColl 0-2, Jaylynn LeaderCharge 0-1, DesJarlais 0-2, Mikayla Croft 0-2, Paige Noyes 0-2.

AVES (EARL) – Kayla Daily 0-1 , Adessa Gagner 1-3, Toree Rensmon 2-3, Jaime Schafer 2-2 , Benson 0-3, Halle Nurse 3-3, Melissa Hiniker 2-3, Andi Mavrinac 1-3, Emily Earl 0-1, Beccari 0-2.

2B – Gagner. RBIs – Nurse 3, Hiniker, Mavrinac. BB – Daily 2, Gagner, Earl 2. HB – Schafer. (Sa25Jun16gm2)

GF Xplosion 7, Purple Rain 0

Purple Rain 000 000 – 0 6 3

Xplosion 110 023 – 7 8 0

Haley Fyant (2IP: 3K,2H,2W,HB), Camas Renault and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Erin Hocker and S.Bury. W – Hocker. L – Fyant.

PURPLE RAIN – Laurel Bitterman 2-3, Quinn Motichka 0-3, Hannah Fryberger 2-3, Fyant 1-2, Renault 1-2, Paige Noyes 0-2, Mikayla Croft 0-2, DesJarlais 0-2, Jaylynn LeaderCharge 0-2, Addie McColl 0-2.

XPLOSION – Sarah Conway 2-4, Katie McEwen 1-3, Hocker 0-3, Cayley Bushong 1-3, Nicole Ames 2-4, Bury 1-2, Gross 1-2, Tennyson Lewis 0-2, Hayley Russell 0-3.

HR – Bury. 2B – Renault; Bushong, Ames. RBIs – Conway, Bushong, Bury 2. SacB – Lewis. BB – McEwen, Hocker, Bury, Gross.

HB – Bushong. (Fr24Jun16gm1)

Xplosion roster derivations: GFH (Conway, Hocker, Bushong), GFC (McEwen, Lewis), Helena (Russell), Capital (Ames).

Avs (Earl) 5, GF Big Sky Blitz (Bates) 2

GF Xplosion 12, MT Avs (Earl) 6

MT Warriors 13, Avs (Butler) 5

Avs (Butler) 5, Liberty Lake Lightning 0

EC Heat (Staats) 6, MT Avs (Butler) 4

Avalanche players Emilie Corley (Polson) and Tomi Brazill (Mission) both played well over the course of the tournament. Brazill both pitched as well as hit well. Corley cleaned up from the cleanup spot during pool play, going 5-5 that included a walk, three doubles, an RBI if not more.

14U AGE GROUP (17tms)

14U Gold Bracket

championship

Avs (Tipps) 15, Calgary Adrenaline (2001) 0

MT Avs 663 – 15 11 0

Calgary 000 – 0 2 2

Grace Hardy (2IP: 2K) and River Mahler.

W – Hardy.

Destiny Manuel (Ronan) had two hits that plated three runs (2-3, 2B, 3RBI, 2R). Josie Caye (Polson) reached on a fielder’s choice that knocked in a run for an RBI. Morgan Holmes (1-3, RBI, 2R), Grace Hardy (1-3, 3R, HB, W).

Avs (Tipps) 13, Blgs Force (Matthews) 3

Grace Hardy (2RBI, 4IP: 5K) ), Destiny Manuel (2RBI).

Avs (Tipps) 7, Bozeman Stealers 3

Blgs Force (Matthews) 10, Lakers 7

Trailing 2-6, the Polson Lakers rallied for four runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at six apiece. But the Billings based bats countered with a quartet of their own. Polson would pick up another run in the top of the fifth, but that would be as close as they could trim the deficit. Key contributors were Shawntaya Burland (2RBI) and pitcher Spring Johnston (4IP: 3K).

14U Pool Play Schedule

Lakers 6, MC Magic (McCarthy) 5

Helena Blue Thunder 7, Lakers 6

Polson Lakers 12, Billings Bombers 2

MT Avs (Tipps) 12, Big Sky Blitz (Bell) 1

MT Avs (Tipps) 12, Spokane Crash (01) 4

MT Avs (Tipps) 8,

Belgrade Wolfpack (Thomas) 1

12U AGE GROUP (24tms)

12U Gold Division

Blgs Force Fury 10, Avs (Spry) 1

Avs (Spry) 11, MC Magic (Ferriter) 0

Blgs Bombers (Newell) 8, Avs (Craun) 4

12U Silver Division Championship

Lady Regulators 9,

Purple Wave 1

The Polson Purple Wave were held to four hits with singles from Anna Vert, Katelyne Druyvestein along with Gianna Fyant and a double from Chloe Ducharme. Vert knocked in Ducharme for the lone run of the game.

Purple Wave 6,

Avs (Ries) 2 (semi)

The Purple Wave clubbed a baker’s dozen hits that included a pair of bunts and a slap-bunt that got through the infield.

Savannah Carpentier blasted a triple, while Lexie Orien smacked a double. Pitcher Katelyne Druyvestein fanned a quartet with four strikeouts. RBIs - Carpentier 2, Fyant 2, Ducharme 2.

For the Avalanche, Ashlynn Depoe (Polson) reached base on an error, while Rheid Crawford (Arlee) hit an RBI single that scored one of the runs for the team.

Purple Wave 7, Emeralds Fastpitch 5

MT Avs (Ries) 7, BS Blitz (Fatz) 2

12U Pool Play Schedule

Purple Wave 10, GF Selects (Jaraczeski) 8

Blgs Force Fury 6, Purple Wave 1

Purple Wave 7,

Belgrade Wolfpack (White) 3

Avs (Spry) 2, MT Xtreme 1

Avs (Spry) 16, Big Sky Blitz (Lin) 0

Avs (Spry), 12, Lady Regs 0

MT Avs (Ries) 10, Blue Thunder 0

Big Sky Blitz (Fatz) 10, MT Avs (Ries) 9

Blgs Bombers (Newell) 4, MT Avs (Ries) 2

MT Avs (Craun) 12, Emeralds Fastpitch 0

GF Selects (Mitchell) 7, MT Avs (Craun) 2

MT Avs (Craun) 12, Benchdog Bombers 2

10U AGE GROUP (16tms)

10U Gold Bracket

Championship

Billings Force 9,

Avs (Hanninen) 7

In the championship, Mission Valley’s Payton Smith pitched 3 innings with 5 strikeouts and hit one batter, 1 walk.

Reach base herself after being hit by a pitch, which walked in a run for an RBI.

Avs (Hanninen) 17, MT Warriors (Black) 4

Avs (Hanninen) 14, Kalispell Emeralds 1

MC Magic (Ferriter) 19, Lil Lakers 13

10U Silver Bracket

Championship

Lady Os 9,

Electric City Heat 5

Chante Leader Charge (Polson) went 1-3, stole a base and scored a run during the championship. Sophia Forgey (Arlee) pitched in relief and struck out ten batters. At the plate, she reached base on account of drawing a walk.

Lady Os 19, Bozeman Stealers 1 (semi)

Lady Osprey 17, MT Warriors (Green) 7

10U Pool Play Schedule

Mining City Magic (Ferriter) 6, Lil Lakers 3

Lil Lakers 13, Kalispell Emeralds 3

Lil Lakers 11, Electric City Heat 6

MT Avs (Hanninen) 16, Big Sky Blitz (Swingley) 4

MT Avs (Hanninen) 17,

Bozeman Stealers 0

MT Avs (Hanninen) 15,

Triple Play Inferno 2

Shanel Manuel (Ronan) went 3-4 at the plate, scored 4 runs, drew a walk and had 2 RBIs.

Os 6, Big Sky Blitz (Falcon) 13,

MT Warriors (Black) 12,

Lady Os 6

Lady Osprey 17,

Billings Bombers 3