Polson, Ronan finish seasons at state
At the State A Tournament held in Belgrade this past weekend, the third-seeded Lady Pirates embarked upon their excursion with more extensive expectations, but their reservation got rescinded and their stay was cut short when their foray among the field floundered against some familiar foes.
In their first round rendezvous last Thursday, the Bucs bumped into and got bucked into the basement bracket by the Bitterroot Broncs from Hamilton. After prevailing twice during their regular schedule encounters (11-7, 14-8), Polson found out just how tough it can be to beat an upper caliber team thrice in one season. After plating a run in the opening frame and nursing a precariously perched lead, the Broncs unleashed some of their firepower when they clubbed a trio of dingers over the fence to vault into the lead. The Pirates trimmed the deficit when they picked up another run at the top of the following inning, but were then relegated to the consolation bracket when Hamilton ten run ruled them in the bottom of the fifth.
After being thrown from the saddle by Broncs the day before, the Lady Pirates didn’t horse around on Friday morning when they faced another equine adversary in the Blue Ponies from Havre. After two innings of scoreless deadlock, Polson plated eight runs the next tandem of frames. Havre cut that lead in half in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lady Pirates unfurled the sails on their offensive rigging and ten run ruled the contest when they plated another nine more.
The preceding win set up a NWA showdown with division rival Columbia Falls with both teams on life support as the outcome would advance the winner to live another round while a requiem would be recited upon the deposed loser. If the myth that cats have nine lives has any veracity, these cardiac Kats spent five of them during the course of this contest. After the Lady Pirates cobbled together narrow leads in the top of the first, second, fifth, sixth and eighth innings, Columbia Falls was able to respond with a game tying run to keep their chances alive. Polson had an opportunity to tack on more runs in the top of the sixth despite one out, but the Kats were able to turn a double play to extract themselves from further damage when their outfielder threw out a Lady Pirate attempting to score on a flyout to centerfield.
In the extra frame at the top of the eighth, Polson once again took the lead after Ashley Benson singled home Laurel Bitterman who had doubled with one out. But in the bottom half of the frame, a pair of ill-timed errors allowed the Kats to tie up the contest for the fifth time, setting the stage for the long reach of the six-footer Sydney Hovde to play the role of wrecking crew when she belted a three-run shot for the walk-off win. It was same Hovde who had stroked the game tying solo dinger in the bottom of the seventh to send the contest into extras the preceding inning.
In all, the Lady Pirates stranded 11 base runners over the course of their final game of the tournament against the Kats, not the kind of formula conducive for prevailing in a tight contest. Over the course of their trio of tournament games, opponents bludgeoned the Bucs for 14 extra base hits that included eight home runs for a sum tally of 17 runs, a figure which played a detrimental role in grinding to a halt further traversing among the tiers of the tournament. Contending teams at the tournament exploited visible vulnerabilities within such a crucial aspect of the game.
These findings will fuel as well as facilitate further focus upon refining the filter of the fabric on the screen door so that less unwanted flies encroach the threshold to spoil future festivities. Polson (18-9) wraps up their season as they bid farewell to the senior tandem of Hannah Potter and Lydia Dupuis, the last vestiges among the roster to hold State ASA championship credentials.
Columbia Falls 9, Polson 6
Polson 120 011 01 – 6 *12 4
C Falls 100 210 14 – 9 *16 0
Lauren Vergeront, Camas Renault (4) and Ashley Benson. KJ Schweikert (6K,7W,2HB) and Samantha Collins. W – Schweikert. L – Renault (). Pitching Specs: Vergeront (3.33IP: 3K,8H,2W,3PO), Renault (4.67IP: 1K,8H,1W).
POLSON – Kaelyn Smith 2-4, Laurel Bitterman 2-4, Benson 1-4, Lydia Dupuis 2-4, Hannah Potter *1-4(FC), Hannah Fryberger 2-3, Haley Fyant 1-2, Addison McColl 0-1, Quinn Motichka 0-3(FC), Renault 1-2.
Hovde 2. 2B – Bitterman; Collins.
RBIs – Smith, Fryberger, Benson; Hovde 4. SacB – Fryberger; Freeman, Campbell-Queen. BB – Smith, Bitterman, Dupuis, Fyant, Motichka, Renault 2; Price, Kehr , HP – Potter, Benson. SB – Bitterman (23rd), Motichka (13th). Runs – Smith, Potter, Motichka, Dupuis, Bitterman. (Fr27May16gm16)
Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): P11H – Potter 0-3 (5PA = HP,1B,K,FO,FC). CF12H – Price 2H (b8 E), Kehr 0H (FC vs. 1B), Collins (b8 1B vs. E), Hovde 3H (FO,1B,1B,HR,HR), Freeman 0H, Putnam 4AB (Cowan flexed for Putnam 1AB)
Polson 17, Havre 5
Polson 003 545 – 17 17 2
Havre 000 401 – 5 7 6
Camas Renault (4IP: 1K,7H,1PO), Lauren Vergeront (5) and Ashley Benson. Dani Wagner and Nicole Parsons. W – Renault. L - Wagner. Sv – Vergeront (3K,0H).
POLSON – Kaelyn Smith *4-5, Laurel Bitterman 3-5, Benson 0-4, Lydia Dupuis *3-5, Hannah Potter 2-4, Hannah Fryberger 3-5, Haley Fyant 1-5(FC), Quinn Motichka 1-4, Renault *1-3, Vergeront *0-1.
HR – Smith; Wagner, Howard. 2B – Fryberger, Potter, Dupuis; Worm. RBIs – Smith 4, Bitterman, Benson 2, Dupuis 3, Potter, Fryberger 2,
BB – Benson. SB – Smith (41st), Bitterman (22nd), Benson.
Runs – Smith 4, Bitterman 3, Benson 2, Dupuis 2, Potter, Fyant, Motichka, (cr) Noyes 3. Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): Smith 3H (E on play resulted on extra base, but scored as Hit), Dupuis 2H (t5 ), Potter 1H (t3
Renault 4AB (Vergeront AB conflated with Renault).
Hamilton 12, Polson 2
Polson 100 10 – 2 8 3
Hamilton 005 07 – 12 *15 1
Camas Renault, Haley Fyant (3), Renault (3) and Ashley Benson. Jorden Taggart and Kelsie Meis. W – Taggart. L – Renault.
Pitching specs: Renault (4.33IP: 1K,11H,2W,1PO), Fyant (.67IP: 2K,4H); Taggert (3K,1W,2PO).
POLSON – Kaelyn Smith 0-3, Laurel Bitterman 2-3, Benson 2-3, Lydia Dupuis 1-3, Hannah Potter 0-3(E), Quinn Motichka 0-1, Hannah Fryberger 2-2, Makayla Croft 0-1, Renault 1-2.
HR – Fryberger; Nye, Ringer, Richardson, McGill. 3B – Dillon. 2B – Benson; Ringer, Meis, Nye. RBIs – Potter, Fryberger; Nye 3, Dillon, Ringer 2, McGill 2, Richardson 2, Huxtable. SacF – Huxtable. BB – Motichka; Dillon, DellaSilva. SB – Richardson. CS – Bitterman, Motichka. Runs – Benson, Fryberger. Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): H17H – Doyle 1H (2B vs. 1B+E), DellaSilva 1H (b3 H vs. ifE), Huxtable 1H (b3 H vs. ofE)
RONAN
By Kylie Richter
After an exciting weekend of divisional softball the week before, the Ronan Maidens were looking to go out on top at the Class BC state tournament in Kalispell. In their first game, the Maidens matched up against Huntley Project in a game that would stretch out over about five hours. After lightning delay and rain storm that made the bases look like islands, their game was postponed and moved to a different complex. So a few hours later, they started the game back up in the second inning.
At that point it was 3-2 Ronan. Ronan brought in two more runs in the third to make the score 5-2. Huntley hit a home run in the fourth that made the score 5-4. It was not until the six inning that Huntley scored again, tying up the game. In the top of the seventh Huntley had a chance to go up, but the runner on third did not tag up as Gabby Wirz caught a fly ball, and after she touched home, the Maidens realized it and threw the ball back to third baseman Amanda Morency, and the umpire called the third out, canceling the run. Ronan could not score in the bottom of the seventh, and the game went to the first extra inning. Huntely scored in the eighth and had two runners on, but the Maidens tightened up their defense and went into the bottom of the inning down by one. Courtnee Clairmont was the hero of the eighth, as she hit a triple to bring in Taylor Tobol to tie the game back up. That led to a ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, Huntley scored two runs to put the pressure back on Ronan. It looked like the Maidens might be back in business when senior Kiana Brown had a nice hit with fellow senior Carston Rhine on third, but the Huntley outfielder caught it, and the game was over, sending Ronan into the backside of the bracket.
Rhine had a nice game against Huntley, striking out 13 batters, including a few important third outs.
On Friday morning, Ronan took on Glascow, who was upset by the lower seeded Florence. Ronan went up by one run in the first inning before Glasgow brought in two more in the fourth to go up by one. Ronan responded with three runs of their own to retake the lead. However, a huge sixth inning by Glasgow that included two home runs would do the Maidens in, as they were only able to pull within three before running out of innings.
In the last game of their high school career, both Amanda Morency and Kiana Brown hit doubles and had RBIs. Other seniors to play in their last high school game were Kaitlyn Sassaman who went 2-4 and scored a run, Carston Rhine, who went 1-4, scored two runs, and had a RBI, and Jordyn Clairmont, who batted 1-3 and had a RBI.
Huntley Project 8, Ronan 6 (9 innings)
Huntley Project- 200 201 012 – 8 *13 4
Ronan- 302 000 010 – 6 *8 6
Tessa Hultgren and Kasey Jones. Carston Rhine (13K,5W) and Sadie Wirz. W – Hultgren. L – Rhine (14-5).
RONAN — Kaitlyn Sassaman 1-4, Gabriella Wirz 3-5(E), Rhine 1-5(FC), Amanda Morency 0-5(FC), Kiana Brown 0-5(FC,E), S. Wirz 1-4, Jordyn Clairmont *1-3(E), Shailee Courville 0-3, Courtnee Clairmont 1-4, Katlyn Santos (flex), Taylor Tobol (cr).
HR – Jones. 3B – *C.Clairmont. 2B – Jones, Stookey; S. Wirz, *J.Clairmont. RBIs – Taylor, Jones 2, Hultgren 2, Stookey 3; Rhine, Courville, C. Clairmont. SacB – Krum. BB – Taylor 2, Jones 2, Caster; Sassaman, J.Clairmont. Courville. SB – G.Wirz, J.Clairmont.
Runs – Sassaman, G.Wirz, Rhine, S.Wirz, J.Clairmont, Courville. Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): HP12H –Rohrer 1H (5PA = K,1B,K,1B,E), Thom 2AB (3PA = F7,K,K), Krum 2AB (SacB doesn’t count as AB); R7H – J.Clairmont 0H (b6 tb3 = 2B vs. E), C.Clairmont 1H (b8 tb3 = 3B vs. 2B+E).
Glasgow 10, Ronan 7
Glasgow 200 205 1 – 10 10 2
Ronan 300 031 0 – 7 *13 0
Tyra Johnson and Ziggy Chamberlain. Carston Rhine, Gabby Wirz (4), Rhine (6) and Sadie Wirz. W – Ty.Johnson. L – G.Wirz (5-3).
Pitching specs: Rhine (4IP: 4K,5H,6W,2PO), G.Wirz (3IP: 4K,5H,3W)
RONAN – Kaitlyn Sassaman *2-4(E), G. Wirz *0-4, Rhine *1-4(FC), Amanda Morency 3-3, Kiana Brown *2-4(FC), S. Wirz *0-4, Jordyn Clairmont *1-3, Shailee Courville *1-4(E), Courtnee Clairmont 1-3, (cr) Jasmine Christensen, (cr) Taylor Tobol, (cr) Katlyn Santos.
HR – Ty.Johnson, Barstad, Z.Chamberlain. 2B – Kolstad, Z.Chamberlain; Morency, Brown. RBIs – Ty.Johnson 5, Barstad, Z. Chamberlain; *Rhine, Morency *2, Brown 3, J. Clairmont. BB – Krumweide, Schmidt, Ti.Johnson, Kolstad, Ty.Johnson, Barstad, Z.Chamberlain, Nixdorf; Morency, J.Clairmont, C.Clairmont. SB – (cr)A.Johnson; J.Clairmont. CS – Schmidt.
Runs – Sassaman, Rhine 2, Morency 2, Brown, C.Clairmont. Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): Krumweide 3AB (5PA = BB,K,FO,1B,FC), Nixdorf 2AB (4PA = K,PO,BB,FC); R11H – Sassaman 2AB (4PA = E,1B,FC,1B), G.Wirz 3AB (4PA), Rhine 3AB,0RBI (4PA, b6 4-3PO scores Run), Morency absentRBIs (b1 2B plates 2RBI), Brown 3AB (4PA), S.Wirz 3AB (4PA), J.Clairmont 2AB (4PA = FC, PO,1B,BB), Courville 3AB (4PA = K,1B,PO,E).