MAC hands Ronan big loss, Polson drops two

The MAC Bulldogs matched up with conference rival Ronan last Thursday in Mission. Ronan, who had a rough go at Frenchtown the week before, continued to struggle batting against eh Bulldogs. Ronan senior Kaitlyn Sassaman had the team’s only hits, while MAC was led by Kenzie Couture, who went 4-4 including a triple and four RBIs. Mikaylan Roylance had a double and added two RBIs, as did Ran’Dee Charlo. Jordyn Eichert also had a double and a RBI. MAC didn’t get going until the third inning, but after scoring two in that inning and four in each of the next two, the game was called due to the 10 run rule.

MAC’s Ran’Dee Charlo pitched a great game and the team had no errors while piling up 13 hits, compared to Ronan’s two errors and two hits.

On Saturday, MAC faced Deer Lodge in a double header. Deer Lodge came out swinging, putting up four runs in the first inning compared to MAC’s three.

However, it was all MAC after that as they scored three runs in each of the next two innings and held Deer Lodge to just one more run. Jaycee Andersen pitched during that game and batted 1-3 and had an RBI. Ran’Dee Charlo added three RBIs, Eichert had two, and Madison Savage, Kenzie Couture, and Roylance all added one.

In the second game on the hot afternoon, batting slowed down. Charlo took over as the pitcher and brought in two RBIs. Morgan Malatare had a double, as did Eichert and Roylance. Eichert and Andersen each added RBIs. MAC did not score until the second inning, but they took a 4-1 lead after the sixth to widen their lead before holding off Deer Lodge from scoring in the seventh.

Thursday

Ronan- 000 00 – 0 2 2

MAC- 002 44 – 10 13 0

Carston Rhine and Sadie Wirz. Ran’Dee Charlo and Kenzie Couture. W – Charlo. L – Rhine.

RONAN – Kaitlyn Sassaman 2-2, Kiana Brown 0-2, Rhine 0-2, Amanda Morency 0-2, S. Wirz 0-2, Jordyn Clairmont 0-2, Courtnee Clairmont 0-2, Shailee Courville 0-1, Kaitlyn Santos 0-2.

MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – Mikaylan Roylance 2-4, Jordan Eichert 1-3, Kenzie Couture 4-4, Jaycee Anderson 1-3, Ran’Dee Charlo 2-3, Haley Carroll 0-3, Haley Crawford 0-2, Alissa Sorrell 0-1, Madison Savage 2-3, Venessa Kent 0-2, Ashley Tanner 1-1.

2B – Roylance, Eichert, Charlo, Savage. 3B – Couture. RBIs – Roylance 2, Eichert, Couture 4, Charlo 2.

Saturday

First game

D. Lodge- 400 001 0 – 5 6 3

MAC- 333 000 x – 9 9 2

Rilee Gray and Alyssa Lamb. Jaycee Andersen and Kenzie Couture. W – Andersen. L – Gray.

DEER LODGE – Jordan Senecal 0-4, Gray 0-4, Stacy Tiensvold 2-4, Brianna Bernhardt 1-3, Lamb 1-2, Hailey Swarengin 2-3, Kaitlyn Simpson 0-3, Elizabeth Barton 0-3, Shelby Jones 0-2, Elaina Carroll 0-1.

MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – Mikaylan Roylance 1-4, Jordyn Eichert 1-3, Couture 2-4, Morgan Malatare 1-2, Andersen 1-3, Ran’Dee Charlo 2-4, Haley Carroll 1-3, Haley Crawford 0-1, Madison Savage 1-2, Vanessa Kent 0-2, Ashley Tanner 0-1.

2B – Swarengin; Roylance, Eichert, Couture, Charlo, H. Carroll. 3B – Couture. RBIs – Bernhardt 2, Lamb, Swarengin, Simpson; Roylance, Eichert 2, Couture, Andersen, Charlo 3, Savage.

Second game

MAC- 010 102 0 – 4 5 1

D. Lodge- 000 100 0 – 1 2 2

Charlo and Couture. Tiensvold and Gray. W – Charlo. L – Tiensvold.

MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – Roylance 1-4, Eichert 2-4, Couture 0-4, Malatare 1-2, Andersen 1-3, Charlo 0-1, H. Carroll 0-1, Caitlyn Sorrell 0-1, Ashley Tanner 0-1, Savage 0-1, Crawford 0-1, Tomi Brazill 0-2, Kent 0-1.

DEER LODGE – Senecal 0-3, Gray 1-3, E. Carroll 0-3, Tiensvold 1-3, Bernhardt 0-1, Swarengin 0-3, Simpson 0-3, Barton 0-3, Ruthie Shepard 0-2.

2B – Roylance, Eichert, Malatare. RBIs – Eichert, Andersen, Charlo 2.

POLSON

At Kalispell this past Thursday, the Lady Pirates clashed with the defending State AA champion Lady Wolfpack from Glacier. Venturing into the den of a predatory pack of wolves tends to be risky even for the boldest of adventurous. Escaping with a mild mauling is considered fortuitous, while those less fortunate find themselves consumed as a course that complements canine cuisine.

Although Polson got slashed and gashed in the early going, the Lady Pirates limited further bting of jaws as they played Glacier better than even the rest of the way. Unfortunately for Polson, their hostile hosts played one of their better offensive games of the season as opposed to struggling at the plate when they lost to Columbia Falls earlier in the schedule.

Although Haley Fyant started from the mound, her early departure may have been influenced by some residual effects from taking a liner in the ribs last weekend. On the other side of the circle, Carroll College bound hurler Ali Williams was in top form as she fanned 14 Buc batters as well as dispatched another pair with putouts. Former Lady Pirate Emma Shew led her team with a quartet of RBIs. Factoring her out of the equation or injecting her back into the Polson lineup could have flipped the script on the outcome of this contest.

At Polson this past Friday, the Lady Pirates succeeded in plating runs every inning, but lost the contest against the defending three-time Class A state champion Lady Broncs when they were battered, bruised and bludgeoned by a bombardment from Bronc bats. It wasn’t so much the six dingers that did their destructive damage, but rather the added base runners on board from free passes along with fielding errors exacerbated by handling hiccups. Had Polson played a cleaner defensive game and managed to induce the trajectory of half the homers to descend within the playable side of the fence line, the Lady Pirates could have positioned themselves to either squeeze out a narrow victory or tied up the contest at the end of regulation to send the game into extras to decide its outcome.

The expression “if wishes were horses, we’d all be riders” would seem somewhat applicable to this less than desirable outcome since the Broncs in question were quite adamant about avoiding any kind of saddle or being corralled within a hostile environment when division standing implications were riding on the outcome.

On a positive note, eight runs scored against the Lady Broncs ties the highest amount scored against Frenchtown among Class A competition they have faced thus far this season. On two occasions the Lady Pirates also had runners in scoring position attempting to advance from second to third base when they were tagged out on close, either way plays. Capitalizing on either one of those uncertain outs would have been the most runs scored by an opposing Class A team. With a few refinements to pitch selectivity along with placement and crisper defensive execution, the Lady Pirates could position themselves to prevail the next time these two clubs clash.

At this juncture of the season, Polson has a trio of batters north of a .400 average, led by Kaelyn Smith, Quinn Motichka and Mikayla Croft with 16 extra base hits shared between them. Knocking at the door of the .400 threshold are Laurel Bitterman and Ashley Benson, just a couple of hits shy of that pace, but have collaborated on 28 RBIs between them.

Polson (2-2, 12-5) will have already honored their seniors for Senior Night against Kalispell Flathead this past Tuesday, then embark for the Butte-based “LaVerne Combo” softball invitational tournament this weekend, where they will face Dillon, Stevensville, Eastern A second place Miles City and current Central A leader Lewistown (Fergus), who has only lost one game so far this season with a pair of games yet to be played against Belgrade.

Glacier 8, Polson 5

Polson 001 000 4 – 5 6 2

Glacier 400 022 x – 8 12 4

Haley Fyant, Camas Renault (2) and Ashley Benson. Ali Williams and Christine Connolly. W – Williams. L – Fyant.

Pitching specs: Fyant (1IP: 2H,4W,1PO), Renault (6IP: 1PO); Williams (14K,0W,2PO).

POLSON – Kaelyn Smith 1-4, Lydia Dupuis 1-4, Benson 1-4, Hannah Potter 0-3, Fyant 0-1, Mikayla Croft 0-2, Hannah Fryberger 0-2, Breyland McColl 1-1, Laurel Bitterman 0-3, Quinn Motichka *1-3(E), Renault 1-2.

GLACIER – Williams 2-4, Christina DuFour 0-2, Erin McHugh 0-3, Anna Schrade 2-3, Madison Johnson 1-1, Christine Connolly 0-2, Kali Gulick 0-1, Emma Shew 2-4, Sarah Frandsen 1-1, Sarah Stern 1-2, Serra Monroe 3-3, Meg Hornby 0-4.

HR – Shew, Williams. 2B – Schrade 2, Williams, Johnson, Monroe. RBIs – Smith, Renault; Shew 4, Williams 3, Monroe.

SacB – Renault; McHugh. BB – DuFour 21, Connolly, Frandsen, Monroe. Runs – Bitterman, McColl, Motichka, (cr) Paige Noyes, Smith. Asterisk (*) denotes stat variants: Motichka 2AB.

Frenchtown 17, Polson 8

Frenchtown 203 610 5 – 17 *17 5

Polson 111 211 1 – 8 *14 1

Laci Willett, Megan Delaney (3) and Brooke Yarnall, Allie Hochhalter (3). Camas Renault, Lauren Vergeront (4), Renault (7) and Ashley Benson. W – Delaney. L – Renault.

Pitching specs: Willett (2IP: 2K,4H,1W,1PO), Delaney (5IP: 2K,9H,1W,1PO ); Renault (4.67IP: 2K,11H,2W), Vergeront (2.33IP: 2K,6H,1W,1HB).

FRENCHTOWN – Delaney 2-5, Alli Moe 1-2, Morgan Snow 0-1, Yarnall *3-5(E), Shelby Shourds 3-5, Willett 2-5, Dana Jacobs 1-4, Hochhalter 1-3, Kyla Schuldheisz 0-0, Lexi Statelen 0-0, Taylor Rockwood *2-4(E), Carley Thompson 1-1, Jordan Cole 1-4, Calli Bagnell 0-1.

POLSON – Kaelyn Smith 1-5, Laurel Bitterman *3-5, Benson 1-4, Lydia Dupuis *2-4, Hannah Potter 2-4(E,FC), Quinn Motichka 1-4, Hannah Fryberger 1-3, Makayla Croft 1-4, Renault 1-2, Paige Noyes 0-0, Vergeront 1-2.

HR – Yarnall 2, Shourds 2, Jacobs, Willett. 3B – Thompson; Smith. 2B – Yarnall, Delaney, *Shourds; Benson, Motichka, Croft. RBIs – Yarnall 7, Shourds 3, Willett 3, Jacobs, Thompson; Bitterman, Benson, Potter, Motichka, Renault, Vergeront. SacB – Willett. BB – Moe 2, Hochhalter, Jacobs; Benson, Fryberger. HB – Hochhalter.

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): F19H/P12H – Shourds 1B+FC (advanced to 2b on throw), Yarnall 4H (inf E+3H), Rockwood 3H (2H+inf E); Bitterman 2H (H vs. inf E), Dupuis 1H (uncontested b6 1B, scored on overthrow during subsequent at-bat).