Polson 16, 18U softball optimistic about future

Polson head softball coach and 16, 18U coach Larry Smith said he is “optimistic” about the group he currently has and after finishing second in the Frenchtown Tournament this weekend, he has a good reason to be excited about his team’s future prospects.

“This team plays the style of softball that I like to play,” Smith said. “I really like to play smaller ball, utilize players with a lot of speed and get quick runners on base because this really puts pressure on our defense. There is a lot of speed and the really young players on our team are learning to put the softball in play and get down the line. They have the confidence to do it and they like doing it.”

Smith’s Team USA team record is currently 11-5 and he said, given the caliber of competition his team plays, the record is “excellent.”

“We are really looking forward to that period of time and these girls, especially the younger ones, are going to get better,” Smith declared. “We have some real quality. They are really fast, dedicated and give these younger players someone to look up to and someone they want to be like. I think that breeds some enthusiasm to really pick their game up.”

Smith, who admits his team is “young” and still learning to play together as a group, said he felt this team is “coming together quickly.”

“I think the camaraderie was immediate with this team,” Smith said. “I felt they really got along well. The older ones and younger ones mixed together and they were really positive, upbeat and encouraging. (This is) one of the most positive teams I’ve been around in a while and they just really get behind each other. We have quickness and speed all up and down the lineup. It makes it exciting to watch.”

The 16,18U team will travel to play in the Kalispell Emerald Tournament as they continue to see quality pitching throughout the summer, according to Smith.

“We’ve seen some really good quality pitching and some really good kids that will go on to pitch in college,” Smith said. “Our girls have fought extremely well against other pitchers. They had some really hard throwing and very talented pitchers and I thought we handled them very, very well.”

Some of the 16,18U team’s losses have come against a dominate Great Falls team.

“The girls really showed how much they’ve improved by how they’ve played this Great Falls team,” Smith said. “They beat us pretty soundly. In the championship when we went to Great Falls, we tied them 3-3 and beat them in the semifinal of another tournament. We just keep getting better and better.”

Though well documented, one of the unique aspects about Polson’s traveling teams, when they face other traveling teams in the state and the region, is the 16,18U team is comprised of mostly homegrown Polson players. Many of these other regional and state all-star teams are recruited.

“Very few teams are comprised of players from the same community,” Smith said. “Everyone is recruiting from all over. The one thing about summer leagues around the state is that everyone recruits heavily. That is exactly why I feel very good about what we can do with our homegrown talent. I think the girls take a lot of pride in that fact.”

Smith said he felt his team will continue to work to improve on its game.

“They just have to keep improving and game by game, they will continue to get better,” Smith said.

16/18U SPLASH championship

GF Xplosion 11, Purple Rain 1

The Purple Rain got a taste of what it would be like to play AA championship caliber softball as the Xplosion are comprised mainly of Great Falls High players with a sprinkling of Eastern BC Great Falls Central Catholic contributors. The Lady Bison of Great Falls were runnerup finishers of the recently wrapped State AA tournament this past Spring. The lineup of the summer Xplosion squad comprise of five all-conference recipients inclusive of a trio of Great Falls Trib Super-Staters along with two Eastern AA all-staters.

Polson 001 0 – 1 4 1

Great Falls 362 x – 11 11 1

Sky Lopez (1K) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Erin Hocker and Sarah Bury. WP – Hocker. LP – Lopez (2-1).

POLSON PURPLE RAIN – Kaelyn Smith 1-2, Laurel Bitterman 1-2, Marina Mayorga 1-2(2B), Lisa Costilla 1-1(3B,BB,R).

GREAT FALLS XPLOSION – Sarah Conway 1-3, Katie McEwen 1-1(SacB,BB), Tenaya Krenik 3-3(2x2B,3RBI), Caylee Bushong 2-2(BB), Veda Root 2-3, Hocker 0-3, Bury 2-3(HR,4RBI), Kylee Stoll 0-1(BB), Cassie Hudson 0-2. (Su11Jun17gm5brkt)

Consolation

Frenchtown Fury 5,

Libby/C.Falls Dirtballers 1

Libby Drtb 000 103 0 – 1 *6 1

Frenchtown 200 210 x – 5 8 1

Khalyn Hageness (4K) and Sammee Bradeen. Brynn Leishman (4K) and Dana Jacobs.

LIBBY DIRTBALLERS – Ryley Kehr (RBI).

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): GC: L5h/F1e

16/18U SPLASH semis

(#1) GF Xplosion 11, (#6) Eureka 0

Purple Rain 8, Fury 3

Polson 110 150 0 – 8 *13 0

Frenchtown 100 110 0 – 3 5 *2

Sky Lopez and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Brynn Leishman and Dana Jacobs. WP – Lopez (2-0). LP – Leishman.

POLSON PURPLE RAIN – Kaelyn Smith 2-3(2R), Laurel Bitterman 1-3(R), Quinn Motichka 0-3, DesJarlais *2-4(2R), Paige Noyes 3-4(2R), Grace Quinones 2-2(R), Marina Mayorga 1-4, Lisa Costilla 0-3, Sky Lopez 2-3.

FRENCHTOWN FURY – Kiley Habeck 0-2, Jacobs 1-2, Leishman 1-3, Morgan Snow 1-2, Taylor Garren 0-3, Claire Bagnell 1-3, Kendra Williams 0-2, Hailey Arthur 1-3, Cassidy Moen 0-2, Madison LaTray 0-1, (flex) Kami Bidlake 0-2.

HR – Snow. RBIs – Motichka, DesJarlais 2, Quinones, Mayorga 3; Snow, Leishman. SacB – Smith, Bitterman, Motichka, Quinones 2. BB – Snow. HB – Jacobs, Williams. SB – Smith 2, Bitterman; Bagnell. Runs – Smith 2, Bitterman, DesJarlais 2, Noyes 2, Quinones; Jacobs 2, Snow. (Su11Jun17gm4brkt)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): GC: P10h/F5e DesJarlais 1h(2BvsE7)

SPLASH Quarters

(#2) Fury 14, (#5) Ronan Outlaws 2

(#3) Purple Rain 4, (#4) L/CF Dirtballers 1

Libby 000 000 1 – 1 5 1

Polson 100 120 x – 4 5 1

Paige Noyes, Sky Lopez (1) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Khalyn Hageness and Sammee Bradeen. WP – Lopez (1-0). LP – Hageness.

LIBBY/CFALLS DIRTBALLERS – Bridget Carvey 2-2(BB), Hageness 0-4, Peyton Kehr 1-4, Emily Carvey 0-2(HB,BB), Bradeen 0-2(HB,FC), Ryley Kehr 0-3, Catie Murray 1-3, Bridgett Haskins 1-3, Kolby Smith 0-2, Keira Ward 0-1.

POLSON PURPLE RAIN – Kaelyn Smith 1-2, Laurel Bitterman 1-3(2B), Quinn Motichka 2-3(2B,2RBI), Desjarlais 0-3, Noyes 1-3, Grace Quinones 1-3 (RBI), Lisa Costilla 0-3, Haley Doss 0-1, Marina Mayorga 1-1, Sky Lopez 0-2, (flex) Izzy Hewankorn. (Su11Jun17gm1brkt)

GF Xplosion 7, Purple Rain 0

Great Falls 320 11 – 7

Polson 000 00 – 0

Grace Quinones, Paige Noyes (2) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Erin Hocker and Sarah Bury. WP – Hocker. LP – Quinones (1-1).

GREAT FALLS XPLOSION – Katie McEwen 1-3, Caylee Bushong 1-2(HR,3RBI,HB), Veda Root 1-2(BB,E), Kylee Stoll 1-3, Bury 2-2(HR,2RBI), Tennyson Lewis 1-2.

POLSON PURPLE RAIN – Kaelyn Smith 1-2(2SB), Quinn Motichka 1-2.

(Sa10Jun17gm3pool)

Purple Rain 8, L/CF Dirtballers 6

Polson 204 02 – 8 *11 *2

Libby 400 11 – 6 8 *1

Paige Noyes, Grace Quinones (1) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Khalyn Hageness (5K,6W) and Sammee Bradeen. WP – Quinones (1-0). LP – Hageness.

POLSON PURPLE RAIN – Kaelyn Smith 3-4(2SB,R), Laurel Bitterman 0-4, Quinn Motichka 3-3(RBI, BB,SB,R), Desjarlais 0-2(2BB), Noyes 0-1(2BB,R), Marina Mayorga 0-2(HB), Lisa Costilla 1-2(BB,R), Grace Quinones 2-3 (2B,FC,2R), Haley Doss 2-3(3B,E,2R), Izzy Hewankorn 0-3. (Su11Jun17gm1brkt)

LIBBY/C.FALLS DIRTBALLERS – Bridget Carvey 1-2(BB,E,R), Hageness 0-2(BB,FC,R), Peyton Kehr 0-2(BB,E,2R), Bradeen 1-2(BB), Emily Carvey 2-2(2RBI,BB,R) Ryley Kehr 1-3(RBI,FC,E), Catie Murray 0-2(BB), Savvy Ellis 1-3(RBI), Bridgett Haskins 0-2, Keira Ward 1-2(2B,FC,R). (Sa10Jun17gm2pool)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s): GC: P8h3e/L3e

L/CF Dirtballers 14, Eureka Lions 4

Frenchtown Fury 6, L/CF Dirtballers 3

Purple Rain forfeit win over Miles City

Purple Rain 14, Outlaws 4

The first 16/18U contest of the annual SPLASH softball tournament in Polson provided spectators a glimpse of next season when both Ronan and Polson will renew their long-standing interdivisional rivalry as part of the reconfigured Northwest A Conference. Polson highlights included a RBI stretch triple by Lisa Costilla in the second inning, a 2RBI double by Paige Noyes in the third and the first RBI single by Marina Mayorga since 12U. Ronan highlights included a 2RBI double down the left field line by Carly Tipp and 2-2 performance by leadoff Madison Clairmont.

Ronan 220 0 – 4 3 2

Polson 365 x – 14 12 1

Madison Clairmont, Marissa Mock (3) and Carly Tipp. Paige Noyes, Grace Quinones (4) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. WP – Noyes (1-0). LP – M.Clairmont (0-1).

RONAN OUTLAWS – M.Clairmont 2-2(RBI, 2R), Regan Clairmont 0-1(E,HB,R), Katlyn Santos 0-2, Mock 0-1(BB), Tipp 1-2(2B,2RBI), Ysabelle Burland 0-1(BB), Sierra Hutchins 0-2, Brooklyn Kenelty 0-1(BB,R), Aubry Doty 0-0(HB,BB,SB), Jerrica McCrea 0-2(FC,SB,R), Aly Mock 0-2 (RBI).

POLSON PURPLE RAIN – Kaelyn Smith *3-3(5SB,3R), Laurel Bitterman 3-3(RBI,2SB,2R), Quinn Motichka 3-3(3RBI,2SB,3R), Desjarlais 1-2(FC,BB,SB,3R), Noyes 1-2(2B,2RBI), Marina Mayorga 1-3(RBI,SB), Lisa Costilla 1-2(HB,3B,FC,R), Haley Doss 0-3(E), Quinones 0-2, Izzy Hewankorn 0-0 (2BB,SB,2R). (Fr09Jun17gm1pool)

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where play assessment subject to alternative evaluation:

B3ab2: chopper to mound ricochets off pitcher glove toward third base infield. For many, ball hitting glove justifies scoring as E1 error. Alternative assessment criteria for scoring as hit (H): (a) velocity and difficulty level of bouncing ball coming off bat; (b) pitching motion tends to take most pitchers out of making this type of defensive play. By virtue of fact pitcher even got her glove on the ball to slow it down should not be deemed sufficient rationale for dinging both defender for ordinary if not above effort and deducting quality level of sound batting as being deficient. Hence, scored as hit.