Lady Pirates softball team prepares for state bid

The Polson High School softball team won four consecutive games Friday and Saturday at the Laverne Combo Softball Tournament Friday and Saturday at Butte High School.

Two of the main reasons the Lady Pirates softball team is having a significant amount of success is the play of their improved infield and the pitching of their star pitcher Vanessa Kent.

“Vanessa is getting more control of all of her pitches, she really has a good positive attitude and is very comfortable going out there,” Smith said. “She believes in the people behind her and has confidence that if she makes a mistake, they are going to make up for it.”

Smith said he felt his team has improved significantly in the infield since the beginning of the year.

“I believe we’ve improved vastly and are very quick at learning,” Smith said. “We probably had one of the most inexperienced bunch we’ve had in the infield and from that standpoint, we’ve done really well. The young ones have gelled in with the experienced people very well and the experienced people have helped us out with the young ones. They are gelling together now. They understand each other, know what everyone’s limits are and everyone knows who to listen to.”

The Lady Pirates have also developed a team chemistry, something that Smith said has not existed in recent seasons the way it has this year.

“In the past few years, this is probably the most bonding bunch of players that I’ve had,” Smith said. “I can tell that by the bus trips and how many rides back on the bus everyone takes. Every one of our seniors are on the bus and in the past few years, it hasn’t been that way. They are a strong unit on and off the playing field.”

Polson is still trying to maintain its unblemished record in their conference and they will have one more game to go when they host Columbia Falls Thursday at Polson High School’s softball diamonds.

C-Falls and Ronan are still fighting for their playoff lives.

“Both teams this week need wins over us in order to get into State and for Columbia Falls to secure third place,” Smith said. “We are in control of our own destiny and execution. We have to eliminate little mistakes and we have to keep on doing that in the State tournament.”

The Lady Pirates have qualified for State and now they will focus on the technical nuances in order to make it.

“We plan on being there on Saturday morning and see how the rest of the State tournament shakes out,” Smith said. “From that point on, we need to stay in the winner’s bracket and save Vanessa’s arm. I’ll be moving a couple of pitchers and have a pretty good sized staff to cover all of the games we will be facing in the loser’s bracket.”

Smith said he anticipates his Lady Pirates, who have secured a first-round bye, will most likely have to play perennial powerhouse Frenchtown in the second round.

This season, the Lady Pirates defeated Frenchtown in the regular season 5-0 and Smith knows duplicating a shutout against the Lady Broncs will be no easy task.

Before Smith and his Lady Pirates make it to State, they have other objectives.

“We are looking forward to closing out our conference undefeated,” Smith said. “We are going to be playing some tough teams to face who will be able to help us. We will be playing two teams this week that really need to win and they want to perform well under the situation. They are desperate and because of that, they will try to best us to beat us.”