Four Mission Valley softballers engage in military-like exercises at Veterans Memorial Classic

At Belgrade this past weekend, the Mission Valley had a quartet of area softball players participating in the Sixth Annual Veterans Memorial Softball Classic.

The tournament is structured into teams representing the five branches of the military which are additionally named after a fallen warrior who served in that branch. Enlisted in the Marine corp were Ronan Maiden Macao Jackson and Mission-Arlee-Charlo Lady Bulldog Azia Umphrey.

Also among the Marine roster was Claire Bagnell (Frenchtown), who is a niece of Drs. Tim and Kelly Bagnell (DDS, MD). Flying for the Air Force were Polson Lady Pirate grads Paige Noyes and Kaylanna DesJarlais. Others with extended familial connections to the valley include Navy’s Grace Hardy (Sentinel), whose parents attended as well as graduated from area schools. Other players within geographic proximity to Flathead Lake region of Northwest Montana include Sammee Bradeen (Libby), Trista Cowan (Columbia Falls), Avory Escobar (Eureka) as well as Kynzie Mohl, Sage Vanterpool along with Addie Labrum (Glacier).

After averaging ten runs over the course of their previous trio of contests, Air Force would be grounded by the Coast Guard after they could only launch a single run in the fourth place match. Neither Polson player would reach base in the contest, but Noyes was able to generate the lone RBI for the team.

After winning both their games, the Marines would route their way into the championship where they would await the identity of their opponent. Army would emerge, who they had edged by a single run in their previous encounter. Consequently, the championship contest was anticipated to be a close affair. That would not be the case. When three time state champion Belgrade Lady Panther pitcher Erin Elgas happens to be on the mound, she could make very little stand up to be enough. Elgas’ Army teammates obliged her with far more than cupcakes by wacking a baker’s dozen hits that included a quartet for extra bases. Elgas, for her part, handcuffed the Marines on just three hits while striking out eight.

Technically, the double elimination format would have called for a second championship match to settle the title. But the Marines coaching staff opted to put all their marbles in the one basket of the first title tilt due to the late hour.

$1,000 college scholarships were awarded to Jazmine SpottedBear (Cut Bank) and JJ Slater (Great Falls CMR).... Florence-Carlton’s Macao Jackson (Ronan) won the home run derby, Kasidy Yeoman (Florence) won the base running competition and Sammee Bradeen (Libby) won the catcher’s pop-to-pop.

6th Annual Veterans Memorial Classic

Belgrade Softball Complex, MT

Friday-Saturday, August 2-3, 2019

2019VMC HR Derby

Qualifying round (top 5 advance)

Macao Jackson (Ronan) 5, Nicole Ames 4, Kenna Thomas 3, Erin Elgas 3, Kayla Hickethier 3, Jessica Morgan 2, Ashlynn Nixon 2, Syd Paul 2, Jasmine SpottedBear 2, Kynzie Mohl 2, Taylor Huff 2, Vanessa Walsh 1, Kaylanna DesJarlais (Polson) 1, Azia Umphrey (M-A-C) 1, Maddie Tomasetti 1, Olivia Cook 1, Rachel Porter 1, Sara Bury 1, Hannah Fetter 1, Sage Vanterpool 1, Natalie Edgar, Autumn Porter, Kasey Jones, Danielle Zahn, Rachel McAuliffe, Demi Uffelman, Kelly Feller, Sammee Bradeen, Jenna Priddy, Kinzee Peterson, Cassidy Moen, Taylor Garren, Cassidy Venner.

Hardware round

Macao Jackson (Ronan) 4, Kayla Hickethier (Loyola) 3, Nicole Ames (Helena Capital) 1, Erin Elgas (Belgrade) 1, Kenna Thomas (Belgrade) 1.

2019VMC catchers pop-to-pop

Sarah Bury 1.95/1.85, Lauren Archie 1.9/2.2, Sammee Bradeen 1.75/1.8, Kynzie Mohl 2.1/1.9, Kinzee Peterson 2.1/1.93, Azia Umphrey (M-A-C) 1.9/1.9, Rachel Porter 1.8/1.9, Kaylanna DesJarlais 2.3/2.2, Natalie Edgar 1.9/1.85, Autumn Porter 1.75/1.9, Haileigh Davis 2.2/2.1, Demi Uffelman 2.1/2.0, Haylee Curry 2.0/1.9.

1st place: Sammee Bradeen (Libby) 1.84/1.69; runnerup: Autumn Porter (Miles City) 1.93/1.76

2019VMC base running contest

Kassidy Yeoman (Florence) 5.85/6.0, Sara Conway (GFH) 5.9/6.1, Kenna Thomas (Belgrade) 6.1/6.1, Claire Bagnell (Frenchtown) 6.25/6.1, Jenna Priddy 6.24/6.2, Sara Sumner 6.3/6.35, Jazmine SpottedBear 6.3/6.4, Autumn Porter 6.4/6.35, Hannah Fetters 6.4/6.7, Syd Paul 6.8/6.8

Select 2019VMC cumulative stats:

Addie Labrum 9-15 (2HR,4x2B,9RBI,BB,FC,5R) .600avg

Kynzie Mohl 4-7 (2HR,2B,6RBI,2BB,HB,4R) .571avg

Claire Bagnell 4-7 (2RBI,BB,HB,2FC,2R/7IP:11K,2H,3W) .571avg

Sammee Bradeen 9-16 (2B,9RBI,ROE) .563avg

Trista Cowan 5-10 (2B,2RBI,2BB,FC,2R) .500avg

Avory Escobar 4-9 (2B,2RBI,BB,2FC,5R/6.67IP:5K,4W,HB) .444avg

Macao Jackson 3-7 (3RBI,BB,R/4.2IP,2K,2W/7TC:1A,4PO) .429avg

Cassidy Moen 3-8 (BB,2R) .375avg

Ashlynn Nixon 5-14 (2HR,4RBI,HB,3R) .357avg

Paige Noyes 3-11 (3RBI,1BB,1ROE,2R/2DP,30TC:3A,27PO) .273avg

Kassidy Kinzie 3-12 (2B,3BB,2R) .250avg

Azia Umphrey 2-8 (BB,R/6TC:1A,5PO) .250avg

Sage Vanterpool 3-13 (4RBI,2HB,ROE/13IP:22K,15H,7W,3HB)

Grace Hardy 1-7 (RBI, 2HB,FC)

Kaylanna DesJarlais 1-8 (3RBI,BB,2FC,R/14TC:2A,12PO)

B1:Yeoman scores first, bases loaded for Zahn, nobody out McAuliffe on 3b, Cook on 2b, Bradeen on 1b. Marines turn double play for 2 out, one run scores, 3-0

T3: Feller reaches first on error, but gets nabbed trying to stretch for second base. Conway 1B,

B3: six consecutive hits, no outs, runners on corners, Cook CS 1out, 7th hit, Zahn

championship

Army 10, Marines 0

TJ Marines 000 00 – 0 3 0

MS Army 305 02 – 10 13 1

Erin Elgas (8K,1W) and Sammee Bradeen. Macao Jackson (2K,0W), (3) Jorden Taggart (1H,3W) and Azia Umphrey. W – Elgas. L – Jackson.

SGT TREVOR JOHNSON MARINES – Sarah Conway 1-2, Claire Bagnell 1-2(FC,SB), Kenna Thomas 0-2, Maddie Tomasetti 0-1(BB), Taggart 0-2, Macy Mangold 1-2(RBI), Cassidy Moen 0-2, Umphrey 0-2, Jackson 0-1, Kelly Feller 0-1, Rachel Porter 0-1.

CPT MATT SALTZ ARMY – Kasidy Yeoman 3-3, Taylor Huff 0-3(ROE), Addy Hultgren 0-3(FC), Rachel McAuliffe 1-2(BB), Olivia Cook 1-3, Sammee Bradeen 0-3(ROE), Danielle Zahn 1-2(BB,ROE), Hannah Fetters 0-2(RBI,BB,FC), Erin Elgas 0-1(RBI,2BB), Sage Vanterpool 1-3(2RBI,HB), Kylee Pittman 0-2(BB), Kinzee Peterson 0-2, revise!!

3B – Yeoman. 2B – Yeoman 2, McAuliffe. RBIs – Yeoman 4, Huff 2, McAuliffe, Cook, Bradeen. BB – Tomasetti; Fetters, Peterson, Pittman. FC – Bagnell; Elgas, Zahn. SB – Huff. CS – Cook. GIDP – Zahn. (Sa03Aug19gm10)

3rd place

Army 17, Coast Guard 6 (lo)

Army set the tone early when Danielle Zahn of Florence cranked a grand slam in the top half of the first. Coast guard countered with an Addie Labrum of Glacier home run in the bottom half of the inning and later on when Ashlynn Nixon of Corvallis smashed a solo tater in the sixth. Overall, both teams collaborated on ten extra base hits.

M.Saltz Army 520 136 – 17 19 4

JR Coast Guard 202 002 – 6 7 4

Sage Vanterpool and Sammee Bradeen. Kya Egan, (2) Demi Uffelman (2K,7H,1W), (5) Egan and Haileigh Davis.

CPT MATT SALTZ ARMY – Yeoman 2-3, Hultgren 1-2, McAuliffe 3-4, Cook 1-3, Huff 1-2, Zahn 1-4, Bradeen 2-4, Fetters 3-4, Elgas 2-4, Vanterpool 1-2, Peterson 0-2, Pittman 2-3.

LT JACK RITTICHIER COAST GUARD – Sophia Doyle 1-2, Addie Labrum 2-3, Lauren Archie 0-2, Davis 0-3, Ashlynn Nixon 1-3, Allee Meyer 1-3, Kassidy Kinzie 0-1, Whitney Durocher 1-3, Trista Cowan 0-3, Uffelman 0-1, Ally McMillan 0-2, Egan 1-2.

HR – Zahn; Nixon, A.Labrum (gs!). 2B – Fetters 2, Elgas, Bradeen, Yeoman, Huff; A.Labrum. RBIs – Zahn 4, Bradeen 3, McAuliffe 3, Fetters 2, Peterson, Huff, Hultgren; A.Labrum 4, Nixon, Durocher. BB – Yeoman, Hultgren 2, Cook, Huff 2, Peterson; Doyle, Kinzie 2. HB – Vanterpool; Uffelman, Archie. ROE – Peterson, Huff; Egan Meyer, Doyle. FC – Yeoman, Cook; Cowan, A.Labrum. SB – Yeoman, Huff; Kinzie. GIDP – Cook. (Sa03Aug19gm9)

4th place

Coast Guard 3, Air Force 1 (lo)

Unlike their preceding contest, Coast Guard grounded the Air Force in a low hitting affair.

JR Coast Guard 100 110 0 – 3 7 1

RM Air Force 000 001 0 – 1 4 2

Demi Uffelman, (5) Kya Egan, (6) Ally McMillan and Haileigh Davis. Nichole Ames and catcher.

LT JACK RITTICHIER COAST GUARD – Doyle 0-3, A.Labrum 2-3, Archie 0-3, Davis 0-2, Ashlynn Nixon 2-3, Allee Meyer 0-3, Kassidy Kinzie 0-2, Whitney Durocher 0-2, Trista Cowan 2-2, Uffelman 0-2, McMillan 1-2, Egan 0-1.

2LT ROBERT MCCORMICK AIR FORCE – Jazmine SpottedBear 1-2, Paige Noyes 0-2, Sara Sumner 0-2, Vanessa Walsh 0-3, Cassidy Venner 1-3, Haylee Curry 1-2, Syd Paul 0-3, Jenna Priddy 0-1, Ames 0-2, Sara Bury 1-2, Natalie Edgar 0-2, DesJarlais 0-1.

HR – Nixon. 2B – Bury. RBI – Nixon 2, McMillan; Noyes. BB – Kinzie, Egan; SpottedBear, Noyes, Sumner, Curry, Priddy, DesJarlais. ROE – Doyle 2. FC – Archie 2; Curry, Paul. SB – Noxon, McMillan; Curry. GIDP – Archie, A.Labrum.

(Sa03Aug19gm8)

Marines 6, Army 5

Macao Jackson played third, Azia Umphrey covered second, while Cassidy Moen patroled right field part of the game

TJ Marines 420 000 0 – 6 7 4

MS Army 000 020 3 – 5 4 0

Claire Bagnell (6K,1H,3W), (6) Jorden Taggart (2K,3W) and Rachel Porter. Kylee Pittman (3K), (3) Erin Elgas (11K) and Rachel McAuliffe, (4) Kinzee Peterson.

SGT TREVOR JOHNSON MARINES – Thomas 1-3(HB), Bagnell 1-3(RBI,FC), Conway 1-2(HB,FC,SB), Tomasetti 0-2(2RBI,HB,FC), Mangold 1-3(RBI), Azia Umphrey 1-3(SB), Macao Jackson 1-2(RBI,BB), Porter 0-3(RBI,FC), Moen 0-3(BB,CS), Taggart 1-3, Feller 1-3.

CPT MATT SALTZ ARMY – Huff 0-3(ROE), Hultgren 0-3(FC), McAuliffe 1-2(BB), Cook 1-3, Bradeen 0-3(ROE), Zahn 1-2(BB,ROE), Fetters 0-2(RBI,BB,FC), Elgas 0-1(RBI,2BB), Vanterpool 1-3(2RBI,HB), Pittman 0-2(BB), Peterson 0-2, Yeoman 1-2. (Sa03Aug19gm7)

5th place

Coast Guard 17, Navy 15 (lo)

In a slugfest upon the softball seas for the right to advance another round, Coast Guard would ride the tide of more productive hitting in the second half of the contest while holding off a rally by Navy.

CC Lapp Navy 050 401 5 – 15 17 1

JR Coast Guard 122 453 x – 17 18 0

Kya Egan, (5) Demi Uffelman and Haileigh Davis. Jessica Morgan, (5) Avory Escobar (6H,1W) and Kynzie Mohl.

S1C CARL CHARLES LAPP NAVY – Escobar 1-4, Autumn Porter 1-4, Jessica Morgan 2-4, Kynzie Mohl 2-3, Kasey Jones 3-4, Jensen Keller 2-4, Hardy 0-1, Taylor Garren 1-3, Hickethier 2-3, Taryn Wommack 0-1, JJ Slater 1-2, Reagan Frantz 2-3.

LT JACK RITTICHIER COAST GUARD – Doyle 0-2, A.Labrum 2-3, Archie 2-3, Davis 1-3, Nixon 1-4, Meyer 3-4, Kinzie 1-3, Durocher 3-3, Cowan 2-2, Uffelman 3-3, McMillan 0-3, Egan 0-3.

HR – Mohl, Jones, Hickethier (gs!); Durocher. 2B – Jones, Keller, Frantz, Hickethier; Archie, Durocher, Meyer, A.Labrum. RBIs – Escobar, Mohl 2, Jones 4, Hickethier 5, Slater, Frantz; Archie 4, Durocher 4, Uffelman 3, Meyer 2, Egan, Davis, A.Labrum, Nixon. SH – Wommack. BB – Wommack, Slater; Doyle 2, A.Labrum, Archie, Davis, Cowan. HB – Mohl, Hardy 2. ROE – Porter; Egan. FC – Escobar, Slater; Doyle, McMillan. DP – Durocher 2, Cowan 2. (Sa03Aug19gm6)

Air Force 16, Coast Guard 6

Nine extra base hits in this slugfest including a quartet of home runs.

JR Coast Guard 200 220 – 6 9 3

RM Air Force 034 342 – 16 19 1

Demi Uffelman and Haileigh Davis. Nicole Ames (3K,4H,3W), (5) Jazmine SpottedBear and Kaylanna DesJarlais.

LT JACK RITTICHIER COAST GUARD – Durocher 1-2(BB,FC), Uffelman 0-3(FC), Kinzie 2-3(2B), A.Labrum 2-3(HR,2B,3RBI), Davis 2-3(2B,2RBI), McMillan 0-3, Egan 0-3(ROE), Meyer 0-2, Archie 1-3(FC), Cowan 0-1, Doyle 0-(BB,CS), Nixon 1-2.

2LT ROBERT MCCORMICK AIR FORCE – SpottedBear 1-3(2B,SB,CS), Paige Noyes 2-3(RBI), Sumner 0-2(HB), Walsh 2-3(HR,RBI), Venner 1-3(RBI), Curry 2-2(HR,RBI,BB,SB), Paul 1-3(2B,2RBI,CS), Priddy 3-3(RBI,CS), Ames 3-3(HR,3RBI,SB), Bury 1-2(BB), Edgar 2-2(2RBI,HB), DesJarlais 1-3(RBI,FC). (Sa03Aug19gm5)

Air Force 10, Navy 5

CC Lapp Navy 000 203 0 – 5 7 4

RM Air Force 105 130 x – 10 6 1

Avory Escobar (1K), (3) Kayla Hickethier (1K,4H,5W), (6) Grace Hardy (2K) and catcher. Nicole Ames (5K,4W) and Kaylanna DesJarlais. W – Ames.

S1C CARL CHARLES LAPP NAVY – Escobar 2-3, A.Porter 2-3(HR,3RBI), Morgan 0-2(BB,FC), Mohl 0-1(2BB), Jones 0-2(RBI,BB), Keller 0-3(2FC), Hardy 1-3, Garren 0-3(FC), Hickethier 1-3, Wommack 0-1(SH), Slater 0-2, Frantz 1-2.

2LT ROBERT MCCORMICK AIR FORCE – SpottedBear 2-2(HRgs,4RBI,BB,2SB), Paige Noyes 1-3(RBI,ROE), Sumner 0-2(BB,ROE,FC), Walsh 0-3, Venner 0-3, Curry 1-3(ROE,2SB), Paul 0-2(SH,ROE), Priddy 0-2(BB,SB), Nicole Ames 1-2(RBI,SB), Bury 1-2(2B), Edgar 1-2(SB), DesJarlais 0-2(RBI,FC).

(Fr02Aug19gm4)

Army 12, Coast Guard 9

JR Coast Guard 111 103 2 – 9 8 2

M.Saltz Army 461 100 0 – 12 12 5

Kya Egan (1K,9W), (3) Demi Uffelman (3.33IP:1K,5H,0W) and catcher. Sage Vanterpool (15K,4W) and catcher. W – Vanterpool.

LT JACK RITTICHIER COAST GUARD – Nixon 0-2 (HB), Doyle 0-2(2BB,SB), Cowan 1-2 (2B,2RBI,BB,SB), Archie 1-3(2B,RBI,ROE), Meyer 0-3(ROE), Egan 0-3(ROE), McMillan 3-3(2B,RBI), Davis 1-3, A.Labrum 1-3(2B,RBI), Kinzie 0-3, Uffelman 0-3(ROE), Durocher 1-2(HR,RBI,BB)

CPT MATT SALTZ ARMY – McAuliffe 3-4(RBI), Hultgren 0-1(3BB,FC), Huff 1-3(RBI), Cook 1-1(HR,3RBI,2BB), Bradeen 2-3 (2RBI), Fetters 1-3(FC,CS), Elgas 0-2(RBI,BB), Zahn 1-2(3RBI), Vanterpool 0-3(RBI,HB), Pittman 0-3, Peterson 1-2(BB), Yeoman 2-3(2B). GIDP – Hultgren. (Fr02Aug19gm3)

Marines 17, Navy 10

CCL Navy 10( 1 ) 440 0 – 10 8 4

TJ Marines 00(10) 043 x – 17 17 3

Avory Escobar, (4) Jessica Morgan and catcher. Jorden Taggart (3K), (4) Macao Jackson (3H,2W), (6) Claire Bagnell (5K,1H) and catcher.

S1 CARL CHARLES LAPP NAVY – Escobar 1-2(2B,RBI,FC), A.Porter 1-2(SH), Morgan 0-3(2ROE), Mohl 2-3(HR,2B,4RBI), Jones 0-2(BB), Keller 1-3(ROE), Hardy 0-3(RBI,FC), Garren 1-3(RBI), Hickethier 0-3(RBI), Wommack 1-3, Slater 1-2, Frantz 0-3.

SGT TREVOR JOHNSON MARINES – Conway 2-4(HR,RBI), Bagnell 2-2(RBI,HB,CS), Jackson 3-4(2RBI), Azia Umphrey 1-3(BB), R.Porter 3-4(RBI), Feller 1-3(2B,2RBI,BB), Mangold 0-2(BB,HB), Taggart 0-4(RBI,ROE,FC), Thomas 1-3(HR,3RBI,HB,ROE), Moen 3-3(BB,CS), Tomasetti 1-3(HR,4RBI,FC). (Fr02Aug19gm2)

Army 10, Air Force 4

M.Saltz Army 302 020 3 – 10 13 4

RM Air Force 013 000 0 – 4 2 3

Erin Elgas (14K,2W) and catcher. Nicole Ames (4K,7H,4W), Jazmine SpottedBear (2K,4W) and catcher.

CPT MATT SALTZ ARMY – McAuliffe 2-4(ROE), Hultgren 1-3(BB), Huff 2-3(HR,2RBI,ROE,2SB), Cook 1-1(RBI,3BB,CS), Vanterpool 1-4(RBI,ROE), Bradeen 3-4(3RBI), Zahn 0-2(2BB,FC), Peterson 0-2(BB,FC), Fetters 1-3(2B), Elgas 2-3, Pittman 0-3(2FC), Yeoman 0-3(FC).

2LT ROBERT MCCORMICK AIR FORCE – SpottedBear 0-3(ROE), Paige Noyes 0-3(FC?,CS), Sumner 0-3(FC?,SB), Walsh 0-3, Venner 1-2, Curry 0-1(BB,ROE), Paul 0-2, Priddy 1-2(CS), Ames 0-1(BB), Bury 0-2, Edgar 1-2(RBI), DesJarlais 0-2(RBI). (Fr02Aug19gm1)