Pandemic precautions grind softball season to a halt
Ordinarily, most Mission Valley area softballers who infuse the rosters of close to a dozen teams based around the northwestern portion of the state would have competed in the USA-sanctioned Montana Junior Olympic State softball tournament this past weekend in Helena. Those results would then have provided the basis for a swath of subsequent weekly sports coverage.
But these days are not ordinary times nor has this been a standard operating procedure season.
After the brackets had been formulated and a statewide tournament spanning four age groups was about to commence, spiking coronavirus numbers precipitated the health related imposition of a maximum 250 person attendance cap, effectively pulling the rug out from under an event of this magnitude.
Attempts were made to relocate to another venue with comparable facility accommodations. But alternative options were likewise embroiled in their own interventions for health related concerns, forcing the cancellation of the event.
Spiking coronavirus numbers statewide have had a domino effect upon the cancellation of subsequent week softball tournaments in Butte and Missoula as well.
Participating teams would have played a minimum of at least ten more games had they attended all three tournaments.
Like a grounder dribbled back to the pitcher, runners will be advancing nowhere as current events have effectively ground to a halt the remainder of the season. An unforeseen figurative umpire in the form of a virus has called time, but the clock will not restart nor will play resume this season.
A cumulative summary of the SARS-CoV2 abbreviated 2020 season for the high school age 18U Polson Lady Pirates softball squad is tallied below:
Twice all-conference credentialed 2019 all-state shortstop Josie Caye led the team in overall hits as well as those for extra bases from the leadoff position for a north of .500 average.
All-conference (2nd-tm 2019) hurler Katelyne Druyvestein followed with the next highest batting average while averaging almost a strikeout per inning pitched.
Catcher Lexy Orien tied for second highest number of hits among the team along with those for extra bases.
Clobberin all-conference (hm 2019) infielder Kobbey Smith generated the second leading number of runs batted in.
Tater taggers for the abridged season included hasta la vista, out-of-here, see-ya’s by Smith, Mossy Kauley and Turquoise Pierre, the latter who rounded the bases for an inside-the-park variety with a deep left field corner laser. Triples were hit by Druyvestein and Smith. Over two and a half dozen extra base doubles were smacked by nine different players.
2020 summer softball SARS-CoV2 pandemic abbreviated season
18U Polson Lady Pirates (14-7-1)
Hitting:
Josie Caye 35-62, 9(2B), 20RBI, .565avg, 5BB, 2ROE, 2FC, 4SB
Katelyne Druyvestein 24-52, 1(3B), 2(2B), 11RBI, .462avg, 9BB, 1HB, 4SH, 3SB
Kobbey Smith 19-56, 3(2B), 1(3B), 2HR, 15RBI, .339avg, 4BB, 1HB, 2ROE, 1FC
Lexy Orien 24-54, 7(2B), 11RBI, .429avg, 4BB, 1HB, 1ROE
Turquoise Pierre 16-35 1(2B),1HR(ip), 7RBI, .457avg, 7BB,1HB, 3SB
Mckenna Hanson 12-29, 3(2B), 11RBI, .414avg, 2BB,1SH, 3ROE
Gianna Fyant 18-41, 4RBI, .439avg, 3BB,5HB, 2ROE
Mossy Kauley 16-42, 4(2B), 1HR, 9RBI, .381avg, 8BB,1HB, 2ROE
Liz Scabbyrobe 10-29, 6RBI, .345avg, 6BB,1HB,2FC
Reegan Stinger 9-40, 1(2B) 9RBI, .225avg, 5BB, 1HB, 1SH
Anna Vert 16-43, 1(2B), 3RBI, .372avg, 6BB, 1SH, 1ROE, 4SB
Ashlynn DePoe 6-10, 4RBI, 1BB, 2SH
Pitching:
Katelyne Druyvestein (14-5-1) 82IP: 81K, 105H, 24W, 2HB, 8A,1PO
Turquoise Pierre 15.67IP: 11K,27H, 8W, 1A
Kobbey Smith (0-2) 5.33IP: 1K, 15H, 5W
Ashlynn DePoe .33IP: 3H
Avery Starr 2IP: 3K, 2H, 1A
Informal old school hand tally derived from a cumulative summary of box score results. Some details may vary from official electronic device summarization.