Local ladies make waves at SPLASH Classic
The 14U Lady Pirate SPLASH Classic champions. Back row, from left: Coach Jim Jore, Alyssa Orien, Izzy Fyant, Kailey Smith, Emma Smith, Coach Lyle Smith, Josie Henriksen, Nevaeh Perez, Sierra Perez and Coach Juan Perez; Front row, from left: Layla Tenas, Aaliyah Adams, Olivia Jore, Samantha Rensvold and Fayrene Pierre. (Courtesy of Bob Gunderson)
Polson U18 pitcher Katelyne Druyvestein winds up during a game Sunday. The Lady Pirates went with a tie-dyed look on the final day of the SPLASH Classic. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
Polson 14U players got their game faces on Sunday en route to the SPLASH Classic title. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
One Mission Valley team was crowned champion and two others placed when the dust settled at the annual SPLASH Classic held at the Polson Softball Complex over the Fourth of July weekend.
The Polson-based 14U Lady Pirates secured the second-seed coming out of pool play, then swept through bracket competition to capture the crown. Izzy Fyant shut down the C-Town Rebels from the circle, while Olivia Jore swung the hot bat with four hits.
The 12U Mission Valley Stars locked down the top seed by sweeping pool play and advanced to the title game, where they lost a tight one-run battle with the Kalispell Emeralds to finish second in the division.
Among the high school division, the Lady Pirates secured a two seed after pool play. They opened bracket play with a win over the elder Emeralds team from Kalispell before falling 1-0 in the semifinals to the Butte-based Mining City Magic.
Mckenna Hanson hit a solid double in the sixth, reaching third on a throwing error. Lexy Orien followed with a deep fly ball to center that came down short of the fence for the final out of the inning.
The Magic lineup included Ashlie Welker of Ronan.
The loss routed Polson into the consolation championship with the familiar foe C-Town Rebels. The Lady Pirates (16-8-2) loaded the bases during second and third innings, but netted very few runs. The Rebels closed the gap to within one, 3-2 as the game entered the latter innings. With one out, Demye Rensel parked a three-run shot on the other side of the fence for a walkoff win of the third place prize.
Polson’s Nikki Kendall won the event’s high school home run derby, followed by Libby sluggers Josslyn White and Mackenzie Foss.
Zayleigh Rafiu of Polson won the 10U derby, while teammate Aubrie Nash finished third.
At Belgrade over the weekend, the Bitterroot-based Sparks advanced their way into the championship, but fell to the Billings Force. Columbia Basin College-bound Macao Jackson of Ronan was on the mound for the championship. Also playing for the Sparks is University of Providence Argo Azia Umphrey of Mission.
Teams will compete in Helena this weekend as part of the USA Junior Olympic state tournament.
2021 SPLASH Classic
Polson Softball Complex, July 2-4
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
Consolation championship
Rebels 5, Lady Pirates 3
Polson 021 000 – 3 10 0
C-Falls 100 013 – 5 7 1
Avery Starr (4K,3W) and Mckenna Hanson. Haden Peters (1K) and Demye Rensel, (3) Abbie Darsow. W – Peters. L – Starr (2-1-1)
POLSON – Katelyne Druyvestein 1-4, Hanson 1-4, Lexy Orien 0-3, Starr 1-3, Nikki Kendall 1-2, Caitlyn Ward 2-3, Tyneesha Brown 2-3, Lexi Johnson 0-3, Julia Barnard 2-3.
C-TOWN – Syd Mann 0-3, Haylee Lawrence 0-2, Aspen Dawson 1-3, Kyrah Trenkle 0-2, Sophia Robbins 0-2, Peters 1-3, Darsow 0-2, D.Rensel 1-2, Jazzy Marino 1-3.
HR – D.Rensel. 3B – Dawson. RBIs – Druyvestein, T.Brown, Johnson; Dawson, Trengle, D.Rensel 3. SF – Trenkle. BB – Kendall; Lawrence, Darsow, D.Rensel. ROE – Johnson; Dawson. FC – Druyvestein, Johnson; Lawrence, Darsow. SB – Brown, Barnard.
Semifinal
MC Magic-Thatcher 1, Lady Pirates 0
Butte 000 001 0 – 1 3 1
Polson 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Kennedy Venner (13K,1W) and Rachel Porter. Katelyne Druyvestein (9K,0W) and Lexy Orien. W – Venner. L – Druyvestein (15-4).
MINING CITY – Kasidy Yeoman 2-3, Sofee Thatcher 1-3, Venner 0-3, Porter 0-3, Brooke Badovinac 0-3, Mackenzie Tutty 0-3, Kamber Leary 0-3, Ashlie Welker 0-2, Rylee Yeoman 0-2.
POLSON – Katelyne Druyvestein 0-3, Hanson 2-3, Lexy Orien 0-3, Avery Starr 0-3, Nikki Kendall 0-2, Caitlyn Ward 0-3, Tyneesha Brown 0-2, Lexi Johnson 0-2, Julia Barnard 0-2.
2B – Hanson. RBI – S.Thatcher. BB – Kendall. ROE – S.Thatcher. FC – R.Porter. SB – K.Yeoman.
Lady Pirates 4, Emeralds-Hurly/Williams 1
Katelyne Druyvestein and catcher. W – Druyvestein (15-3)
Pool play
Lady Pirates 3, MC Magic-Thatcher 1
Polson 300 00 – 3 1 1
Butte 000 01 – 1 3 3
16/18U PNikki Kendall (3K,1W) and Mckenna Hanson, (3) Lexy Orien. Kennedy Venner (12K) and Kasidy Yeoman. W – Kendall (3-1).
POLSON – Katelyne Druyvestein 0-3(ROE,R), Hanson 1-2(BB,R), Orien 0-2(HB,ROE,R), Avery Starr 0-2(RBI,SF), Nikki Kendall 0-(RBI,ROE), Caitlyn Ward 0-1(FC,HB), Tyneesha Brown 0-1(HB), Lexi Johnson 0-1(BB).
MINING CITY – K.Yeoman 1-3, Venner 0-2(FC), Brooke Badovinac 0-1(BB), Mackenzie Tutty 0-2(ROE,R), Ashlie Welker 1-2, Rylee Yeoman 1-2(2B,RBI).
Lady Pirates 14, Libby Dirtballers 0
Polson 455 0 – 14 8 0
Libby 000 0 – 0 2 1
Katelyne Druyvestein and Lexy Orien, (3) Mckenna Hanson. Mackenzie Foss , (1) Paislee McDonald, (3) Jacey Cash and J.Cash, (3) Aleesha Bradeen. W – Druyvestein (14-3).
POLSON – Katelyne Druyvestein 0-0(RBI,2BB,HB,SB), Hanson 1-1(3B,3RBI,BB,HB), Orien 0-2(RBI,BB), Avery Starr 2-3(2RBI), Nikki Kendall 0-2(HB,SB), Caitlyn Ward 1-3(2RBI), Tyneesha Brown 1-3(RBI,SB), Ansley Nordberg 0-2(BB), Lexi Johnson 1-2(BB), Julia Barnard 2-2.
LIBBY – Courtney Benson 1-2, Bradeen 1-2, Jossalyn White 0-1(FC).
Lady Pirates 5, Emeralds-Hurley/Williams 3
Polson 120 20 – 5 6 3
Kalispell 001 02 – 3 7 0
Katelyne Druyvestein (6K,2W,HB) and (1,3,5) Lexy Orien, (2,4) Mckenna Hanson. Emily Pedron, (3) Allie Kernan and Harlee Stokes. W – Druyvestein (13-3)
POLSON – Katelyne Druyvestein 0-2(BB), Hanson 0-2(SH), Lexy Orien 1-3, Avery Starr 1-2(BB), Caitlyn Ward 1-2(BB), Tyneesha Brown 2-2, Ansley Nordberg 1-1(2RBI,SH), Lexi Johnson 0-1(RBI,SF).
KALISPELL – Kernan 2-3, Maya Carvey 2-3, Pedron 1-2(RBI,BB), Alyssa Cadwalader 0-2(HB), Daytona Schuman 0-1(BB), Karissa Comer 1-2, Mady Osler 1-2(ROE).
Emeralds-Cooke 2, Lady Pirates 1
Kalispell 101 00 – 2 3 1
Polson 000 10 – 1 4 3
Morgan Vivian and Emily Pedron, (4) Laynee Vessar. Katelyne Druyvestein (9K) and Lexy Orien. L – Druyvestein (12-3).
KALISPELL – Brooklyn Imperato 0-3(d3K), Bella Hodous 0-1(RBI,ROE,R,2SH), Emma Cooke 2-2(RBI), Emily Pedron 0-2(ROE), Vessar 1-2(3B,BB).
POLSON – Druyvestein 1-3(SB), Orien 1-3, Nikki Kendall 1-1(BB), Caitlyn Ward 0-1(BB,FC), Lexi Johnson 0-1(BB,FC), Ansley Nordberg 0-1(SH), .Tyneesha Brown 1-2.
14U DIVISION
Championship
Lady Pirates 14, C-Town Rebels 6
C-Falls 30003 – 6 11 3
Polson 230 9x – 14 16 1
Maddie Moutray (3K) and catcher. Izzy Fyant (4K) and Olivia Jore. W – Fyant
C-TOWN – Bella Mann , Moutray 2, Annika Reid 2, Averie MacKenzie (2RBI), Taylor Lingle (BB)
POLSON – Jore 4-4 , Sammy Rensvold 2-4, Emma Smith 2-4, Fayree Pierre 3-4, Fyant, Sierra Perez, Kailey Smith.
RBIs – MacKenzie 2; F.Pierre 3, A.Orien 2. BB – Lingle; Perez,
Lady Pirates 9, Missoula Elite 4
Sammy Rensvold and Olivia Jore.
Pool play
Lady Pirates 8, MT Avs-H/W 8
Fury Fastpitch 6, Lady Pirates 1
Lady Pirates 5, Missoula Elite 2
Lady Pirates 11, C-Town Rebels 3
12U DIVISION
Bracket competition
Championship
Emeralds 5, MV Stars 4
Semifinal
MV Stars 7, Fury Fastpitch 4
Fury Fastpitch 9, Lady Pirates 1
Pool play
MV Stars 9, C-Town Rebs 2
MV Stars 1, Emeralds 0
Emeralds 14, Lady Pirates 2
Fury Fastpitch 17, Lady Pirates 1
Lady Pirates 12, C-Town Rebs 8
MV Stars 13, Lady Pirates 2
10U DIVISION
Bracket competition
Bozeman Stealers def. Lil' Lady Pirates
Bozeman Stealers 14, Mini Maidens 6
Fury Fastpitch 9, Ronan Spears 5
Pool play
Emeralds 14, Ronan Spears 0
Mini Maidens 8, Lady Pirates 1
Lady Pirates 9, Bozeman Stealers 6
Lady Pirates 7, Ronan Spears 4
Mini Maidens 5, Ronan Spears 5
Fury Fastpitch 5, Mini Maidens 4
