Summer softball squads compete at Great Falls and Oregon
Mission Valley area softball teams competed at the Falls Fusion Classic among four age groupings last weekend at Great Falls.
The 10U Lil' Lady Pirates and the Ronan Spears were the only teams that advanced to the second round of bracket competition.
Both the high school age division and middle school Polson teams played close contests but were denied a chance to advance when their competitors scored late-inning runs.
Rain delays cut games times down to 45-minute intervals, impacting the potential outcome of several of the closer contests.
In the Lady Pirate win during pool play action, Lexy Orien hit a home run and Lexi Johnson stroked an RBI double, although the runs didn't count when the score reverted back to the preceding inning when time was called.
All-state pitcher Katelyne Druyvestein was not in attendance at Great Falls because she was competing with the Dan Ries-coached 18U MT Avalanche at the Triple Crown Valley Invitational in the Portland area. Avalanche Ries went 4-1 against stiff competition. Druyvestein threw a couple of games for the Avs as part of their pitching rotation. Among her teammates were sisters Jerny and Rhied Crawford of State B/C runner up Mission-Arlee-Charlo.
The 18U Northwest Bullets also competed, with recent Polson grad and all-stater Josie Caye at shortstop.
2021 Falls Fusion Classic
June 18-20, Great Falls
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION (13 teams)
Gold bracket competition
18U Falls Fusion-Gold 5, 16/18U Lady Pirates 4
USA Lady Pirates (8-4-2)
Polson 000 4 – 4 5 3
Gr.Falls 031 1 – 5 6 2
Turquoise Pierre (1K) and Lexy Orien. Jessica Morgan (6K) and Sarah Faulk. L –– Pierre (0-2-1)
16/18U POLSON LADY PIRATES – Nikki Kendall 0-2, Mckenna Hanson 0-2, Orien 1-2, Avery Starr 1-2, Pierre 1-2,(RBI), Caitlyn Ward 0-2, Lexi Johnson 1-2, Tyneesha Brown 1-2, Julia Barnard 0-1.
18U FALLS-FUSION GOLD – Ryen Palmer 1-2, Sarah Faulk 1-2, Macy Mangold 1-2, Tori LaPierre 0-2, Madeline Hamma 0-2, Morgan 0-2, Stephanie Jablonski 2-2, Kiely Gunderson 0-1, Hannah Fetters 1-2.
HR – Palmer. RBIs – Pierre, Johnson 2, Brown; Palmer, Jablonski, Fetters. SH – Gunderson. ROE – Barnard; LaPierre, Gunderson. FC – Hamma, Morgan. SB – Gunderson.
Pool play
Lady Pirates 3, 16U Falls Fusion-Gold 3
USA Lady Pirates (8-3-2)
Gr.Falls 002 1[0 ] – 3 2 2
Polson 100 1[1t] – 3 6 2
Brie Ginnaty and Brooke Powers. Turquoise Pierre (4K) and Lexy Orien.
16/18U POLSON LADY PIRATES – Nikki Kendall 2-3(2B,SB), Mckenna Hanson 0-2(SF,RBI,SB), Orien 1-2(2B), Avery Starr 1-2(HR,RBI), Caitlyn Ward 1-2, Lexi Johnson 1-2(ROE), Tyneesha Brown 0-1(BB).
16U FALLS FUSION-GOLD – Jenna Etchberry 1-2, Ella Galloway 0-2 (RBI,ROE),
Ginnaty 0-1 (BB), Maddy Hermiller 1-1(SB), Haley Lins 0-0(BB), Dyna Timboe 0-0(BB),
Lady Pirates 2, 16U Falls Fusion-Green 0
USA Lady Pirates (8-3-1)
Polson 101 0[7] – 2 8 0
Gr.Falls 000 0[t] – 0 1 4
Avery Starr (8K,1W) and Mckenna Hanson. Mady and Ava. W – Starr (1-0-1).
16U FALLS-FUSION-GREEN – Nadi (0-0(BB), Katelyn 1-1, Emma 0-1(FC)
16/18U POLSON LADY PIRATES – Nikki Kendall 0-2(BB,ROE,SB), Hanson 1-3, Lexy Orien 3-3(HR,2RBI,SB), Starr 1-3, Turquoise Pierre 0-2(BB), Caitlyn Ward 0-3(RBI,d3K,sB), Lexi Johnson 2-3(2B,RBI), Tyneesha Brown 1-3, Ansley Nordberg 0-2(HB), Julia Barnard 0-2(SB).
18U Blgs Force-Balsam 6, Lady Pirates 0
USA Lady Pirates (7-3-1),
Billings 200 4[7] – 6 11 1
Polson 000 0[ t ] – 0 0 3
Alison Eldridge (7K) and Avery Martin. Turquoise Pierre (3.1IP:1K,3W), Nikki Kendall (.2IP:2K,2H,1W) and Lexy Orien. L – Pierre (0-1).
18U BILLINGS FORCE-BALSAM – Marleigh Nieto 0-3(HB), Lauren Blaschak 1-3(gr2B,2RBI, ROE,HB), Emma Balsam 2-3(3RBI,BB), McKinsey Matthews 4-2(2RBI), Avery Martin 1-4(4RBI,2ROE), Halle Spring 0-2(SH,ROE), Deven Creech 0-2(BB), Eldgridge 0-2(BB,ROE), Jillian Johnson 0-2(BB,ROE).
16/18U POLSON LADY PIRATES – Orien 0-2(ROE)
14U DIVISION (21 teams)
Bronze bracket competition
14U Missoula Elite 5, Lady Pirates 4
Pool play
Butte Chaos 7, Lady Pirates 6
SilverStorm-Garza 9, Lady Pirates 1
14U Blgs Force-Marr 5, Lady Pirates 3
12U DIVISION (12 teams)
12U gold bracket competition
Blgs Force-Stephens 15, Lady Pirates 4
Polson 004 – 4 5 4
Blgs 87x – 15 12 1
12U LADY PIRATES – Logan McCrea 1-2, JJ Pierre 2-2(2B,RBI), Madison Turner 0-2(RBI), Keke Tenas 1-2(HR,2RBI,FC), Nizhoni 1-1.
12U BILLINGS FORCE-STEPHENS – Sophia W 3-3(2RBI), Kaylee M. 3-3(2B,3RBI), Ava S. 0-2(BB), Tessa J. 2-2(2B,BB), Kianna W. 1-3(2RBI), Kyann D. 1-2(RBI,BB), Addison B. 0-0(2BB), Brooklyn G 2-2(3RBI)
12U pool play
12U Lady Pirates 17, Fergus Eagles 2
12U Avalanche-LaTrielle 9, Lady Pirates 1
12U Lady Pirates 15, Silverstorm-Wolfe 5
10U DIVISION (8 teams)
10U bracket competition
(#1) Emeralds 7, (#4) Lil' Lady Pirates 1
pitching: LP#8 (2K). Chloe F, Ava G
LP#24(RBI), LP#3(BB), LP#23(BB)
Lil' Lady Pirates 6, Falls-Fusion-Nash 4
(#7) Havre 7, (#3) Ronan Spears 5
Ronan Spears 10, Falls Fusion-Stoll 4
10U pool play
Lady Pirates 10, Falls-Fusion-Nash 3
Lil' Lady Pirates 11, Havre 11
Emeralds 19, Lady Pirates 0
Ronan Spears 7, Falls Fusion-Mendenhall 2
Ronan Spears 16, Falls Fusion-Stoll 3
Bozeman Stealers 10, Ronan Spears 7
2021 TC Valley Invite
Beaverton, Hillsboro, Portland, OR
June 18-20
MT Avs-Ries 7, American Freedom-Davis 6
Am.Freedom (15-19-2)
Aurora,CO 111 003 – 6 6 5
Missoula 002 410 – 7 15 8
Katelyne Druyvestein (5K) and catcher.
18U MT AVALANCHE-RIES – Jerny Crawford (RBI)
MT Avs-Ries 6, NW Sidewinders-Zachary 5
NW Sidewinders (9-6)
Arlington,WA 201 02 – 5 7 0
Missoula 003 03 – 6 8 1
Katelyne Druyvestein (4IP:4K) and catcher.
18U MT AVALANCHE-RIES – Jerny Crawford (3RBI)