M-A-C riding momentum into postseason
Rheid Crawford of Mission-Arlee-Charlo applies a tag on a Florence player during a home game against the Falcons last week. (Courtesy of Christa Umphrey, Forward Photography)
Rheid Crawford rounds third and heads home to score against Plains. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
Shortstop Kooper Page fires a throw to first base against Plains. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
Liev Smith pitches against Plains. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
M-A-C players Kooper Page, foreground, Izzy Evans, Liev Smith and Katelyn Young run down a Florence base runner. (Courtesy of Christa Umphrey, Forward Photography)
The Mission-Arlee-Charlo softball team avenged their only Class B/C loss of the year and dominated a doubleheader at home to wrap up the regular season last week.
The Lady Bulldogs take an overall record of 18-2-1 into the divisional tournament at Florence that starts Thursday (May 20).
The Falcons (16-3) defeated M-A-C 10-5 on April 9 in Florence. The Bulldogs’ only other loss was against Class A Columbia Falls.
At St. Ignatius on Tuesday, Izzy Evans singled to drive in Liev Smith and Katelyn Young to give M-A-C a 4-3 walk-off win over Florence in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Smith pitched three innings, while Kooper Page struck out nine in four innings against Florence. Paige also drove in a run. Rheid Crawford scored the Bulldogs’ other run on a solo home run to send the game to extra innings.
“It’s just such a talented group of girls who work well together,” M-A-C head coach Shane Reum said Saturday. “There’s no one out there for themselves. They’re out there for everyone. We have 16 girls on our travel team. Everyone knows their role and everyone’s out there for the team.”
The Lady Bulldogs will be the No. 2 seed at the divisional tournament, with the Falcons getting the top seed based on head-to-head margin of victory. M-A-C opens against Anaconda at noon Thursday.
The team followed up Tuesday’s emotional win with a strong doubleheader sweep against visiting Plains on Saturday.
Page went the distance and allowed four hits to go with seven strikeouts in Game 1, a 17-1 victory. Hayleigh Smith, Izzy Evans and Rheid Crawford each drove in three runs.
Liev Smith pitched the second game, a 15-0 win.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo 4, Florence 3 (8)
Florence 000 100 11 – 3 8 1
M-A-C 000 100 12 – 4 8 0
Liev Smith (3IP:1K,1H,1W), (4) Kooper Page (5IP:9K,7H,1W,1HB,2A) and Jerny Crawford. Kylie Kovatch (5K,0W) and Kasidy Yeoman. W – Ko.Page (11-2-1)
FLORENCE-CARLTON – K.Yeoman 3-4, Jaidyn Larson 2-4, Kolbi Wood 0-3, Kovatch 0-4, Mackenzie Little 0-4, Jayden Hendricksen 1-3, Rylee Yeoman 1-4, Madison Potter 1-4, Auttom Sutton 0-1, (flex) Gabby Reed.
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 1-4, L.Smith 0-4, H.Smith 1-4, Izzy Evans 2-4, Ko.Page 1-3, Rheid Crawford 1-3, Bennan Andersen 0-3, Payton Smith 0-3, Katelyn Young 2-3, (flex) Gabby Smith.
HR – K.Yeoman; R.Crawford. 2B – R.Yeoman, Potter; Evans. RBIs – K.Yeoman, Little, Potter; Evans 2, Ko.Page, R.Crawford. BB – Wood, Sutton 2. HB – Henricksen. ROE – Andersen, Evans. FC – Little; P.Smith, Young, L.Smith. SB – Wood. CS – Potter, Larson. Runs – K.Yeoman, Wood, R.Yeoman; L.Smith, Evans, R.Crawford, Young.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo 17, Plains 1
Plains 001 00 – 1 4 6
M-A-C 571 4 x – 17 15 1
Carlie Wagoner and Izzy Crabb. Kooper Page (7K,1W, 1PO,2A) and Jerny Crawford. W – Ko.Page (12-2-1), L – Wagoner.
PLAINS-HOT SPRINGS – Kaylah Standeford 0-3, Izzy Butcher 1-3, Madison Elliott 0-3, Skylar Bergstrom 0-2, Celsey VonHeeder 1-2, Faith McGonagle 0-2, Krystena Boes 1-2, Jolena Caldwell 0-1, Crabb 1-2.
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 2-3, L.Smith 1-2, H.Smith 3-4, Izzy Evans 2-4, Ko.Page 2-4, Rheid Crawford 3-3, Bennan Andersen 1-3, Payton Smith 1-2, Gabby Smith 0-2.
2B – Butcher, C.VonHeeder; J.Crawford, H.Smith, Evans, Ko.Page, R.Crawford 3, P.Smith. RBIs – Butcher; J.Crawford 2, L.Smith, H.Smith 3, Evans 2, Ko.Page 3, R.Crawford 3, P.Smith 2, G.Smith. SF – G.Smith. SH – R.Crawford. BB – Caldwell; L.Smith 2, P.Smith.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo 15, Plains-Hot Springs 0
M-A-C 061 8 – 15 13 3
Plains 000 0 – 0 2 6
Liev Smith (4IP:2K,2A) and Jerny Crawford. Piper Bergstrom, (4) Carlie Wagoner and Mykenzi Blood. W – L.Smith (6-0).
PLAINS-HOT SPRINGS – Kaylah Standeford 0-2, Blood 1-2, Celsey VonHeeder 0-2, Madison Elliott 0-3, Skylar Bergstrom 0-2, , Wagoner 0-2, Krystena Boes 1-2, Crabb 0-2, Genna Deschamps 0-1, (flex) P.Bergstrom, (4) Izzy Butcher.
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 1-4, L.Smith 2-4, H.Smith 2-3, Xaria Jacobson 0-0, Izzy Evans 1-3, Ko.Page 1-3, Rheid Crawford 2-2, Bennan Andersen 1-3, Payton Smith 1-3, Gabby Smith 2-3, (cr) Lettie Umphrey.
3B – H.Smith, Ko.Page. 2B – J.Crawford, L.Smith 2, H.Smith, Evans, R.Crawford, P.Smith. RBIs – L.Smith 3, H.Smith, Evans 2, Ko.Page, R.Crawford, Andersen, P.Smith 3, G.Smith 2. SF – Evans. BB – X.Jacobson, Ko.Page.
