M-A-C returns to Florence as No. 2 seed
The Mission-Arlee-Charlo softball team went 3-2 at the Western B/C divisional tournament last week at Florence.
The two losses were both by one run to host Florence-Carlton, 5-4 in the semifinals Friday and 9-8 in eight innings in the championship game Saturday.
So far the two teams have met four times this season, and the Falcons hold a 3-1 edge, but three of those games were decided by a single run.
The two are on a collision course again this weekend on the same fields, as Florence (20-3) hosts the Class B/C state tournament.
The Bulldogs (21-4-1) came out swinging and posted blow-out wins of 16-0 against Anaconda and 20-1 over Ennis in their first two divisional games.
That put them into the semifinals against Florence on Friday.
Designated player Brennan Anderson drove in Gabby Smith to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth, but Florence answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Jerny Crawford tripled on the first pitch to open the seventh inning and scored on a Liev Smith liner to left as M-A-C pulled within one run with no outs.
The next three M-A-C batters struck out to end the game.
Against Manhattan Christian on Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs led 6-2 after five innings, thanks in part to a three-run homer by Rheid Crawford.
Manhattan Christian scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh to close the gap, but the game ended on a line out to second with a runner in scoring position.
The 6-5 win propelled M-A-C to the title game Saturday evening, a rematch with Florence.
The Lady Bulldogs opened the scoring with a run on a Hayleigh Smith single, but Florence responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, one on a single and another on a fielder’s choice.
Florence pulled ahead 5-2 in the fifth on four consecutive hits, including a triple.
Hayleigh Smith clubbed a two-run homer in the fifth to close the gap to 5-4.
Florence scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to seemingly put the game away, but M-A-C battled back with four runs to send the game into extra innings. Rheid Crawford plated two on a double to center, then Payton Smith and Jerny Crawford drove in runs with singles.
Florence loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth. The Falcons’ Maddie Potter hit into a fielder’s choice at home for the second out before Auttom Sutton ended the game with a walk-off single.
M-A-C played the entire divisional tournament without shortstop and pitcher Kooper Page, who was experiencing discomfort in her throwing arm. Head coach Shane Reum said Tuesday that no diagnosis has been made and he’s unsure whether Page will be available for the weekend.
“I honestly can’t say,” Reum said. “It could go either way. It’s really up to Koop and her parents. She’s just a sophomore, and I certainly don’t want to push her. Fortunately we have a very deep team.”
With Page unavailable, freshman Izzy Evans took on some pitching duties, along with Liev Smith, who has started multiple games this season. Reum said junior Payton Smith also could be an option at pitcher.
Meanwhile, Liev Smith was pulled from the title game Saturday after taking a liner to the ankle at third base.
Reum said Smith will be back on the field this weekend.
“You’re not getting her off that field,” he said. “She’s about as tough as they come and she’s a senior, so there’s just no way.”
M-A-C opens the state tournament at noon Thursday against Huntley Project, the No. 3 seed out of the East.
Florence 9, Mission-Arlee-Charlo 8 (8 innings)
Mssn-A-C 100 120 40 – 8 16 2
Florence 201 203 01 – 9 17 3
Izzy Evans (6K,5W) and Katelyn Young. Kylie Kovatch and Kasidy Yeoman. W – Kovatch. L – Evans (1-1).
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 2-4, L.Smith 0-2, Maysa Couture 1-2, H.Smith 3-4, Evans 2-5, Rheid Crawford 1-5, Gabby Smith 3-4, Bennan Andersen 0-4, Payton Smith 2-4, Young 2-4.
FLORENCE-CARLTON – K.Yeoman 2-3, Jaidyn Larson 3-5, Kolbi Wood 3-4, Kovatch 2-4, Mackenzie Little 1-4, Jayden Hendricksen 1-4, Rylee Yeoman 1-5, Madison Potter 1-5, Auttom Sutton 3-5.
HR – H.Smith; Wood. 3B – K.Yeoman. 2B – J.Crawford, P.Smith; Wood, Potter, R.Yeoman. RBIs – J.Crawford, H.Smith 3, R.Crawford 2, P.Smith, Young 2; K.Yeoman, Larson, Wood 3, Kovatch 2, Little, Sutton. BB – J.Crawford, H.Smith; K.Yeoman 2, Wood, Kovatch, Henrickson. HB – L.Smith; Little. SB – G.Smith, J.Crawford, P.Smith; K.Yeoman 2, Larson 2, Wood, Kovatch, R.Yeoman. CS – R.Crawford; Sutton, Quinn Skaggs. Runs – J.Crawford, L.Smith, M.Couture, H.Smith 2, Evans, G.Smith 2; K.Yeoman 2, Larson 2, Wood 3, Little, A.Sutton.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo 6, Manhattan 5
Meagan Elgas (5K,1W) and Adele Didriksen. Liev Smith (5K,5W,1HB) and Katelyn Young. W – L.Smith (9-1)
Manhattan 200 002 1 – 5 9 2
Mssn-A-C 012 030 x – 6 9 1
MANHATTAN – Shayla Shea 1-4, Claire Nolan 1-4, Adele Didriksen 2-4, Natalie Scott 2-2, Malia Friese 0-4, Lexi Miller 1-3, Sierra Blanchard 0-3, Mason Steele 1-1, Delaney Doherty 0-1, Abby Kabalin 0-1, Emma Kabalin 0-1.
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 0-4, L.Smith 1-3, H.Smith 1-3, Evans 3-4, Rheid Crawford 2-3, Gabby Smith 1-3, Bennan Andersen 0-3, Payton Smith 3-3, Young 0-3.
HR – Scott; R.Crawford. 2B – Miller; Evans 2. RBIs – Shea, Scott 2, Miller; Evans 2, R.Crawford 3. BB – Scott 2, Miller, Doherty 2; L.Smith. HB – A.Kabalin. SB – Doherty 2, Shea, Blanchard; Evans. Runs – Didriksen, Scott 2, Blanchard, Doherty; L.Smith 2, Evans 2, R.Crawford, P.Smith.
Florence 5, Mission-Arlee-Charlo 4
Mssn-A-C 001 101 1 – 4 12 1
Florence 110 102 x– 5 10 2
Liev Smith (1K,2W) and Katelyn Young. Kylie Kovatch (11K,1W) and Kasidy Yeoman. W – Kovatch. L – L.Smith (8-1)
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 3-4, L.Smith 2-4, Hayleigh Smith 0-3, Evans 2-4, Rheid Crawford 1-4, Gabby Smith 1-3, Bennan Andersen 1-3, Payton Smith 1-3, Young 1-3.
FLORENCE-CARLTON – K.Yeoman 1-2, Jaidyn Larson 2-4, Kolbi Wood 2-4, Kovatch 0-2, Quinn Skaggs 0-2, Mackenzie Little 1-3, H.Sutton 0-3, Rylee Yeoman 3-3, Madison Potter 1-1, Auttom Sutton 0-3.
HR – Young; K.Yeoman. 3B – J.Crawford. 2B – R.Crawford; Larson. RBIs – L.Smith, Andersen, P.Smith, Young; K.Yeoman, Larson, Wood, R.Yeoman, A.Sutton. BB – H.Smith; K.Yeoman 2. SB – H.Smith 2, G.Smith; R.Yeoman. CS – L.Smith, Andersen. Runs – J.Crawford, Evans, G.Smith, Young; K.Yeoman 2, Little, R.Yeoman 2.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo 20, Ennis 1
M-A-C (10)11 35 – 20 14 2
Ennis ( 1 )00 00 – 1 4 4
Elizabeth Olson (.2IP:1K), Shae Lovett (3.2IP:5K), (5) Addison Retherferd (.2IP) and Paxton Fortner. Liev Smith (3IP:4K,2H,1W), (4) Izzy Evans (2IP:1K,1H) and Katelyn Young. W – L.Smith (8-0).
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – J.Crawford 5-5, L.Smith 1-1, Hayleigh Smith 2-3, Xaria Jacobson 0-1, Evans 2-4, Rheid Crawford 1-3, Gabby Smith 2-3, Maysa Couture 0-1, Bennan Andersen 1-3, Payton Smith 2-3, Sidney Bauer 0-1, Young 2-4.
ENNIS – Jaylyn Jenkins 0-3, Shae Lovett 0-2, Jenna Snider 0-2, Payton Mallett 1-2, Sage Canterbury 1-2, Megan Knack 0-2, Retherferd 0-2, Olson 1-2, Fortner 0-2.
HR – J.Crawford 2, H.Smith, R.Crawford, Andersen, Young. 3B – J.Crawford. 2B – J.Crawford, L.Smith, H.Smith, Evans 2. RBIs – J.Crawford 2, L.Smith, H.Smith 3, Evans 4, R.Crawford 2, Andersen, P.Smith 2, Young 2; Canterbury. BB – L.Smith 3, R.Crawford; S.Lovett. HB – L.Smith, H.Smith, Evans, Andersen. SB – J.Crawford 2, L.Umphrey 2, Evans, G.Smith, Andersen, P.Smith; Olson, Mallett, Lovett. CS – L.Umphrey. Runs – J.Crawford 5, L.Smith, H.Smith 2, Evans, R.Crawford, G.Smith, Andersen 2, P.Smith 2, Young 2.
Mission-Arlee-Charlo 16, Anaconda 0
M-A-C 262 6 – 16 20 0
Anaconda 000 0 – 0 9 0
Ashley Mitchell, (4) Taryn Coughlin and Kadence Lunceford. Liev Smith (2K) and Katelyn Young. W – L.Smith (7-0)
MISSION-ARLEE-CHARLO – Jerny Crawford 4-4, L.Smith 2-4, Hayleigh Smith 2-3, Izzy Evans 2-3, Rheid Crawford 0-4, Gabby Smith 1-4, Bennan Andersen 2-3, Payton Smith 2-3, Young 3-3, (flex).
ANACONDA – Cara DeMarois -, Sami Johnson -, Coughlin -, Alyssa Peterson -, Kora Kelly -, Mitchell -, Cara Fortner -, K.Lunceford -, Kodi Barnes -.
HR – Evans. 2B – J.Crawford 4, Evans, G.Smith, P.Smith. RBIs – J.Crawford 4, L.Smith, H.Smith 2, Evans 2, Andersen 2, P.Smith, Young 2. Runs – Crawford 4, L.Smith, H.Smith, Evans, R.Crawford, G.Smith, Andersen 2, P.Smith, Young 3.