MAC places second at State

For the third year in a row, Mission-Arlee-Charlo placed second, and while they would have loved to take home the top trophy, it was an impressive performance at the State B-C Softball Tournament in Anaconda.

The Lady Bulldogs went back to the state championship game through the consolation bracket after losing to Conrad in the tournament opener.

Coming through the consolation bracket meant game after game. On Friday the Lady Bulldogs had three games right after another.

“The girls looked just plum wore out that evening,” MAC Head Coach Chane Reum said. “After losing the first game every win takes everything you have. Saturday morning’s game against Huntley was one of the most nerve-racking games for myself.”

Reum said he got barely any sleep Friday night and was awake and down at the field by 6:15 a.m. on Saturday to take in the silence of the sports complex with nothing more than two groundskeepers preparing the field.

The come-back streak, however, ended in the state championship matchup, with MAC falling 8-3 on Saturday, May 27.

Izzy Evans homered in the matchup, had two hits, and drove in two runs, while Hayleigh Smith had two hits and a double in the game.

“Izzy Evans pitched her heart out. She gave her team everything she had on the mound, and she also gave us some big hits putting the ball over the fence,” Reum said.

Conrad took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but MAC tied things back up after three innings of play. The CowDawgs then scored two runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth inning to earn first place.

“Conrad jumped out on us early but we scrapped back,” Reum said. “We slowly started to show signs of tiredness as we made a few errors in the next inning, giving Conrad a 5-3 lead. Every MAC player that came up to bat battled every at-bat, staying alive in the batters box trying to be the spark to get us going again but Conrad’s defense and pitched we just could not get over the hump to get going and make a charge.

"I do feel the girls gave me all they had and dug deep for more, there was just no more to give,” he added.

Both teams had seven hits as a team, but Kason Page handcuffed Conrad in four innings of play, where the MAC pitcher allowed just one earned run and one hit.

MAC finished the year 29-5.

“This MAC team is such an amazing group of girls with true grit, heart, determination, and a work ethic that is greatly appreciated,” Reum said.

MAC will lose seven seniors, including three all-state players and four other stand-out postseason players, Reum said.

“It is going to be different without these seniors since they have been with me since I started coaching in 2020.

MAC’s record since then has been 81-17-1 and has included three consecutive second place finishes at state.

“We have only lost to state champions in Class A – Columbia Falls this year and Frenchtown last year and tied with Polson two years ago,” Reum said. “Those are all three state champs from those years."

"MAC girls are kind of tired of getting second, but they need to hold their heads high because runner-up three years in a row is still a pretty big accomplishment. It’s not what we wanted, but still impressive.”

One of the big highlights of the tournament for the Lady Bulldogs was Jerny Crawford, who smacked several home runs and extra-base hits.

“Jerny Crawford did what Jerny has done her whole career: magnificent plays at short stop play after play, and her bat came to life with three home runs over the course of the state tournament,” Reum said.

To get MAC back into the state championship game, Crawford had two doubles and a triple while driving in three runs as Mission-Arlee-Charlo downed Huntley Project in a high-scoring 13-12 game.

“When reaching the first championship game (MAC would have to win twice) the day after beating a well-coached Huntley team in an up and down battle, we were excited but still had work to do,” Reum said.

Jada Domebo pitched six innings of relief for the Lady Bulldogs, allowing three earned runs and striking out two.

“Our two young pitchers Freshman Jada Domebo and sophomore Kasen Page did outstanding when called upon, several times I told Jada to warm up and be ready,” Reum said. “Several times she was warmed up and not used, but when they finally had a chance to come in and help out their team, Jada and Kasen did an amazing job.”

Lettie Umphrey had two hits and two RBI, including a double. Maia Christoper also drove in three runs.

“Lettie Umphrey was absolutely awesome at taking charge of this team and really being the anchor of hard work,” Reum said. “She sold out every play behind the plate and had no regard for her body as she dove into the fence and laid out for several outs and attempts for outs behind the plate. Lettie’s bat got hot last weekend at divisionals and stayed hot all weekend at state.”

Huntley Project led 10-5 after two innings before MAC rallied for four runs in the top of the third and two more runs in the top of the fourth. They also plated a run in the fifth and sixth.

Up 13-10, things got tight in the bottom of the seventh as Huntley Project drove in two runs but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Against Stillwater on Friday, MAC had 12 hits and blasted their opponent 15-5. Crawford hit her third home run of the state tournament and finished with two RBI.

Hayleigh Smith had three RBI with a double, while Crawford and Bennan Andersen had multi-hit games. Andersen drove in three runs as well and Rheid Crawford had three doubles in the matchup.

“Hayleigh Smith left it all out on the field,” Reum said. “In the tournament, she laid down several bunts with two strikes, and gave us some very timely momentum shifts by stealing a base or two and fired us up with some great delay steals.”

MAC led 10-1 after three innings and added two more runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh.

Evans pitched a solid game, scattering 10 hits and allowing just two earned runs.

Crawford hit her second home run when MAC downed Manhattan 11-0 in a five-inning consolation bracket win on Friday.

MAC led 7-0 after three innings and piled on four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game early. The team posted 12 hits, with Rheid Crawford, Jerny Crawford, Evans, Andersen, and Gabby Smith all having multi-hit games.

Jerny Crawford finished with three RBI, while Evans had two more, as did Andersen. Evans also had a double, and pitched all seven innings for MAC, striking out five and allowing just two hits.

In their early game on Friday, MAC faced elimination from the state tournament after losing their opening-round matchup.

They had a worthy opponent in the East’s No. 1 seed from Shepherd and came away with the 5-4 victory. MAC overcame a 4-0 deficit after three innings and got a home run from Jerny Crawford in the victory to stay alive.

Hayleigh Smith had two hits and two stolen bases in the game, while Gabby Smith had three RBI.

MAC scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and a run in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Lady Bulldogs finished with six team hits in the win.

Evans pitched seven innings in the circle, allowing just three earned runs and striking out three.

That win was a reprieve from their State BC Softball Tournament opener on when MAC fell to Conrad 7-4. Despite two hits, an RBI, and a double from Maia Christopher, the team could not overcome an early 3-0 deficit in the loss.

“To lose our first game, and have to fight back through the consolation bracket is exhausting,” Reum said. “This MAC team never blinked.”

Conrad led 6-1 going into the bottom of the fifth when MAC rallied for three runs, but an insurance run by the CowDawgs proved too much to overcome.

Jerny Crawford, Rheid Crawford, Evans, Smith, and Christopher all drove in runs, but MAC committed four errors in the loss.

Jerny Crawford also had a double, while Evans pitched all seven innings, striking out five.

CONRAD 8, MAC 3

MAC - 012 - 000 - 0 - 3 - 7 - 1

Conrad - 300 - 023 - x - 8 - 7 - 1

Mission Hitting: Hits - H Smith 2, I Evans 2, P Smith, G Smith, M Christopher; RBI - I Evans 2, G Smith; 2B: H Smith, HR: I Evans, SB: J Crawford 2, M Christopher, H Smith, LOB: 5

Mission Pitching: P Smith 1 innings pitched, 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts; K Page 4 innings pitched, 1 hit, 2 runs, 1 earned runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout; I Evans 1 inning pitched 2 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

MAC 13, HUNTLEY PROJECT 12

MAC - 504 - 211 - 0 - 13 - 8 - 2

Huntly - 910 - 000 - 2 - 12 - 15 - 3

Mission Hitting: Hits - J Crawford 4, L Umphrey 2, G Smith, M Christopher; RBI - J Crawford 3, Maia Christopher, L Umphrey 2, R Crawford; 2B: J Crawford 2, L Umphrey, 3B: J Crawford, SF: R Crawford, CS: M Christopher, HBP: G Smith 2, SB: J Crawford 3, R Crawford, I Evans, LOB: 8

Mission Hitting: Izzy Evans 1 inning pitched, 6 hits, 9 runs, 9 earned runs, 4 walks, 1 strikeout; J Domebo 6 innings pitched, 9 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

MAC 15, STILLWATER 5

MAC - 208 - 002 - 3 - 15 - 12 - 1

Stillwater - 001 - 002 - 2 - 5 - 10 - 5

Mission Hitting: Hits - R Crawford 3, J Crawford 2, B Andersen 2, H Smith, P Smith, L Umphrey, G Smith, M Christopher; RBI - H Smith 3, B Andersen 3, J Crawford 2, I Evans, L Umphrey; 2B: H Smith, R Crawford 3, HR: J Crawford, HBP: P Smith, SB: J Crawford 2, M Christopher, H Smith, R Crawford, LOB: 4

Mission Pitching: Izzy Evans 7 innings pitched, 10 hits, 5 runs, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts

MAC 11, MANHATTAN 0

Manh - 000 - 00 - 0 - 2 - 0

MAC - 322 - 04 - 11 - 12 - 2

MAC Hitting: Hits - R Crawford 2, J Crawford 2, I Evans 2, B Endersen 2, G Smith 2, M Christopher; RBI - J Crawford 3, I Eans 2, B Andersen 2, H Smith, R Crawford, M Christoper; 2B: I Evans, HR: J Crawford; SAC - H Smith; SF: H Smith, CS: I Evans, SB: L Umphrey, G Smith, H Smith 3, LOB: 5

Mission Pitching: Izzy Evans, 5 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts

MAC 5, SHEPARD 4

Shepard - 301 - 000 - 0 - 4 - 6 - 2

MAC - 000 - 301 - 1 - 5 - 6 -3

MAC Hitting: Hits - H Smith 2, J Crawford, P Smith, B Andersen, G Smith; RBI - G Smith 3 , J Crawford, P Smith; HR: J Crawford, SAC: R Crawford, SB: H Smith 2, LOB: 5

MAC Pitching: Izzy Evans 7 innings pitched, 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

CONRAD 7, MAC 4

Conrad - 102 - 030 - 1 - 7 - 10 - 1

MAC - 000 - 130 - 0 - 4 - 6 - 4

MAC Hitting: Hits - M Christopher 2, R Crawford, J Crawford, L Umphrey, B Andersen; RBI - J Crawford, I Evans, P Smith, M Christopher; 2B - M Christopher, J Crawford; SAC:

H Smith, SF: I Evans, SB: R Crawford, J Crawford, LOB: 7

MAC Pitching: I Evans 7 innings pitched, 10 hits, 7 runs, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts