Frenchtown Invite punishes Polson, MAC
Nikki Kendall led off the Havre game with a home run on the first pitch of the game. (Bob Gunderson photo)
Polson's Kailey Smith leans in for a close play at first during the Frenchtown Invite. (Bob Gunderson photo)
MAC catcher Lettie Umphrey reaches for the ball as Maiden Kaleigh Benson aims for a hit during last week's MAC-Ronan game. (Christa Umphrey photo)
Ronan's Brogan Youngren stretches to get the out in last week's softball game against Mission-Arlee-Charlo (MAC). (Christa Umphrey photo)
Polson drops two games at Frenchtown Invitational
The Lady Pirates fell twice at the Frenchtown Invitational on Saturday.
Nikki Kendall led off the Havre game with a home run on the first pitch of the game. Polson scored another run in the first inning and then was shut down for the rest of the game by Havre's Elle Verpbergen who went the distance.
Polson outhit Havre 10-9 but the Blue Ponies were able to string more hits together to push across six runs for the victory. Avery Carlson homered for Havre in the bottom of the sixth.
The game marked Samantha Rensvold’s first pitching loss of the season.
In the second game of the day defending class B state champion Florence came from behind scoring three runs in the top of the seventh inning to down the Lady Pirates 8-7. Carli Maley and Nikki Kendall each doubled for Polson; Avery Starr was on the mound for the Lady Pirates’ second game.
The Lady Pirates are 6-0 in the conference and 9-2 overall.
MAC wins one, loses one at Frenchtown Invite
MAC’s pitchers prevailed in shutout games last Monday against Ronan and Tuesday against Loyola Sacred Heart. From there, they headed to the Frenchtown Invite to best the defending State A champion Broncs, 8-6 on Friday. The tables turned that evening however, when Class A Columbia Falls delivered MAC’s first season loss, 14-0.
In Monday’s game Izzy Evans held the Maidens to zero runs, while Bennan Andersen, Gabby Smith, Maia Christopher, Jerny Crawford and Payton Smith knocked in seven runs in the fourth inning – including a home run by Crawford. The final score was 12-0.
On Tuesday, Izzy Evans and Jada Domebo took turns on the mound. Although Evans allowed three hits during her three innings, none of them arrived home; Domebo, on the mound two innings, held the Sacred Heart Breakers to no hits, no runs.
Meanwhile Hayleigh Smith collects four hits in four at bats, including a homer in the fourth. Nine runs came in during the third, with singles by Smith, Bennan Andersen, Maia Christopher, Rheid Crawford, Payton Smith, Kason Page, and a groundout by Gabby Smith. The final score was 12-0.
In Frenchtown, Evans threw the first five innings against the Broncs, who acquired six runs. Domebo managed to contain them to zero during her two innings, while Jerny Crawford tallied three runs, Rheid Crawford added a fourth, Gabby Smith and Princess Bolen each added one, and Lettie Umphrey contributed two for a final score of 8-6.
The Wildkats kept MAC to just one hit, while racking up 14 runs.
